Want to start cooking.. but so much to buy!?!?!

MercilessKiller

Hi there.

Currently (living with my girlfriend) our weekly meals include maybe a steak one night, a few ready meals, soem spag bol and home made chicken and rice.

I want to cut out the ready meals and do something better, like with raw meat...

When looking at the recipes though, its not just some raw meat, some veg, some onions etc.. its all the seasoning, herbs and loads and loads of little bits!!!

Advice would be so much appreciated on starting to cook. Its the first time i've lived somewhere not at uni, so actually starting to care about food haha...

I want to cook things I see in other posts but can't justify increasing my shopping bill buying loads and loads of random bits....

Or is this just part of life and must be done?

newlywed

Just buy some herbs for dishes you think you are likely to cook a lot.

Eg buy mixed herbs or Italian herbs and use for pasta and bolognaise, lasagna etc. That's what I did to start with. Then I looked through recipes I wanted to try and noticed certain herbs and spices that kept appearing and so bought that (eg basil, paprika).

I am still of the opinion that if a recipe calls for 150 herbs and spices then I don't bother reading any further.

Rikki

As you decide to replace a ready meal with a homemade version buy the appropriate spices. You will soon build up all you need without breaking the weekly budget.

There is a thread on here with a list of store cupboard essentials, you could get ideas from there too.

ellas9602

Hi MC :hello:
Well done for wanting to cook.
Do you have anything at home you can use already? I would just start basic and try to build a storecupboard as you go.
Maybe start with some stock cubes, garlic and mixed herbs. (From tesco: value mixed herbs 0.23p, garlic 0.15p value veg stock cubes 0.19p but I personally would pay about 80p for kallo/marigold ones)
You can make most sauces with plain flour which is very cheap.
Which type of dishes appeal most?

D&DD

Hi MK I think the best way to start without it costing loads would be to have a taster night once or twice a week where you try a new recipe (or cook something from scratch you would normally buy as a readymeal).This way as Rikki says you will gradually build up a storecupboard without it adding too much to your weekly shop

Skint_Catt

D&DD wrote: »

Hi MK I think the best way to start without it costing loads would be to have a taster night once or twice a week where you try a new recipe (or cook something from scratch you would normally buy as a readymeal).This way as Rikki says you will gradually build up a storecupboard without it adding too much to your weekly shop

Beat me to it!

poodlehorse

What ready meals do you choose? Maybe start with doing one of them from scratch. Or what about soemthing that needs very little other ingredients eg Beef Stew or Minced Beef and potatoes. And definitely very "meaty". You can always venture into dumpling territory once you have mastered the basic recipe and add some mixed herbs to them. I would agree mixed herbs can go in most things. It took me years to build up my spices as a new recipe came along and demanded it. Sometimes I would eventually remember to buy the new spice and then would have lost the recipe it needed. There are loads of recipes that don't need too much but easier if we knew what ready meals you would choose and then we can tailor our ideas for you. But if you have garlic (in a tube if you don't think you will get through fresh), lea and perrins and stock cubes then you are doing fine,( I agree with spending a bit more on a stock cube with no hydrogenated fats though), cornflour for thickening is easiest to use and if you buy cheapy brand it is pennies. I also often stick lemon juice (keep a bottle in the fridge), honey or wholegrain mustard in things (those grainy bits just look so pretty in a sauce or in mash with sausages) so I always have them in.

thecornflake

I started off with a cheap spice rack, from ESK I think. I grow my own Basil, Parsley and Rosemary and because I use them fresh you need a lot less.

A jar of general mixed spice and possibly an Italian one as well will work with most things. Mixed spice for steak can be used for pretty much all meat. The jars I use the most are Oregano, Marjoram for vegetables, dill for fish/egg-based (like omelettes) and my steak mix.

At the end of the day, with herbs you mostly don't need to use all the ones listed in a recipe, I often leave out ones I don't like anyway.

Big packets of risotto rice, pasta, cornflour and stock cubes plus tins of cheap tinned tomatoes cover the basics, with casserole vegetable bags in the freezer (about 75p in Iceland) and large bags of frozen mince.

I also always have a few onions, potatoes and garlic lying around as these last a while and form the basis for a lot of things.

You will need to buy a few things at first, but a lot of these will last a long time. Get a good basics cookery book like Jamie Oliver's (Cook with Jamie?) that has simple recipes plus a guide in the front/back with basics like white sauce, cooking rice etc. One of the best books I have is a cheap generic one, called something like 'Quick and Easy' or something. It covers basic risotto, spag bol, pasta bake etc that you can then fiddle with. The main thing with cooking is don't be afraid to experiment, but also remember as my Mum once told me 'You can always add but never take away' so if you're trying something new only add little bits at a time.

Seakay

Do you have any Indian or Asian shops or supermarkets in your area? They are often the cheapest place to buy herbs and spices in packets - transfer to you own jars ad keep in a dark place.
Some healthfood shops are good, especially if they sell out of big jars by weight into paper packests, or pre-weighed into sealed plastic bags.
If you want to keep your dried herbs and spices on show then start collecting Marmite jars or similar.

Sometimes supermarkets sell off wilting pots of herbs at the end of the day at reduced prices. Divide the parsley/basil/coriander into 2 or three pots of compost (or soil if you have a garden) and keep them on a light windowsill in winter - put them outside to get some sun if there is any over the winter!
Even if you are unlucky and it doesn't grow back after picking, what is there will last for longer because it is no longer overcrowded. No need to feed.

buxtonrabbitgreen

The only problem with buying all these herbs and spices is that they go out of date. I have just had to start buying them all again as my DH decided to sort out the cupboard while I was at work. OK some of them were from hmm 1988 but really I am sure 2006 would still be ok. They are quite expensive and there is no Tesco where I live. Anyone got any other suggestions for shops. I usually buy them at sainsburys as I work there but they are pricey. Blimey have any of you bought saffron.!!!

mrbadexample

I think I'm the expert in this department!

When I started off, I had to buy loads of different herbs, spices, utensils etc, as I had virtually nothing. So every meal I've learnt to cook on here ended up costing far more than it normally would. I just bought everything I needed, as I was fortunate enough to be able to without worrying too much about cost. Now I've got a cupboard full of stuff that'll probably all go out of date before I use it, coz I still don't cook very often. I seldom have to buy anything new though.

Try to get general stuff that will cover a variety of dishes, rather than things that are only good for one dish you cook. Chip away at it, a little at a time.

Have a look through some of these threads, as you sound like you'll be asking a few beginner questions, like I did. A lot.