recipe hamper/starter pack for friend

katiesmummy

my best friend has expressed an interest in learning how to cook (finally!!) because she wants to make fairy cakes with her ds

i want to make her a little pressie to get her started, bearing in mind that currently all of her food comes out of a tin/box

i was thinking that as it was the fairy cakes that got her started that i could make her up a little box with the ingredients to make them, plus a cheap 12 hole baking tray, mixing bowl and wooden spoon, along with the recipe on a little card, typed nicely by me of course!

i also thought i could make her a little recipe book as well with some simple meals.
i have come up with:

spag bol (which i know she likes- will also add recipes for shepherds pie, lasange and chilli as they are all similar)
the recipe for my chicken balti cos i know she loves it
how to prepare and cook a roast (she buys chicken precooked from tesco- phobia of raw meat but is willing to overcome this!)
and.......now i'm stuck......she doesn't eat fish, and i dont want to give her recipes where she has to go and buy loads and loads of herbs/spices etc etc cos she is on a tight budget

any ideas?

k2tog

How about cauliflower cheese? If she can cope with the roux, she will then be able to do lasagne and other things also.

jexygirl

how about omlette & pizza bases - if she is learning for the first time, she may have a few things she will need to use up / leftovers in the fridge until she gets into the rhythm, and both of these will be good for that.
Jex

knithryn

Basic salad dressing
Bread and butter pudding to use up ends of bread
Along with fairy cakes, Victoria Sponge (lots of variations and alternatives)
Nigellas chocolate cookies
Choc rice krispie buns
Flapjacks
Cheesecake (non-cooked sort)
Apple crumble (crumble topping is such a doddle and can be frozen so the options are endless)

Such a nice thought from you. I do hope she gets the cooking 'bug'.

Butterfly_Brain

What a nice idea
I would add:
Paper cake cases as well
Have you a Works near to you? They have some really nice cookery books starting at £1.99

katiesmummy

k2tog wrote: »

How about cauliflower cheese? If she can cope with the roux, she will then be able to do lasagne and other things also.

i know she doesn't like macaroni cheese so i'm gonna assume she doesn't like cauliflower cheese either!

BUT you have made me think of a recipe to try for myself cos i love mac and cheese hehe

katiesmummy

jexygirl wrote: »

how about omlette & pizza bases - if she is learning for the first time, she may have a few things she will need to use up / leftovers in the fridge until she gets into the rhythm, and both of these will be good for that.
Jex

thats a good idea- the amount of fridge food i have seen her chuck away cos its gone off is unbelieveable!! and i know she loves pizza!

katiesmummy

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

What a nice idea
I would add:
Paper cake cases as well
Have you a Works near to you? They have some really nice cookery books starting at £1.99

yes i do! there's one in the shopping centre- will have a wander over tomorrow (providing i can get the pram through the snow!)

Woofles

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but does she have any scales.
Something cheap like this would be fine to get her started.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Salter-135-Kitchen-Scale-White/dp/B0007MTMZU/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1261090512&sr=1-45

Jem8472

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dodo-Book-Cooks-Recipes-Extinction/dp/1903001099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261090583&sr=8-1

I have this book. It is a cook book that is blank for you to add your own recipes to.

So you could get it and add any recipes to it before giving it to her.

Got a lovely recipe for tuna pate if she likes tinned tuna. (got my dodo cookbook out)

1 Large tin of tuna
1 Block of edam
1 medium onion
splash of sherry
2tbls double cream
melted butter

Drain the tuna, put into a bowl. Grate the edam, chop the onion and mix witht he tuna. Season with some ground black pepper.
Add the sherry (prob 1 table spoon) and double cream and mix. Put into a bowl and smooth down the top, pour over the melted butter and pop into the fridge.

The flavour usually gets better as they days go on.

Best eaten with brown bread toasted!

katiesmummy

Woofles wrote: »

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but does she have any scales.
Something cheap like this would be fine to get her started.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Salter-135-Kitchen-Scale-White/dp/B0007MTMZU/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1261090512&sr=1-45

i thought of that too, thank you! i highly doubt she has any scales so that is something i will definately get for her

Jem8472 wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dodo-Book-Cooks-Recipes-Extinction/dp/1903001099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261090583&sr=8-1

I have this book. It is a cook book that is blank for you to add your own recipes to.

So you could get it and add any recipes to it before giving it to her.

Got a lovely recipe for tuna pate if she likes tinned tuna. (got my dodo cookbook out)

1 Large tin of tuna
1 Block of edam
1 medium onion
splash of sherry
2tbls double cream
melted butter

Drain the tuna, put into a bowl. Grate the edam, chop the onion and mix witht he tuna. Season with some ground black pepper.
Add the sherry (prob 1 table spoon) and double cream and mix. Put into a bowl and smooth down the top, pour over the melted butter and pop into the fridge.

The flavour usually gets better as they days go on.

Best eaten with brown bread toasted!

hmm, am unsure if she likes fish or not, i'll find out