How can I increase my dinner recipe repertoire?

Question

I'd like to add some vegetarian dishes. Whatever I add has to be really inexpensive as our finances s*ck. And quick & easy b/c I cook (and often shop) after work. I am getting tired of the same old recipes, so my motivation is increasing. Another major factor: my wife developed colitis so some of the 'old standards' are now off the list. Currently I cook a few basic dishes:

carmelized pork chops w/ garlic & applesauce
chicken or pork jambalaya
(I like these two b/c they are easy to do in the electric skillet).

chicken or beef w/ peppers (etc.) in a wok
baked snapper
spaghetti
shepherd's pie
meat loaf
beef stroganoff
quiche

(non-dinner)
oatbread, apple crumble, lemon meringue pie, chocolate sauce

Answer 1

-marinated chicken on skewers, broiled,served with salad and garlic bread
-chicken caesar salad
-veggie stir fry with rice or noodles
-bean burritos (or beef,or chicken), cheese enchiladas (or chicken) http://www.recipezaar.com/199943
-also, get a crockpot (slow cooker)..they are so easy,you just dump some ingredients in there and turn it on low for six hours or so..there are tons of recipes on the internet,and an inexpensive cut of meat can be cooked until beautiful and tender, e.g., pork leg roast. I got some ideas from your list!

Answer 2

Hi
I haven't been on this long enough to know how to check where you are from. But supposing you're from Oz....or even if you're not. I found this really cool recipe site www.taste.com.au. I love it because I can search by ingredient or recipe name...and where I live I get whatever is on special and buy heaps and then look up recipes for it. I have some health concerns so I'm learning to cook all over again (heaps healthier) and I love the recipes there. Also, IF you're from australia, the ingredients are readily available in most supermarkets. Other really good sites if you're not from australia are, www.epicurious.com, www.recipes.com and www.meals.com. I use these a lot but less since I found the new site because of the ingredients and mesures being in US terms. You can also search by budget, low calorie, low GI, kid friendly etc. Good luck

Answer 3

Rice may be the answer to your problem. (sorry I don't know the details of your wife dietary needs.)On the first night cook a double (or triple) amount of rice and put it in the fridge for use on the second night.

On the second night fry up an omelette. cut up the veggies you like, for example, carrot, broccoli, onion, cauliflower, beans. Use either a wok or a large fry pan to fry up your omelette. Put it to one side on a plate. Use the same pan to stirfry the vegetables and add a little stock to give it moisture. when the veggies are partly cooked throw in the rice (because it only needs warming) and then throw in the omelette that has been roughly cut up. This can be varied on different occasions by adding cold left over bbq chicken or chopped ham or fresh chicken. Use soy sauce for flavour or any other stirfry flavour sauce. (take the leftovers to work for lunch the next day)

The beauty of it is you can prepare all your veggies ahead of time (pre-chopped) and it only uses one pan or wok for ease of washing up.

Answer 4

My favorite cookbook is The Best 30-Minute Recipe which is put out by Cooks Illustrated. They have all sorts of simple tips and recipes that I almost hate going out to eat. In a pinch for dinner my go to recipe is Heuvos Rancheros or a fritatta with vegetables.

Answer 5

OK....here is some favorite ones for broccoli, cauliflower and rice& peas with curry.
ENJOY!


Cauliflower Gratin
1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.
Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.


Easiest Rice and Peas


½ lb. Red Kidney Beans
1lb. Rice
12 oz. Coconut Milk (not water)
1 Stlk. Scallion (Green Onions)
2 sprg. Thyme
2 tblsp. Salt.
1 tblsp. Margarine (optional)
1 Qt. Water

Wash peas and remove any foreign matter, if present. Wash scallion and remove only the outer layer.

Add peas and salt to water and boil peas in a 2-quart stock pot until medium soft, on medium heat.

The water will evaporate during the boiling process, so add more warm water to the pot.

Here is the trick to making this rice and peas nice and shelly.

As you may know, rice is usually cooked using a one to one ratio; equal parts of water to equal parts of rice, or close to it.

So, add the coconut milk, thyme and scallion to the cooked peas and let this combination boil for about 5 minutes, then taste the pot. Add more salt to taste.

Now estimate the amount of water in the pot to the ratio of the rice you have. Try to get a one to one ratio or as close to it as possible.

Add the rice to the ingredients and stir, using a fork.

Add the margarine to the rice and peas and then reduce to a low heat. Wait until the boiling water in the pot sinks just below the top of the rice.

Wet a piece of cellophane and cover the rice then cover the pot with the pot cover. Simmer until rice is soft and shelly.

NOTE:

This is making rice & peas from “scratch”, as everyone would say. But you can use canned red kidney beans if you would like to, you know.

You wouldn't need to cook the red beans for any long length of time either, Cool?

I would like you to try to experiment with this recipe any way you like. For example, the coconut milk can be omitted from this dish….it will taste just as good, believe me I have tried it like that already.

Another thing, if you want a true spicy Jamaican food flavor, add a Scotch Bonnet Pepper to the pot the same time you are putting in the scallion and thyme….

YAH MON!!!


Curry sauce

2 lb Cooking onions
2 oz Green ginger
2 oz Garlic
2 3/4 pt Water
1 ts Salt
1 8oz tin tomatoes
8 tb Vegetable oil
1 ts Tomato puree
1 ts Turmeric
1 ts Paprika
Peel and rinse the onions, ginger and garlic. Slice the onions and
roughly chop the ginger and garlic.
Put the chopped ginger and garlic in a blender with about 1/2 a pint of the
water and blend until smooth.
Take a large saucepan and put in the onions, blended garlic and ginger and
the rest of the water.
Add the salt and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to very low ans
simmer with the lid on for 40-45 minutes.
Leave this too cool

Once cooled, pour about half of the boiled onion mixture into a
blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Pour the
blended onion mixture into a clean pan or bowl and repeat with the other half of onions

Wash and dry the saucepan. Reserve about 4 tablespoons of the sauce at
this stage to use in cooking the meat in your chosen curry.

Pour the can of tomatoes into the rinsed blender and blend until smooth
Into the clean saucepan, put the oil, tomato puree, turmeric and paprica.
Add the blended tomatoes and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and
cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Add the onion mixture to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the
heat to a simmer.
When froth rises skim this off.
Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the sauce sticking to the pan

This island style Curry sauce is also good with potatoes, chicken goat and beef.


BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Broccoli caserole made with broccoli on the bottom of a caserole dish, then mix container of sour cream and cream of chicken soup and spread over the broccoli and then use a boxed dressing the newest flavored one is good. Just use the butter and seasoning and mix into crumbs, not the water. Put this on the top of the caserole and bake on 300 until golden. The broccoli needs to be partially cooked or frozen and thawed before making. This can be made ahead of time an reheated in microwave or oven. It is better this way!

Answer 6

www.naturalcureguide.com