im a useless cook i need some simple recipes please help?

Question

i was never taught how to cook by my mother coz shes useless at it too, i do try to cook for my husband so i need some help. i dont wanna be adventurous traditional ideas will do me thanx for ur help

Answer 1

Easy Zesty Chicken & Tomatoes
This easy and flavorful recipe that uses taco seasoning mix gives a new idea for baked chicken breasts.Ingredients:
• Olive oil nonstick spray
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2-3/4 cup Italian-style fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of a rectangular or oval casserole dish with olive oil. Then, in a bowl, slightly beat the 2 eggs. In another bowl, place the bread crumbs. Dip one chicken breast in the slightly beaten egg; coat all sides of the chicken breast with the bread crumbs. Place in greased rectangle or oval casserole dish. Repeat with remaining chicken. In a small mixing bowl, combine the diced tomatoes and the taco seasoning mix. Mix well. Pour tomato mixture on top of breaded chicken breasts. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees about 50 minutes or until chicken is done.
Notes:
Serve with pasta or rice and a green salad or green vegetable. Makes a nice presentation on the plate.
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Easy Flamingo Pasta

• 1 jar of your favorite tomato base pasta sauce
• 1 jar of your favorite alfredo sauce
• 1 can pitted ripe olives, halved
• Fresh mushroom slices, chopped red bell pepper, and chopped onions (desired amounts)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 package bow tie pasta
Method:
Combine both jars of pasta sauce in a saucepan on top of stove over low heat. Add halved ripe olives and simmer. Meanwhile saute over medium heat the mushrooms, red pepper, & onions in olive oil; stirring, until tender. Add to saucepan, simmer 15 minutes. Cook bow tie pasta according to directions on package. Drain. Transfer pasta to a plate or pasta bowl. Spoon flamingo sauce over pasta.
Notes:
This very subtle sauce base has the flexibility to let you add or leave out ingredients to your taste. Excellent with chicken and/or shrimp added.
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Italian Flag
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 package sweet Italian sausage
• 1 lb bow tie pasta
• 1 small jar sundried tomatoes in oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/2 package frozen broccoli florets
• Salt
• Pepper
• Grated romano cheese
Method:
Cut sausage into bite sized pieces. Heat oil in medium saucepan, brown sausage and remove. Cut tomatoes into small strips and finely chop garlic. Add to pan and saute 2-3 minutes until light brown. Add wine and stir. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper, and sausage; cover. Heat to a boil, add broccoli and simmer on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Serve over bowtie pasta (salt the water before boiling the pasta). Top with grated romano cheese.
Notes:
Finished dish beautifully represents the colors of the Italian Flag.
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French Dips
• 1 cup(s) beef broth
• 1 tbsp canned tomato paste
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 8 oz deli-sliced roast beef
• 1 1/3 tbsp horseradish sauce
• 4 medium hard or kaiser roll(s)
Method:
1. In medium skillet, combine broth, tomato paste and parsley, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low a simmer for 10 minutes. Add beef to broth; heat 2 minutes. 2. Drain beef, reserving broth. Place equal amounts of beef on the bottom half of rolls; spread 1 teaspoon horseradish sauce (to taste) on beef cover with top half of roll. Divide broth into 4 small cups for dipping.

Answer 2

Cook anything, pasta (al dente..read the box..critical!!!), veggies, potatoes. Keep at low heat, covered, to warm.
Take a sauce-or-frying pan. Add some (plenty) marg or butter. Melt at med. heat. Add thinly sliced onion. Cook slowly till golden. Truly Golden.
Now comes the best part of cooking.
What do you like? Garlic? Parmesan? Nutmeg? Basil? Peppers, minced? Lots of crushed black Pepper?
Try one or two together to start. Sautee for one-three minutes, depending on whether you have a raw or dried ingredient to soften. Diced tomatoes need only a few seconds to warm and add flavour, as you don't want to loose the texture. Unless you do! Turn heat to med-high.
Add milk or creamo, or soy cream replacement, plain yogurt, sour cream, or {chicken stock and the above at 1:1}.
Stir quickly, and watch the excess liquid evaporate...if it seems perfect, it's cooked too long, as it will thicken when it cools, and when it hits a starchy absorber like potatoes or Pasta.
Toss 'em all together. Eat NOW!!! =)
This is a quick recipe, once the substance of the dish is made, ie: pasta, taters, broccoli, even Polenta.
Make it once, and you are an expert at how it should be made. It is the recipe that gives us Cream Gravy, Onignons Caramel, and, pour it on Hot, Hot Pasta and immediately add beaten eggs and Bacon, and you've got a great Carbonara! Add to Rice, incorporate some beaten eggs, pour into a baker, top with cheese...MMM..yummy Rice Cassarole.
Got anymore ideas?

Answer 3

If you have microwavable pasta, make that, and then cut up some veggies and put them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Microwave that for a couple of minutes, until the veggies are cooked. When I was your age, I would make 'cookie dough' where I would mix flour, sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter together and add chocolate chips. Do 2 1/4 cups of flour 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar and about a stick of softened butter. DO NOT eat this all at once, or too quickly or you WILL get sick! (learned that the hard way) For a drink, you could put some lemon juice and sugar into a glass of ice water to make lemonade. Good luck!

Answer 4

I think cooking is all about confidence and the more you cook the better you will get. Things don't always turn out the way I plan but I can usually rescue it by adding more flavourings til the food is to my taste.
Delia Smith did a great range of books called how to cook and the bbc website is great for menu's. Also if you have something you liek in a restaurant ask how they prepared it. A lot are happy to share some tips with you.
Happy cooking

Answer 5

Pasta is what works for me. Just boil water, add any kind you select.

If you want some meat in there. Grab some chicken breasts from the store, frozen or fresh, (if it's frozen take them out and let them sit in a large bowl of hot water until its unfrozen..may have to change water)
Then slice the chicken breasts into strips.
Have a med. skillit on med-high heat will about a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil heating up.
Once your done with the slicing. (Now's when you add the pasta to the water, so the timings close) Add the sliced chicken to the oil. CAREFUL.. the oil fights back. :-p.
Add Basil, Oregano, Salt, Pepper, and a lil garlic to the chicken while it's cooking..adds GREAT flavor. The once the chickens cooked thru.. place it on some paper towels to dab the oil off.. then drain the pasta.. add any sauce u like. Steamed Veggies go great with this..or a salad.. Red wine if u like.

Answer 6

Spaghetti with meat sauce- buy jar sauce, box pasta and 1 lb ground beef. Brown the beef in a pan over med. heat until brown, drain in a collander. Return beef back to the pan and add a jar of spag sauce . simmer 10-15 minutes
Boil a big pot of water add a little salt and cook the pasta. Throw the noodles at the wall and if they stick, they're done. Drain and serve sauce over pasta.

One of my new quick no time meals I've been making is salsbury steak
Buy them frozen and heat in the oven
Make some quick mash potatoes (either homemade or out of the box)
Layer a piece of bread, some gravy, a salsbury steak, a scoop of mash , more gravy and enjoy.

Frozen fish sticks and mac and cheese

Hamburger helper, simple

Answer 7

Make Over 200 Juicy, Mouth-Watering Paleo Recipes You've NEVER Seen or Tasted Before?

Answer 8

Try this book: Cooking Made Simple by Carol Langworthy it has simple and easy recipes- she writes them specifically for those who"dont" cook. Explains all the terms etc you need to know and all the timing that helps get the meal on the table hot and ready!! Good Luck with cooking!!!

Answer 9

Here are some recipes. They are not traditional, but they are very easy. And remember, always taste the food as you're cooking to adjust what needs to be adjusted

SCALOPINIS MILANESE :
Veal scalopinis
2 eggs
bread crumbs
butter
1 lemon
salt & pepper

Scramble some raw eggs, dip the veal scalopinis in it, then in bread crumbs (both sides).
In a pan, put some butter & a touch of sunflower or peanut oil, and cook the veal on medium heat. Salt & pepper.
Eat with a splah of lemon

FLANK STEAK, SHALLOTS & VINEGAR :
1 big flank steak (or skirt steak)
tons of sliced shallots
1 1/2 glass of vinegar
butter
salt & pepper

In a pan, put some butter, then when melted, add the shallots, a little salt & pepper and
when golden, take them out and put the steak in the pan, salt & pepper again.
Cook on medium heat. When golden on both size, add the shallots and the vinegar and
let it reduced a little. When you have an homogeneous sauce, it's done.
Serve with a gratin, boiled potatoes, or fresh pasta


LAMB ROAST & POTATOES :
Lamb leg (boneless)
Garlic
Thyme & bay leaves
Salt & pepper
Very small potatoes
Butter
French mustard (Maille is best (Walmart superstore), but Grey Poupon will do,
but nothing else)

Pierced the lamb a few times and stuff some peeled garlic in the holes.
Salt & pepper the lamb and spread some French mustard on it.
In a big oven dish, put a good piece of butter, bay leaves & thyme, and 6-7 garlic cloves.
In the oven it goes, at 380°.
Check some time to time and add a little of very hot water so that you always have a juice.
Add the cleaned but not peeled potatoes about 15-20 minutes before
the lamb is done so they cook in the juice.
Also, pour some of this juice regularly on top of the lamb and potatoes with a spoon.
The lamb must be pink inside, not well done.

POT AU FEU (for 4) (hearty meat dish for cold days)

a piece of beef (not too dry, and with a lot of marble)
5 leeks (1cut in pieces)
6 carrots (2 cut in pieces)
4 turnips
4 potatoes
8 cloves of garlic
1 onion pierced with 4 cloves
thyme and bay leaves
pepper corn
salt

In boiling water, put the onion the garlic, the pieces of carrots and leeks, thyme, bay leaves,
pepper corn and rock salt, and finally the meat.
Cook on medium for at least 1h15, then put the turnips, then the potatoes, then the carrots, and last the leeks.
When the vegetables are cooked, it's done.
Serve hot with Dijon mustard

If you have some left over of vegetables, use the water too make a soup, it's very good

PORK CHOPS :
sliced onions
sliced bell pepper
mustard (Dijon mustard is best)
white wine
salt & pepper

Put the chops in an oven dish, with oil & butter.
Spread some mustard on them and add the ingredients on top.
Put in the oven at 380°, and when the butter is bubbling, pour the wine on top of the chop.
Baked until the juice has reduced

VEGETABLES MACEDOINE :
A bag of frozen peas (or fresh peas)
1/2 a bag of baby carrots (fresh)
2-3 white potatoes (fresh)
2 onions
1 pack of salted pork (diced, without the white fat)
Butter

In a pot, put the butter, the sliced onions and the diced pork.
Add the frozen peas and bay leaves. About 10 minutes after, the diced potatoes,
and 5 minutes after the carots.
Cook until the vegetable are cook the way you like

TOMATOES PROVENCALES (fast & easy) :
Cut the tomatoes in half.
Put a touch of olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic, shredded parsley and
bread crumb (the thin kind) on top of each pieces of tomatoes.
Put in the oven at 400° but careful that the tomatoes remain firm and don't overcooked.

SPINACH + CREAM :
Spinach
double cream or crème fraîche
salt & pepper
Garlic (optional)

Boil or steam spinach.
Drained them of the water the max you can
In a sauce pan, put the spinach and 2 table spoons of cream, salt & pepper.

RATATOUILLE (for 6 people) :
4 zucchinis
4 bell peppers of different colors
3 eggplants
2 big onions (sliced)
5 crushed garlic cloves
thyme & bay leaves
1 cup of olive oil
2 big cans of whole peeled tomatoes
salt & pepper

Diced the vegetables (all of them), not too thick and not thin.
In a pot, put the butter, the sliced onion, crushed garlic.
When the onions are golden, add the peeled tomatoes (drained
the max you can of their juice), the
thyme and bay leaves, salt pepper (a little).
Let the liquid evaporate and then add first the bell peppers,
salt & pepper ( a little), then 10 minutes after,
the zucchini & eggplants, salt & pepper, a little.
You can serve this hot, or very cold as an appetizer

PUMPKIN PUREE
pumpkin
Gruyère cheese (shredded)
double cream or crème fraîche
salt & pepper

Boil or steam the pumkin.
Smah it and put in a pot with Gruyère, cream, salt and pepper. It's excellent.

You can also do it as a gratin. Do the same as above, but instead of a pot, put it in a oven dish,
and top it with more shredded Gruyère.

POTATO OMELET (tortilla) :
Slice potatoes, not too thin. In a pan fry put butter and sliced onions.
When golden, add the potatoes.
When golden, add the eggs. Fast, and easy


POTATO PANCAKES (the french way) :
Shred some potatoes, not too thin, not too thick.
Add to battered eggs (there must be more potatoes than eggs), with crushed garlic.
In pan, put butter and make the pancakes.

GRILLED VEGETABLES :
4 zucchini
2 eggplants
4 yellow zucchinis
olive oil
thyme, salt & pepper

In an aluminium foil, put all the vegetables that you would have sliced or diced,
the salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil,
close the foil but leave a little opening, cook on the barbecue.
You can eat it cold as an appetizer, or hot as a side dish. Very simple and very tasty.

In fact you can do the same proces with any vegetables.
Asparagus and Portobella or wild mushrooms are great like this.

GREEK SALAD MY WAY :

Diced cucumber
diced tomatoes
feta
kalamata olive
sliced onions (optional)
spring mix
salt & pepper
Olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and toss


GREEN BEANS & TOMATOES :
Boil or steam the beans for a few minutes.
In a frying pan, put some butter, sliced onions, whole or diced
peeled tomatoes (drained of the juice).
When the liquid you'll get has evaporate a little add the beans, salt and pepper and stir.
Cook on medium heat until the tenderness you like.

CHICKEN LIVERS SALAD :
chicken livers
sliced onion
a little butter
raspberry vinegar

In a pan, put the butter and the onions, and when a little golden, add the livers.
Cook on medium heat. When almost done, add the raspberry vinegar and let reduce the juice a little.
Eat with the salad

CABBAGE & SALTED PORK :
Boil the cabbage leaves for about 3 minutes (in salty water)
In a pan, put butter, sliced onions, and diced salted pork (cut out the white fat).
Add cabbage. Cook on medium heat
You can also add sliced potatoes, but put them first as they are longer to cook

BRUSSELS SPROUTS :
Boil the brussels sprouts, not all the way.
In a pan, put butter, sliced onions, and diced salted pork (cut out the fat).
Add the brussels sprouts, salt & pepper

BELGIUM ENDIVES :
6 endives
Butter
Salt & pepper

Boil or steam the endives in water for 5 minutes. Drain them.
In a frying pan, put the butter, the endives very well drained of water, salt and pepper.
Cover them and cook on medium-low heat until cooked as you like your vegetables.
(if the endives are big, you can cut them in half in their lenghts)

Bon appétit

Answer 10

cheesey corned beef mash is a favourite in my house. boil potatoes, and mash em up with butter, cheese corned beef and a touch of milk. serve with baked beans and veg. I was rubbish at cooking, and liked this cause its easy. Then you can become more adventurous, like lasange and cottage pie. First time i made cottage pie it was all sloppy and there wasnt enough mash to go on top! i got all worked up, threw it away and put apizza in the oven! Now i really good at it, it comes with time. dont bother too much about doing everything from scratch either. if i so a spag bol, i'll put different veg spices etc in the mince, but finish up with dolmio, its just easier, and tastes better!

Answer 11

It doesn't get any simpler, but it is a great dinner.
Spaghetti with a green salad, hot or buffalo wings, garlic bread, and for desert favorite ice cream with or without your favorite topping(s).

Spaghetti
brown ground beef or turkey and drain
boil spaghetti according to package add meat then add sauce let simmer on lowest setting for about 10-15 min. You can add cheese as a topping if you like.

and you are done with that.

Salad (you could buy the pre-mix salad and just add whatever else you want.)
lettuce
tomato
eggs
cheese
green pepper
carrots
ham, chicken, or turkey (chicken tenders or ham and turkey sandwich meat)

Hot/ Buffalo Wings - you can buy the ones you only need to warm or you can make your own.

garlic bread- you can buy the ones you only need to warm or you can make your own.