Any simple recipes to share??

[MOreo Smile]

I don't know how to cook but I wanna learn how to cook.
I'm just worried when it's time for me to get married, I'll still don't know how to cook.

So...any simple recipes to contribute to me? sweatdrop  

[faretheewell]

I had this for supper last night. I made it up as I went along. It was tasty and really easy.

Ham and Potatoes in a Honey Mustard Glaze

Cut part of a cooked ham into large bite-sized chunks.

Cut cooked potatoes into large bite-sized chunks.

Put potatoes and ham into a frying pan on medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.

In a separate container, mix honey and mustard with lukewarm water. I think I used something like one part honey, one part mustard, three parts water. The key here is to mix this really well.

Pour the mixture slowly over the frying ham and potatoes. Try to get everything coated.

Keep stirring to avoid burning.

Continue to cook until all the water has evaporated from the mixture.

Serve with vegetables. Eat.  

[Hester Peche]

Here's something from my recipe box:

Baked Potato Soup

-2 large potatoes, baked* (or you can use 4-5 small potatoes)
-3 ½ to 4 cups of milk
-1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick)
-Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste

First, dice and mash the potatoes—leave the skins on—and put them into a medium sized pot and turn it to medium heat and add the milk. Let it come to a simmer and add the butter. Then add the salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and continue to let it simmer until it thickens; continually stir it, making sure it doesn’t scorch or get a skin.

When it’s done you can mix in or garnish it with whatever you normally put on a baked potato, it all tastes good or just eat it by itself it can stand alone too!


(*Note: About baking potatoes, I know everyone has their method but for this I suggest stabbing the potatoes several times, buttering the outsides of them, wrapping them in foil and putting them in the oven until they’re really soft. Don’t nuke them unless you have to!)  

[ThePsychoBitch]

My Spaghetti is super easy to make (: I've made it for a few of my friends families and they all love it ^.^

What you need:
Plain tomato sauce
Any kind of noodles
1/2 Tablespoons of Mediterranean Basil Leaves
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Herbs De Provence
Add garlic powder to your liking
Add salt and pepper to your liking

 

[drink more ovaltine]

Fried Rice, you can't mess it up.

3 slices bacon, chopped
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 T soy sauce
1 cup lap cheong
2 T oyster sauce
2 T Chinese five spice (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onion, diced

Cook bacon, drain, set aside. Stir fry everything in a wok except the eggs, bacon, and green onion. In another pan, cook eggs into a thin omlette, cut into strips and add into the rice with the bacon and green onion. Mix, let stand a few minutes, serve.

If you can't get lap cheong, use SPAM. Or just omit that part.  

[Kid Izzy-Chan]

I'm only 11 any the classic stand by is always canned and instant food. That's why they invented the microwave! I hoped I helped!!  

[Vexyvampire]

Sushi is simple enough to make you can found alot good stuff for that on the net or youtube biggrin  

[anticupid16]

Monster Cookies

1/3 cup dry milk
6 eggs
1 ¾ brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup choc. chips
1 ¾ sugar
2 stick margarine
2 ½ cups (18 oz) peanut butter
8 cups oats
1 cup (½ lb) M&Ms, optional

Scoop dough with ice cream scoop. Flatten out with mug dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 degree for 10 to 12 minutes.


WARNING

This recipe makes HUMONGOUS amounts of cookies! Use sparingly...or if you have a huge Italian family (the kind that masterminds these kinds of recipes) then, carry on.  

[Ela808]

it's kind of a healthy dessert:add a bowl with strawberry yogurt,some honey,a pinch of sugar,and then mix and enjoy! X3  

[Liviania]

Pot Roast

1/2 diced onion
Roast
Onion soup packet
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Sautee onion.

Buy the kind of roast with a flat layer of fat on top.

Brown both sides.

Put in slow cooker. Cover with diced onion, soup mix, and cream of mushroom soup. Use empty soup can to add two scoops of water. Liquid should cover the roast. Cook on low heat 8 hours.

When you're ready to eat, remove meat and cut off fat layer. The liquid makes a good gravy.

The next day you can turn it into a soup. The gravy is the broth. Pull the roast apart for meat chunks. Add diced carrots and chopped potatoes.

Pork Chops (Thin cut)

Place two chops in small or medium frying pan. Cover in teriyaki. Salt and pepper. If you like, add a couple of dashes of Tabasco. Cook for 1-2 minutes on one side, then flip and do same on other. The fully cooked pork will be a whitish color.  

[Imarek]

Get (number wanted) chicken fillets add a veggie ox cube and 1 table spoon of red current sauce then cook normaly
Makes a perfect roast chicken dinner
Feedback If You Use(;
heart

 

[Intoxikace]

I was too lazy to type out original ones and ones from recipe books so here's a couple that I had bookmarked! ;D

Banana bread!
Crepes! (I add 1/4 cup of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla to sweeten them since I don't use syrup or fruit)
EASY sugar cookies. (don't worry about all the extracts; just add vanilla and they'll still taste good.)
Apple crisp for one! (quick easy and delicious microwave recipe)  

[kyra-san]

My mother and I make a thai noodle dish at home called pad thai. It's not very complicated, but having a second pair of hands would be very helpful or you might be doing a lot of multitasking (it's best to have all the ingredients ready before you start cooking or you'll end up like my mother and I).

I can't remember the exact step-by-step instructions, but I'll be sure to ask my mother so I can share it with you all.

I checked out some pad thai recipes online, but they're all way more complicated than what I make.

EDIT: Oh! I just remembered something! I was wandering around Costso the other day and sampled some healthy apple cinnamon something-or-other (beverage). It had flax seeds, raw carrots, cabbage, cinnamon, apple, and ice all blended up. Tasted like apple cinnamon. Due to my horrible memory, I'm not sure if that's all that ingredients. Once again, I'll go ask my mother, since she bought the blender that the sample dude was showing off.
 

[.Vindicated.Of.Sanity.]

Stirfry is super-simple! (Copypasted from another post of mine in another thread in this subforum)
I usually do boneless-skinless chicken breast, or lean beef, cook it up in a pan, then start throwing in my veggies in the wok (I use a non-stick wok, therefore I don't need to add any oil, and it's better for you) starting with the thick, stubborn veggies that take forever to cook, like carrots, potatoes, etc. Then start going down-- the harder the veggie, the earlier it goes in the pan. I throw in broccoli or the much-hated cauliflower, snap peas, peppers, celery, some other stuff that is slipping my mind right now (usually whatever's in the fridge), sometimes stuff like canned water chestnuts or baby corn. And at the verrrryyyy end, I add beansprouts. I love them.
I make my own teriyaki; it's sooo simple. Just stir up some soy sauce, some sugar (you can use a lot, or you can do the healthy thing and use it sparingly~) and some ginger. I find powdered works better in terms of mixing, but fresh ginger tastes a lot better. There will just be ginger chunks in your sauce if you grate it or chop it. XP
I throw that in toward the end, when the veggies are mostly cooked. Then I stir up a little tiny bit of cornstarch and water, then dump it into the sauce, which will make it thicken. (totally optional; dubious nutritional impact. XP)
I also sometimes add noodles of any variety, or rice, and stir it all together. You can do brown rice for a healthier choice, or do white rice as long as it's not too much.
And it makes sooo much food, so quickly. XP


Also; spaghetti pie is super-easy, super-delicious, and very filling XP
Cook spaghetti until it is just al-dente. Strain it, dump it into a glass casserole dish. Pour a good amount of spaghetti sauce on top. Don't mix it up; just let it sit on top. Spread it around to cover everywhere. Then top with grated cheese; I find mozzarella's best, because cheddar's a bit too oily for my tastes, but you can do a mixture. Parmesan is also really good in it. So pick your cheese(s), grate, throw on top like you would a lasagna. Spread around to make an even coat of cheese (as thick as you like... I like cheese, so I use a lot. XD) Then if you have fresh basil, select a few nice pieces, wash, and place on top. Throw in the oven on 350 for maybe ten, fifteen minutes? Until the cheese is melted and golden-brown. Cut and serve~

Even lasagna is pretty easy; use ready-to-use noodles instead of the ones you have to cook beforehand, because those are a pain.
So, take a casserole, spread some spaghetti sauce on the bottom. Layer one layer of these awesome noodles on the bottom. Break them to fit if you must. Cover again with sauce.
Brown some beef and strain the fat out of it. Add one layer of beef on top of the sauce, but save half, or more of the beef to use for subsequent layers.
Add some more sauce on top of the beef. Another layer of noodles.
Now, take some spinach, full-grown or baby, wash it, pat it dry with paper towel, and combine with some cottage cheese (or you can use other creamy cheeses like ricotta, but I found it bland. Cottage is my favourite. You can definitely experiment, though!) Put a layer of this on top.
More noodles. More sauce.
More beef. More sauce.
More noodles.
More spinach. More noodles. More sauce.
Repeat until you're out of ingredients, or your casserole is full.
Now, your last layer should ideally be noodles, topped with sauce. If not, make it so.
Top with grated cheese of your own choice.
Add fresh basil to the top if you like.
Bake for... umm... over an hour, I think it was? At that point, you can cut into it and see if the noodles are soft; if not, throw it back in. I will double-check with my mom about temperature and time!
You can always add stuff, too, to the sauce, or meat, or whatever, whatever sorts of veggies or spices you feel like using. The veggies will cook in the oven, you can add 'em raw. Zucchini, peppers, onion, and the like might be nice. I like to use a tiny dash of cayenne pepper, and some italian spice mix in my meat, but fresh herbs taste 10000x better, so if you have them, don't be afraid to use them! Things like basil, (which I'm obvs a huge fan of, haha. It was what my great-aunt and I used to cook with when I was little, when she was still alive :3 She taught me spaghetti pie :3) rosemary, thyme, parsley, and such things taste good in this sort of dish.

Also, those curry pastes you can buy make you look like a pro with almost no skill needed ;D Just add coconut milk, potatoes, chicken, onion, the paste, and you're super-pro-skill.
Guess what I'm making for supper tomorrow night? XD

I don't think cooking's that complicated, you just need some confidence. If you are confident when you're cooking, I find that things are less likely to go wrong. Foodsafe knowledge is also handy; you don't want to poison your husband-to-be. XD
And experiment! Don't be afraid to try new things in the kitchen. Maybe they don't turn out the best... but now you know. Right? XD Experiment with spices, with herbs, with powders and sauces and coconut milk and lime leaf and cumin and chili pepper and lemongrass and all sorts of other ingredients. Don't be one of those people who has a set menu of what they're willing to cook and never deviate from it! What a depressing way to live~

And also, if you know someone who cooks, like a chef or whatnot, they are sooo useful. They can teach you anything.

Barbecue's also pretty easy, if you have access to one. Rule of thumb for cooking burgers: if you press into them with a spatula or the like, and they leak coloured juice, they're not done. If they leak clear juice, most likely they're done. Ideally, they should be cooked all the way through to prevent salmonella and other such bacteria in the meat (since it's been exposed by being ground up). For burgers, they always taste much better if they're homemade. Fattier ground beefs make better, juicier burgers, though less healthy. You can also add stuff; I like adding raw onion prior to cooking. Some people add oatmeal, spices, pork or other meats, other vegetables, etc.

For steak, when you press down into it, the harder it is, the more well-done it is. Press your thumb to your pinky finger and then touch the fatty bit at the base of your thumb. That's what a really ridiculously well-done steak would feel like. When you're not touching any of your fingers is raw. Your middle finger is about medium, which is what most people like it. Steak cooks relatively fast. Throw it on for a few minutes, turn it, slather it in barbecue sauce, done :3
Risk of foodborne illness in steak is less common, because the meat hasn't been exposed. Only the outside bit that was cut has been, and it's been cooked into submission~

You can do barbecue chicken, too, but that's a little more difficult, I haven't yet done it myself. My mom does it, she puts spices on, throws it on the grill, but props the hood open with a brick-- and I don't know WHY. And it takes a long time for it to cook on the grill.

You can do a whole meal on the 'cue! Wash your potatoes and cut them in half. Rip off enough pieces of tinfoil so that there's one for each potato. Stick a chunk of butter, some salt and pepper in between each potato, press them back together, then wrap in the tinfoil. Throw these on the barbecue (well before the meat! They take quite a while to cook!) and you're good to go.
You can do other veggies similarly; my mom likes to do onions with butter and salt and pepper in tinfoil, too. Asparagus is also good grilled. You can do things like zucchini and peppers and whatever, as well.

Try shishkebabs for a change! Just skewer all your ingredients and throw them on the grill. Since the pieces of meat are small, they won't take too too long to cook fully, and whatever other stuff they touched, it will cook, so risk of illness is low. I like to do pieces of chicken, onion, canned pineapple, canned peaches, with teriyaki sauce~ It's awesome. You can do almost anything shishkebabed.

Slowcookers are a great option, too. They make ribs like you're a pro-- and all you did was throw in the ingredients and walk away! If you have one, some of them come with slowcooker recipe books, so experiment if you can! It's great for married life, if you're both working and you don't want to slave away all day. Come home, the ribs (or roast or whatever) are done, just cook some rice (or buy a ricecooker, lol) or whatever your side-dish(es) is/are, and you're good to go. (I'm thinking of these amazing five-spice chinese spareribs my mom did one night, with warm pineapple, and rice. Sooooo good.)

Oh, and a nice easy side-dish: cook some carrots or baby carrots, just boil them, strain them when they're cooked, and then squirt in some honey and toss them. Delicious!

But yeah. You can totally learn to cook, just approach with confidence!

 

[AriaStarSong]

Honey-Balsamic Chicken Thighs

I made these for dinner a few weeks ago. Amazing, and so simple. I got the recipe out of my Poor Girl Gourmet cookbook. Estimated cost for 4 servings is $4.96, btw smile

INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Kosher salt (I just use table salt)
Freshly ground black pepper (mine came out of a can)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced (for myself or my family, I would probably add more garlic, but my boyfriend is not nearly as much of a garlic fiend, so I left it at one and it was still delicious)

1) Preheat the oven to 375
2)Place the chicken thighs, skin side up in a small roasting pan. Season the thighs with salt and pepper. Bake the thighs until the skin is crispy and the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced with a fork, 40-45 minutes.
3) While the chicken roasts, combine the olive oil, honey, vinegar, and garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened slightly, 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and let stand for 5 minutes to allow the proverbial thickening upon standing.
4)Once the chicken is done, baste each thigh with the glaze and serve them forth.

Easy Peasy. You can use boneless-skinless thighs if you want, just baste some olive oil on them before baking to keep them from drying out (the skin helps lock the moisture in). The glaze is amazing and doesn't taste vinegar-y at all, which is a problem I often have with balsamic vinegar glazes. My book says to pair them with roasted beets or carmelized beet greens and orange walnut pesto. I just served with a spinach and mango salad, but it would also be good over white rice with some steamed veggies.

If you're looking for a cookbook, I really like "Poor Girl Gourmet" by Amy McCoy. The recipes are excellent and easy to follow and don't involve crazy-expensive ingredients.