Simple recipes for someone who can't really cook!

tweetyshells

mummysaver wrote: »

Good morning!

A slow cooker is a great investment, and Asda do a bargain one, as do Argos I think. Fab for just throwing stuff in in the morning and magically producing dinner in the evening, bolognese is nice and easy, curry, casseroles - all things I'm certain you can cook, but if not we can always recommend recipes.

Haha i am learning to cook, never really bothered before so i don't really know if i can yet. So far not too bad though.
I will check out the different slow cookers you mention.

A bread maker is a big investment and making bread by hand isn't really that hard, it is fairly time consuming though! But like everything else it's really just getting into the habit. Asda and Tesco both have Hovis ready made bread mixes for just under 30p for the granary and white at the mo.

Well i was thinking of a breadmaker as i know i would use it more, where as doing it by hand i wouldnt want to do so much, plus with another baby on way i am trying to think of things that will help with that as breadmakers you just chuck it it and turn it on don't you?

What sort of things do you like to eat? Hope some of this helps, think this post is a bit jumbled, but trying to type it between phone calls - aren't call centres a pain!

It's been a great help thanks.

tweetyshells

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Okay, I'll try and help .....

I would start by spending a couple of hours reading through the various threads in this OS section.

I have spent many hours already reading through stuff, theres alot of stuff lol. I keep reading more as and when i get time. Some fab ideas on here. You all seem to know what you are doing where as i have no clue yet lol.

Just take one week at a time and shop accordingly.

Yeah i am trying to slowly get into it, i am sure there is loads more i could be doing but i am doing what i can as i think about it etc. Shopping is the bit i find hard, i never know what to buy. I need to seriously sit down and think about what we want to eat and then find out what i need to buy to make it.

Batch cook and put portions into the freezer if you can. This is a lifesaver when you are tired or home late. Consider having a supply in the freezer as you hit 8 months pregnant for instance since it would really take the pressure off!

Thats partly why i am starting now, i don't want to live off ready meals when i am shattered with a newborn, so want to freeze stuff later down the line.

But I hope this helps you get started a little.

You have been great thanks.

McKneff

a 3 layer steamer is a great money saver. You can do a whole meal in one go saving 2 or 3 rings being on on the cooker. Chicken breast on the bottom,
potatoes on the next and veg on the next. Half an hour and everythings done. they also usually come with a rice cooker.

Good time of year to be looking, i bought my brand new one at a car boot sale for £2 - good luck

Penelope_Penguin

As this has now fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to a previous thread on starting to cook Good luck :T

Penny. x

mummysaver

You could always post a request on freecycle for a slow cooker and a breadmaker, lots of people have them sitting in the cupboards and never use them!

What sort of things would you like to be able to cook?

Lunar_Eclipse

mambury wrote: »

Hi Lunar, a bit off topic but can you let me into the secret of your incredible shirinking mortgage ? I;ve just seen your sig and I want a magic mortgage too!

Mambury

Hi

Well sadly there isn't really a magical formula! The shrinking mortgage is the result of a very deliberate and tight financial strategy we started this year to reduce/eliminate it asap. We basically liquidated 'assets' and massively reconfigured our monthly spending so instead of saving absolutely nothing, we overpay a lot every month. Funny how small efforts snowball into big results through seeing the benefits first hand.

And whilst we are delighted with the results - it is an eggs in one basket approach at the moment. We've given up with a bit of saving here and a bit there. So it's not for everyone, nor generally advisable to anyone admittedly. But works for us since the thinking behind it is that if we can get rid of most of the mortgage, it opens up more choice on how we live our life (work/life balance mainly) and where we spend money (such as on private schooling for instance.) Additionally, with the current economic climate (spiralling cost of living) and also the difficulty associated in getting a mortgage (our fixed rate end in Nov), we felt a lower mortgage could only be a good move.

And I need to update my sig, since it's now 110k!

HTH xx

tweetyshells

mummysaver wrote: »

You could always post a request on freecycle for a slow cooker and a breadmaker, lots of people have them sitting in the cupboards and never use them!

What sort of things would you like to be able to cook?

Yeah i think i will give that a go on freecycle.

I want to go back to the old traditional cooking to start with like sheppards pie, cassorole, bubble and squeek that sort of thing. Anything that is good for the whole family really.
Good old fashioned home cooking.

amanda40

You should buy the Be-ro cookbook - I got mine from Morrisons for £1.20 - it covers a lot of basics , sauces etc and is good for all the traditional baking recipes. I make dropped scones ( pancakes in Scotland), fruit scones, yorkshire puddings, and the cheese sauce to make Macaroni Cheese. It is very straightforward - their website is very good too and has al the recipes on it. I do alot of traditional cooking and am just picking it up as I go along.

Good Luck

Stephen_Leak

Toad in the Hole is a pretty good start - lots of people have real trouble with that one. Do a search on my name for any of my recipes I've posted on here - they are designed to be "bloke-proof".

Try this one for a start ...

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Enough for spaghetti for 2

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves of garlic
2 onions
1 tablespoon of olive oil
500g of minced beef
400g tin of plum tomatoes*
1 beef stock cube
2 teaspoons of oregano or mixed herbs
Ground pepper to taste

METHOD

Peel the garlic and chop it into tiny pieces. Peel the onions and chop them into tiny pieces.

Put the oil into a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Fry the garlic and onion for about 2 minutes. Stir frequently to stop it sticking.

Put the meat into the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring all the time. By this time, it should have broken up and be an even colour, with no pink bits.

Open the tin of tomatoes. Pour the juice into the pan. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the pan).

Pour the chopped tomatoes into the pan. Crumble the stock cube into the pan. Add the herbs. Season with the pepper. Mix thoroughly. Continue to cook, stirring as the mixture boils, until the sauce has reduced.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use minced lamb, pork or turkey instead of minced beef.

Add a glass of wine and cook for a bit longer. Drink the glass of wine and cook for the same time.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

TIPS

Always "take the pasta to the sauce". Put the cooked pasta in the pan with the sauce and stir together until thoroughly coated.

* Plum tomatoes can be used either whole or chopped. It is difficult to stick chopped tomatoes back together again if you need to use them whole.

tweetyshells

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

Try this one for a start ...

Thankyou loads, this sounds like something i could do, only i have a really really stupid question, do you add it all to the frying pan/wok? or transfer at some point to a saucepan?



told you i don't have a clue :rotfl: oh dear...