Recipes for a Newlywed??

Question

I am getting married soon -- and I'm not much of a cook. Any ideas for me to try out? I really want to impress my fiance... and I feel like he will always love his mothers cooking better than mine... I want him to like what I make too! Help! :)

Answer 1

A couple of very easy things:

- Buy a vegetable steamer and learn how to use it. Steam up some broccoli or carrots and throw a dab of butter on them and you've got a perfectly fine side dish. (You can get creative with other sauces or glazes later when you're more confident with your skills.) The steamer I got as a gift actually has common vegetables and how long you want to steam them, printed right there on the appliance. You can't go wrong!

- Boneless skinless chicken breasts are the culinary equivalent of a blank canvas. Preheat the oven to 325, put some chicken in a glass baking dish, and then get creative with throwing stuff on top of the chicken. Canned soup, pasta sauce, cheese, bacon, mushrooms (not necessarily all at once, mind you!) - just about anything will work as a "smothering agent". Bake for about an hour and you have an easily variable entree. Serve it on top of pasta (with your steamed vegetables) and you've got a complete meal.

Now, I've said all that so I can directly answer your question. What I *really* recommend you do is forget about asking for recipes and get yourself to a nice "basics of cooking" class. Once you have a handle on the basic techniques, you'll get a lot more out of any recipes you do find, *and* with enough practice you'll be able to make up your own recipes on the fly (hmmm, we're down to three pork chops and a can of apricot nectar in the house...).

Also, don't forget that part of the reason mom's cooking always tastes better is because of the memories attached to the favorite dishes. Just plan to make a few new memories for him and he'll start thinking fondly on your cooking as well. ;)

Lastly, I'd like to recommend the "Best Recipe" collections from Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen. These guys go out and scrounge up every recipe for Beef Stroganoff (or whatever) they can find, make them *all*, and then figure out the best possible recipe based on what they liked out of each of the other recipes. For such a big book, it doesn't have a whole lot of recipes, but the rest of the space is filled with cooking tips *and* (the best part) some of their research notes talking about what happened when they used this or that ingredient instead - very useful to know when you are considering making that substitution rather than making a last-minute run to the grocery store!

Answer 2

McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, KFC, Pizza hut..........lol Just take things slowly and before u know it you'll be a pro! Start with little things like spaghertti! Its hard to mess up spaghetti! In a frying pan brown one pound of ground beef with onions chopped in it. Buy a jar of spaghetti sauce your choice and add the meat and onion to it. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder and a springle of Italian seasoning and it makes a really good and fast spaghetti sauce. Boil the noodles and TADA dinner! Meatloaf is easy! Mix raw hamburger with 2 eggs, some tomatoe juice and crushed crackers. Until the meat is firm not runny like. Shape it inot a loaf and bake at 375 for an hour and a half. Fried Bologna! Put bologna in frying pan and cook till halfway burnt. Add to bread and mustard! lol

Answer 3

My Speagetti recipe has impressed even more avid spagetti lovers. it is so simple, that the hardest part is hiding the evidence.


1 Can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with Balsamic Vinegar, Basil & Olive Oil
1 Can Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano
1 Can Hunt’s Plain Diced/Stewed tomatoes)
1 Small Can Tomatoe Paste
¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Simmer and server over any type pasta. Very healthy, very Vegan, very good.

Answer 4

Here's one I got from my mother-in-law who used to be a caterer. I use it whenever we have company or when we want something in the "comfort food" category. It's easy to make and tastes sooooo good! Your fiance will love it, I guarantee!

POPPYSEED CHICKEN

3 to 4 Chicken Breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbs lemon juice
½ box or 1 roll Ritz Crackers
1 Tbs poppy seeds
½ stick melted butter

Boil chicken breasts and cut into bite sized pieces. Put into a baking dish. Cover with a mixture of soup, sour cream, lemon juice. Crush the Ritz Crackers. Add the poopy seeds to the crackers and spread over the casserole. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until brown and bubbly. (about 25-30 minutes)

Can be assembled the day before and then bake before serving.

Answer 5

I married someone that loves his mom's cooking. I couldn't cook , so I watch Emeril a lot and downloaded easy recipes from the Food Network. My husband was touched I wanted to learn and has been helping me. But, the Joy of cooking is good and Cooking for Dummies. I have both!!

Answer 6

POT ROAST, COLE SLAW AND JELLO:

Pot roast:
3 lb chuck roast
1 pkg lipton onion soup mix, dry
1 can cream mushroom soup, campbells
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
2 whole carrots, peeled and cut
4 potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4
1 crushed garlic clove
3 tbsp flour
1 Reynold's slow cooker liner, optional

The slow cooker liner makes cleaning up a snap!
In the crock pot, add the can of cream mushroom soup, a can of water, the lipton dry soup, flour and mix the ingredients well.

Add the roast and the garlic. Mix around til covered with soup mix. Add the onions and veggies. Add water to barely cover the veggies (remember the water level may go up during cooking!).

Cover and turn crock pot to med/low. Cook 6-8 hours and it will be so tender! Serves 4


MEXICAN COLE SLAW
1 avocado, ripe, peeled and diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely diced
1 large tomato diced
1/2 cabbage, sliced and diced
1/4 c diced celery
1/2 brown onion, diced
1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed then diced
Mayo
salt/pepper to taste

In a large bowl - Add the cabbage, then the cilantro, tomato, celery / onion, jalapeno and a dash of salt/pepper.
Add the avocado then 2 -3 tbsp of mayo or just enough to moisten to your taste. Mix well. Chill for 1 hour and serve cold

JELLO DESSERT
1 pkg large jello, any flavor
coolwhip
fresh fruit

Make the jello as on the package but use 1/2 cup less water.
Add fresh fruit like fresh strawberries, grapes, chopped apples. Let it gel for 4-6 hours. Mix up the jello and add 1/4 tub of cool whip. Add more if desired. Mix well, and its like an ambrosia.

Put the mix in a glass, and top with more fresh fruit or coolwhip.
Serves 4

Answer 7

Learn some basics---meatloaf, baked chicken, pork chops.

Or you can ask his Mom to teach you a few of his favorites.

And don't worry abt him liking Mom's cooking better---there are certain things that Mom's just do better----Mom has given me some of her recipes--exact recipes, things i've seen her cook for years and they never ever come out like hers (of course of a few occassions i have improved upon a few)

Answer 8

make sure chicken is cooked all the way by boiling it first for 15 minutes (i also do pork chops). then all you have to do is cook it for 10-15 minutes in the oven.

i'm a great griller!
steak needs to be set out to get to room temp.
throw some spices on it
preheated grill (15 minutes on medium)
5 minutes each side ( 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches thick )

here's another hint:
have mom come over to teach you her secrets.
if he says anything like 'almost like mom's' you can tell him you asked for help. he will be impressed that you think of him that much.
if she doesn't live nearby then call her. tell her you want him to like your cooking as he does her's. she will be impressed you think of him that much.

my mom in law is no longer alive to ask for help. my mom is, but she can't cook! i boil water better than she.

Answer 9

Get a spaghetti recipe. Or cheesecake recipe. Just make sure its simple

Answer 10

Secretly get some recipes from his mother and throw one of those in with every meal and he'll love your cooking. Just a test. :)