Need SIMPLE recipes - for a Beginner cook! (red wine, ingredients, skillet)

[Hobokenkitchen]

Hi all - I need some help please!!

I am starting to try my hand at cooking now that I am home more (we just moved and work is taking a while to take off).

To give you an idea of my cooking level (and to give you all a good laugh at my expense ), here are some of the things I have been cooking:

1: Spaghetti bolognase (with the sauce from a jar) - but I do cook the meat! Lol.

2: I can make a mean omlette

3: I make chicken stirfry with Oyster sauce - I have to cut the chicken up though as I find it difficult to cook a whole chicken breast through without making it tough on the outside.

4; Chicken with pesto over angel hair.

5: My speciality is a tilapia and srimp rice mix, sometimes with a small amount of cauliflower stired in and some green sugarsnap peas.

6: I make a yummy melted cheese sandwich.

My idea of cooking is to heat up the oven to put a pre-prepared chicken pot pie into.
In fact if the oven is on (as opposed to just the burners) I really feel like I'm achieving something great.

Ok, now that you have a sense of how pathetic my cooking skills are, I am trying to branch out a little bit now that we are getting bored of shrimp and tilapia. Lol.

I am looking for some SIMPLE recipes. Preferably things that aren't HORRIBLY bad for you. A bit bad is ok, but not 'death on a plate' if you know what I mean.

Maybe something with pork?
I get stuck on sauces. I can cook a piece of meat or fish, but it's dry. Any tips?

I really want to branch out a bit and make our at home food a bit more exciting.

Now for the kickers:
I don't like spicy food or mushrooms, and I'm allergic to some nuts so tend to avoid them all just in case.

Tonight we're going to try and cook steak. My friend has told me to heat the 'skillet' (is this a frying pan?? - I'm English and have never heard of a skillet) very hot, then put the steak on it for 3 minutes on each side. Then put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 6 - 8 minutes. Does this sound right? I would love to do a red wine sauce, but as I have no idea how to do it and wouldn't want to ruin a steak, we may just have steak sauce with it for now.

We're going to have mashed potatoes (guess we need to buy a masher) and some kind of green vegetable.

Any ideas for easy to make, fool proof simple and tasty food??

My DH and I would be very grateful!

[groove1]

A skillet is a frying pan (or also a good Christian rock band). That cooking thechnique sounds about right depending on the doneness you prefer. You can put the wine sauce in the skillet and also in the oven.

[Hobokenkitchen]

Originally Posted by groove1

A skillet is a frying pan (or also a good Christian rock band). That cooking thechnique sounds about right depending on the doneness you prefer. You can put the wine sauce in the skillet and also in the oven.

Really - any ideas how to make the wime sauce? I know it involves flour, butter and red wine, but what to do with each??

[groove1]

That sounds more like a roux sauce...I've never made one though.

[Capt. Cave Man]

I've never done this but have seen it on you tube: After cook'n the steak in the oven put on a plate and let rest. Add some wine to deglaze the pan and get the "goodies" off the pan for a steak sauce. Add some garlic, onion, salt and pepper and reduce. Just an idea, search on you tube for ideas.

My other suggestion is to get a grill. As far as I'm concerned, anything but gas, but do what ya have to do.

You tube and google search has taught me alot, then I add what I think would be good.........and then I learn not to do that.

[kelsie]

After the potatoes are cooked, this dinner is served in 20 mins.

Chicken Marsala with golden Yukon gold roasted potatoes, and roasted asparagus with tri-colored peppers and shallots.

4 chicken cutlets (pounded to 1/8")
flour for dusting 1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c Marsala wine
1 medium onion sliced thin
1/2 sliced mushrooms
pepper to taste
2 T olive oil
2 pats sweet butter

Melt oo and butter slowly, do not let it smoke or turn brown
pound cutlets between plastic wrap, sprinkle with pepper and dust with flour
add cutlets and cook 3 mins. on one side
in another frying pan melt 3 T butter and add mushrooms and onions, simmer 5-6 minutes
turn the cutlets after 3 mins., cover and cook 2 mins. remove cutlets from pan and cover
discard the oil/butter mixture and return pan to stove, add wine, let it reduce to half and then add chicken broth, return chicken to the pan with mushroom and onions, cover and simmer an additional 3 minutes.

Oven Gold Potaoes

4 Youkon Gold potatoes cut into 8 pieces each
1 packet of Goya Sasson seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 small onion sliced thin
4 garlic cloves
1/8 t dried parsley & Italian seasoning
1 t garlic powder
4 T olive oil
Peccorino Romano cheese

Heat oven to 375 (10 mins.)

Combine all ingredients together and toss to coat, cover and bake in 20 min. intervals turning every 20 mins., uncover after 50 mins. of baking and sprinkle with grated Italian Peccorino Romano cheese, bake an additional 10 mins.

Roasted Asparagus

Preheat oven to 450

1/2 lb thin baby asparagus
1 tri-colored pepper sliced
2 shallots sliced thin
olive oil to coat
garlic and onion powder
1 cloved minced garlic
1 T balsamic vinegar

Layer asparagus on a baking dish side by side toss with oo, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper. Cover asparagus with peppers, shallots, garlic, roast on the highest rack for 5-6 minutes, add vinegar and roast an additional 2-3 minutes. Delicious and a keeper.

What I do is get all of my ingredients out at the same time, so I am not walking around the kichen getting confused. This is a very easy meal that I hope you will enjoy. kelsie

[RDSLOTS]

Originally Posted by Hobokenkitchen

Really - any ideas how to make the wime sauce? I know it involves flour, butter and red wine, but what to do with each??

This formula is a basic roux, easily adapted to any number of sauces.

2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of flour
pinch of salt
white pepper, if you choose
1 Cup of milk

In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour and stir, forming a paste of sorts. Gradually stir-in milk, and continue to stir over low to medium-low heat. Let sauce thicken, generally to the consistency of a gravy. Remove from heat.

At this point, you can add grated cheeses -- about 1 to 1 1/2 cups, your choice. Sharp cheddar compliments a number of vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower. You can add anywhere from 3 oz. to about 6 oz. cream cheese for a different sauce that also compliments veggies.

You can make the roux as rich, or as light as you like -- using cream or half-and-half or any per cent milk, including skim. The plain roux is delicious poured over a skillet of fresh cabbage, for creamed cabbage, or over a casserole of peas and pearl onions.

You can also substitute other liquids for the milk for other sauces, like chicken broth, for a chicken casserole.


Two of my very favorite cookbooks, for beginners or experienced cooks, include Bitterman's How to Cook Everything, and the old tried-but-true Joy of Cooking. Bon appetit!

[ali&ajsmom]

[quote=Capt. Cave Man;3744620]
My other suggestion is to get a grill. As far as I'm concerned, anything but gas, but do what ya have to do.

I agree you can cook just about anything on the grill pizza, steak,pork chops, veggies, chicken and way to much to list. there are also alot of cook books out there to help beginners. I would also say that you may want to invest in a slow cooker cause again you can cook just about anything. I wish you the best in your cooking adventures.

[studedude]

Try this with pork chops.

Using electric skillet
Brown 5 or 6 1" thick chops in 3 or 4 tbls oil
Add 3 or 4 potatoes cut in half and 3 carrots cut in 2" pieces
Add 1 med onion

Add enough hot water to cover chops. Simmer 3 or 4 hrs adding water to keep from cooking dry.

Remove meat, potatoes, carrots and onion. Thicken with RD's roux leaving the milk out.

Serve with gravy over meat & potatoes

[yankeegirl313]

Hell, I couldn`t boil water when I first got married.
Then I started looking through cookbooks! They helped me so much. Maybe they can help you too.