3 years, 2 months ago
I'm a novice in the kitchen, but need to cut back on budget, so I need simple, healthy meal ideas. Bonus if they can be frozen & reheated!
I spend way too much money by eating out at work. (I'm fairly good about not eating out on days off.) So I'm looking for some easy and quick ideas for stuff that I can make. And seriously, I am totally a novice at cooking. Though, I'm willing to learn!!
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M$4 Answers
The basic rule is heat it until it changes color. :-)
Seriously, here is a link that has all kinds of tutorials on it. http://busycooks.about.com/od/cookinglessons/a/cookinglessons.htm
There's also http://www.beginningcooking.com , which has all kinds of tips and tutorials, from setting up your kitchen to shopping to techniques. I mean, if you're going to replace your CPU or the serpentine belt on your car, you need the right tools, right? Same thing in the kitchen. You don't want to be halfway through a recipe and have it start to burn while you're hunting for a substitute for a tool you don't have!
Any of the cookbooks on this page are a good bet. They are written for children, but since they sell around the world, there are interesting contemporary recipes in their books, for everything from ratatouille and pizza margherita to crepes and kabobs and porkchops. EVERYTHING is spelled out. They don't assume you don't know a "saucepan" is what most people call a pot! And there are pictures of every single step, so you really can't go wrong.
http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/results.asp?sid=Z0670&gid=76245820
Another good option is to subscribe to Thyme for Cooking. Katie Zeller is great at giving you fabulous recipes, with a linked weekly menu and shopping list, that teach you exactly what to do. You'll want to print everything out, but when you're still online, if the word "dice" is used in a recipe, it's actually a link to a tutorial. Her service runs about $7 a month, but it's quite an education on classical cooking techniques. Her recipes are to die for--like the food served at places you'd take a romantic date. They've stood the test of time, and you'll find yourself making things you never knew you were craving!
Also, a terrific site is http://www.cookingforengineers.com/ , which explains the "why" as well as the "how". Alton Brown and Harold McGee's books (separate authors) are also excellent resources for this--fascinating.
Here is a very simple, very good recipe. It's easiest in the crock pot, but you can make it in a large pot if you're going to be home to watch it.
Simple Italian Pork Roast
1 boneless pork roast, about 4-6 lbs. (doesn't really matter)
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 c. broth
4 turnips
1 onion
about 2 T. olive oil (enough to coat the pan)
Scrub the turnips with one of those plastic scrubbers, and then cut of the stem end and root end (don't take much--you just need the tough part off). Using a large chef's knife or a meat cleaver, chop into cubes about 2" square.
Peel the onion and slice into large but thin circles. That's what "slice" means when applied to something round.
If you're using a crockpot, you'll need a frying pan for the next step. To save yourself washing an extra dish, you can use your roasting pan for this if you're not using a crockpot to roast the pork:
Put oil in the frying pan or roasting pan. Heat it to medium. Take the packaging and string off the pork roast, and then add to the pot and brown it on all sides. This mean letting it heat until it changes color--but not to black. You want it medium or golden brown. This adds both flavor and texture. You can also add the onion, heating it until it turns sort of transparent and a little golden. You don't have to saute' the onion, though.
Put the pork roast into the crock pot or roasting pan/pot. Scatter the onions and turnip around it. Open the package of dressing and sprinkle it over everything, and then pour the cup of broth (use a measuring cup, not a teacup) over it all.
If using a crock pot, set it to "low" for 6-8 hours. Programmable crock pots are great!
If using a pot, put it in the oven at 325F for 30 minutes per pound. You'll want to make sure your pot has oven-safe handles before you do this! Most good brands do.
Hope this helps!
Seriously, here is a link that has all kinds of tutorials on it. http://busycooks.about.com/od/cookinglessons/a/cookinglessons.htm
There's also http://www.beginningcooking.com , which has all kinds of tips and tutorials, from setting up your kitchen to shopping to techniques. I mean, if you're going to replace your CPU or the serpentine belt on your car, you need the right tools, right? Same thing in the kitchen. You don't want to be halfway through a recipe and have it start to burn while you're hunting for a substitute for a tool you don't have!
Any of the cookbooks on this page are a good bet. They are written for children, but since they sell around the world, there are interesting contemporary recipes in their books, for everything from ratatouille and pizza margherita to crepes and kabobs and porkchops. EVERYTHING is spelled out. They don't assume you don't know a "saucepan" is what most people call a pot! And there are pictures of every single step, so you really can't go wrong.
http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/results.asp?sid=Z0670&gid=76245820
Another good option is to subscribe to Thyme for Cooking. Katie Zeller is great at giving you fabulous recipes, with a linked weekly menu and shopping list, that teach you exactly what to do. You'll want to print everything out, but when you're still online, if the word "dice" is used in a recipe, it's actually a link to a tutorial. Her service runs about $7 a month, but it's quite an education on classical cooking techniques. Her recipes are to die for--like the food served at places you'd take a romantic date. They've stood the test of time, and you'll find yourself making things you never knew you were craving!
Also, a terrific site is http://www.cookingforengineers.com/ , which explains the "why" as well as the "how". Alton Brown and Harold McGee's books (separate authors) are also excellent resources for this--fascinating.
Here is a very simple, very good recipe. It's easiest in the crock pot, but you can make it in a large pot if you're going to be home to watch it.
Simple Italian Pork Roast
1 boneless pork roast, about 4-6 lbs. (doesn't really matter)
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 c. broth
4 turnips
1 onion
about 2 T. olive oil (enough to coat the pan)
Scrub the turnips with one of those plastic scrubbers, and then cut of the stem end and root end (don't take much--you just need the tough part off). Using a large chef's knife or a meat cleaver, chop into cubes about 2" square.
Peel the onion and slice into large but thin circles. That's what "slice" means when applied to something round.
If you're using a crockpot, you'll need a frying pan for the next step. To save yourself washing an extra dish, you can use your roasting pan for this if you're not using a crockpot to roast the pork:
Put oil in the frying pan or roasting pan. Heat it to medium. Take the packaging and string off the pork roast, and then add to the pot and brown it on all sides. This mean letting it heat until it changes color--but not to black. You want it medium or golden brown. This adds both flavor and texture. You can also add the onion, heating it until it turns sort of transparent and a little golden. You don't have to saute' the onion, though.
Put the pork roast into the crock pot or roasting pan/pot. Scatter the onions and turnip around it. Open the package of dressing and sprinkle it over everything, and then pour the cup of broth (use a measuring cup, not a teacup) over it all.
If using a crock pot, set it to "low" for 6-8 hours. Programmable crock pots are great!
If using a pot, put it in the oven at 325F for 30 minutes per pound. You'll want to make sure your pot has oven-safe handles before you do this! Most good brands do.
Hope this helps!
source(s):
http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/results.asp?sid=Z0670&gid=76245820
http://www.thymeforcooking.com
Ran a gourmet market, catered my way through grad school, and have so far taught two kids to cook
http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/results.asp?sid=Z0670&gid=76245820
http://www.thymeforcooking.com
Ran a gourmet market, catered my way through grad school, and have so far taught two kids to cook
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
There are tons of websites where you can search for recipes based on difficulty. I like the Food Network webside the best.
In my opinion the simplest dishes to make are pasta dishes. Be sure to use as little pasta as possible and bulk up the dish with lots of veggies. Zucchini, bell peppers, asparagus and peas are all good veggies to put in with pasta. Then you can dress the whole thing in olive oil or low calorie tomato sauce.
Here are a couple of my own recipes that are pretty simple, but are also healthy:
http://recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/quick_and_easy_shrimp_pasta
http://dinner-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/tuscanstyle_chicken_with_mushroom_risotto
http://lunch-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/greekstyle_pasta_salad
In my opinion the simplest dishes to make are pasta dishes. Be sure to use as little pasta as possible and bulk up the dish with lots of veggies. Zucchini, bell peppers, asparagus and peas are all good veggies to put in with pasta. Then you can dress the whole thing in olive oil or low calorie tomato sauce.
Here are a couple of my own recipes that are pretty simple, but are also healthy:
http://recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/quick_and_easy_shrimp_pasta
http://dinner-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/tuscanstyle_chicken_with_mushroom_risotto
http://lunch-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/greekstyle_pasta_salad
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Series of YouTube video on Depression Cooking with Clara
http://www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking
From the website: "In each episode Clara prepares recipes that her mother made during the Great Depression. Clara shares her stories and wisdom from the Depression as she shows you how to make simple, inexpensive and delicious meals."
The Simple Dollar has
Seven Ideas for Preparing Food at Home Cheaply with Minimal Space and Resources
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/06/19/seven-ideas-for-preparing-food-at-home-cheaply-with-minimal-space-and-resources/
Former Fat Guy Blog has "The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food"
http://www.formerfatguyblog.com/2007/11/03/the-ultimate-guide-to-freezing-food.html
Organized Home has Freezer Cooking Guide despite no actual recipe.
http://organizedhome.com/freezer-cooking-guide
Final note, always consult your dietitian etc regarding correct daily intake of food.
The above links are just guide.
http://www.youtube.com/user/DepressionCooking
From the website: "In each episode Clara prepares recipes that her mother made during the Great Depression. Clara shares her stories and wisdom from the Depression as she shows you how to make simple, inexpensive and delicious meals."
The Simple Dollar has
Seven Ideas for Preparing Food at Home Cheaply with Minimal Space and Resources
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/06/19/seven-ideas-for-preparing-food-at-home-cheaply-with-minimal-space-and-resources/
Former Fat Guy Blog has "The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food"
http://www.formerfatguyblog.com/2007/11/03/the-ultimate-guide-to-freezing-food.html
Organized Home has Freezer Cooking Guide despite no actual recipe.
http://organizedhome.com/freezer-cooking-guide
Final note, always consult your dietitian etc regarding correct daily intake of food.
The above links are just guide.
source(s):
Depression Cooking with Clara Website
http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com/Depression_Cooking/Welcome.html
Depression Cooking with Clara Website
http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com/Depression_Cooking/Welcome.html
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
How do you feel about chili?
Vegetarian chili is very healthy and very cheap. You can make a huge vat of it for less than $10 and eat for a week. It's easy to make, even for a first-timer in the kitchen, and it's pretty much impossible to screw up. It also freezes beautifully.
Should you want a meaty chili, that shouldn't cost too much more if you can find ground beef or turkey on sale.
There are probably as many chili recipes as there are people, so it should be easy to find one online that sounds good to you.
Vegetarian chili is very healthy and very cheap. You can make a huge vat of it for less than $10 and eat for a week. It's easy to make, even for a first-timer in the kitchen, and it's pretty much impossible to screw up. It also freezes beautifully.
Should you want a meaty chili, that shouldn't cost too much more if you can find ground beef or turkey on sale.
There are probably as many chili recipes as there are people, so it should be easy to find one online that sounds good to you.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You're welcome, and thanks for picking my answer!
One thing I should mention about the recipe that I just noticed. A way to get an even richer flavor is, instead of pouring the broth right into the crockpot, pour it into the roasting pan first, and turn the heat up. Use a spatula (pancake flipper thing) to scrape up all the tasty brown bits into the broth, and THEN pour it over the stuff in the crockpot. This is called "deglazing" the pan. If you're going to cook the pork roast in the same pan you cooked it in, it will sort of auto-deglaze anyhow when you pour the broth over it.
A couple things you can do to vary this are change around the veggies you add: carrots, potatoes (if you can eat them; I can't)--any root veggies or cabbage are good. And change the dressing mix around: there are garlic-herb dressing mixes, honey-mustard, etc. or you can even use bottled. I try to use ones without MSG/modified food starch or the other names it hides under. Ones you'll find at places like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods are pretty good.
To freeze this, put a portion of your entire dinner, sans salad, on a ceramic plate (like Corningware). Cover it with a layer of Saran Wrap, and then aluminum foil. Use a Sharpie to date it and write what the dinner consists of. Then freeze. The pork roast will last you several meals--may 10! If you do a different roast once a week, within a month you'll have built up an arsenal of plates you can take to work or eat on busy nights. Lasagna is another one that does well with this. Or pork chops, steaks, even fish!
Source: my own recipe (but it's common); "plates" source: my mom did this for my dad for years and still does it. Food doesn't last that long at my house!
Will check those out! Thanks :)