Recipes to Cook for Yourself

[WillyBrandt]

So I'm trying to stop eating out every meal, and start cooking for myself regularly for dinner. But I don't know what to cook: cookbooks have too many required ingredients, and I'm cooking just for me.

Hopefully we can help each other out here. How do you get by without TV dinners or eating out?

Please, help me! :)

What I've cooked so far:

- Ramen & Eggs

Packet of Ramen in the water. Separately, put 2 eggs in microwave-designed container; cook there. Combine at end in bowl.

- Tuna and Onion Omlette

Chop up some onion. Drain tuna from can. Get two eggs, scramble them up, put in tuna, onion, and throw into a butter-lined skillet. Do your best.

- Mojo Chicken

Thaw 3 chicken breasts. Marinado with Mojo sauce and Adobo seasoning for 30 minutes. Cook for 30 minutes at 375. Done!

- Random Marinade Chicken

Replace Mojo with random supermarket marinade.

[Don_G]

1. Pork Chops And Potatoes

Layer sliced potatoes and pork chops in a casserole dish with a can of Cream of Mushroom soup. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.

[WillyBrandt]

3. Very clearly a guy's recipe!

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. I most always shoot for something quick and easy

So I'll pan fry a steak or a chicken breast or some slab of meat of some kind, and then make a sauce from the pan with chicken or beef or mushroom broth, garlic, shallots, etc., and then toss whatever veggies I'm thinking of eating into the sauce (like asparagus, broccoli, etc.) which will cook the veggies. If I want mushrooms with it, I'll saute them separately while pan frying.

Or if I'm in a pasta mood, I make the pasta, then make a cream sauce and throw in some julienned zucchini and other veggies and shrimp or whatever.

Serve with salad, and voila, a meal!

[WillyBrandt]

4. How do you pan fry a chicken breast?

Do you cut it up?

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Just put some oil in the pan, and throw the breast in

you'll want to take the bones out first, though, and butterfly it.

Or just buy the breast skinless and boneless.

For the best chicken, go to the Amish and get fresh, disease free, steroid-antibiotic-etc. free chickens.

[WillyBrandt]

6. OK--butter or olive oil for frying? Which is better?

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Whatever you like

Though butter on its own can have difficulty at high temps, so I use either just olive oil or use oil and butter together. You can also bread or flour the chicken before cooking, and that will help thicken the sauce.

[SOteric]

15. Gah! Rabrrrrrr, - not so!

Olive oil and butter have really low smoke points. That means they start to burn and smoke quickly at low temperatures. If you're going to pan fry a chicken breast, use a good canola oil (neutral flavor, excellent texture, high smoke point), or a peanut oil (if you're not alergic, ideal for frying).

[Rabrrrrrr]

31. Alright, you got me on that one, SOteric

Consider my hand slapped. :-)

I love peanut oil, but I never remember to buy any....

[Kenneth ken]

8. buy a wok

you can make a ton of meals in a wok, and have a huge variety:

meat:
beef
chicken
pork

vegetables:
broccoli
carrots
cauliflower
beans
peas
yellow sqaush
zucchini squash
onion
garlic
red bell peppers
green bell peppers
yellow bell peppers
spinach
bok choy

fruits:
apples
orange sections
pineapple

spices:
sage
parsley
marjoram
thyme
basil
cayenne pepper


pretty much anything you can think of can go in wok cooking. I buy for instance a pound of carrots, chop them into bite size pieces put them in a container, then when I am cooking use a small amount.

It's all mix-and-match. One busy day, an hour or so chopping up food, then the rest of the week, just pick any 2-6 items, throw them in the wok, and you've got a meal in less than 10 minutes.

If you're using meat, brown it in the wok first, with just a bit of oil. Then add the harder veggies, broccoli, carrots, etc. with water, now you're going to steam the rest - let them cook about 5 minutes or so, then add the softer foods, peppers peas, for a couple minutes, last leafy veggies, or fruits. I personally like to add the herbs and spcies early on. Add water as necessary, whenever the steam starts to run out.

Serve it over rice, or drop some of those dry noodles in the wok for a minute or so.

Just that little list, and you can have a huge variety of meals. It's all the same, but it all tastes different. so none of it's the same.

[Nevernose]

21. Favorite wok recipe, one even I can't screw up

I manage to burn everything in the wok. Is there some kind of way around this, or, the more likely explanation, am I just an idiot?

Favorite wok recipe, one even I can't screw up:

Boneless, skinless chicken breast (only when it's on sale, otherwise I de-bone by hand)
Onions
Mushrooms
Salsa
Ramen noodles

Cut everything into cubes. Cook the chicken, with a little bit of oil, in the wok. Just before you're through, add the onions and mushrooms. When you are completely finished cooking the meat and vegetables to your desied level, add some salsa. Mix a package or two of cooked ramen noodles in with the mix. Exact amount of ingredients depends upon personal taste -- it doesn't really matetr

[Kenneth ken]

22. dunno

I'd say if you're burning things in the wok, you are either
a) not paying enough attention
or
b) cooking with too high a heat

a being the better bet. wok cooking is supposed to be fast, so the heat should be pretty high, but that means you need to be paying attention the whole time, because it's a very short span from "done" to "overdone"

I usually steam everything, so if I'm running out of water and things don't seem tender enough, I just add a bit more water. :shrug:

[lagniappe]

9. One of my favorites and it is very easy to make.

It is even better the next day!

Beef Stew with Caramelized Onions and Amber Lager

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_6826,00.html

[cally]

10. I prepare a few staples each week that I then cook with

I usually marinate some chicken and cook it and roast eggplant, peppers, and onions. Sometimes I roast squash. Then when I come home hungry and tired I throw some of that into a pan, add some sauce or dressing, and I have dinner in 3 or 4 minutes.

[daligirrl]

11. Get a George Foreman grill. . .

And buy chicken breasts, thighs, hamburger, whatever. Buy a bottle of your favorite flavored marinade. It is sooooooooooooo quick! Buy fresh veggies that you like and steam or saute. It will take you 15 minutes.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. I also really love soup, and when I make it, I make a lot

Of course, I don't mind eating the same soup for lunch and supper for 5 or 6 days in a row, so maybe you don't want to go quite this route, but you can also make a vat of soup and freeze it in smaller single-serving size containers and just nuke it when you want to eat.

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. And if you like bread, get a bread machine

You can get one that you can set ahead of time, too, so that the bread will start cooking while you are at work, and you can have fresh bread at dinner time.

I can load mine in about 4 minutes.

You'll save a lot of money on bread, and you won't be eating all that shit they put in factory bread.

[LynzM]

14. Here are our staples:

Some of it's halfway premade, not much cooking involved:

Macaroni and cheese with tuna (just drain and add to cooked M&C) or ground beef cooked separately on the stove and added

Pot o'spaghetti with ground beef and tomato sauce, enough for the next day's lunch or dinner!

Bag of ready-to-eat ceasar salad, cook up and chop and add 1 chicken breast. Yum.

Chicken on the George Foreman grill with italian spices, or lemon pepper spices, or szechuan spices, over rice or pasta. Or Chicken on the stove with red wine and mustard over rice.

Instant mashed potatoes and kielbalsa, kielbalsa fried on the stove, cut in half to make a flat side for cooking.

Bratwursts boiled in beer, fried in a pan, with some sort of carbs- potatoes or pasta.

Couple things recommended: a George Foreman grill (or immitation!) is super easy to use, and clean. Same for a crockpot, where you chop up whatever veggies, drop some meat on top, cook on low for 8 hours, presto! 3 days worth of food! Lots of crockpot recipes are fine with just 3-4 ingredients, usually salt, pepper, xxxx and potatoes and meat!

Good luck!

[SOteric]

16. Tell us what you like to eat.

What do you order when you go out to eat?

If we can help you put together some things that you already know you'll eat, you'll have much more success sticking to homemade meals.

Also, - what equipment do you have? A few pans, some knives and a rangetop? A microwave?

Are you focused mostly on budget? On being more healthy?

[DS1]

43. nothing beats a good curry

:7

[JVS]

17. Get a box of Bisquick and some Hamburger and cheese

Make a Hamburger pie. google bisquick recipes or look on the box for details

[mia]

18. recent quick and delicious home-alone meals

fresh broccoli & cheese

Cut off the main stem and put about half the florettes, stem-side down, in a microwavable glass bowl; sprinkle with a little ground nutmeg and black pepper. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, slice a bunch of sharp white cheddar cheese. Lay across the top of cooked broccoli. Cook for another half minute or less until cheese is almost melted.


Other quick favorites:


Sweet or backed potato - about 5 minutes in the microwave (depending on size}.
Prick with a fork in a few places first, so it won't explode!

It will stay hot while you cook any kind of fresh fish - another 3-4 minutes in the microwave.

I like salmon, and add some butter, pepper, and dried tarragon leaves before cooking, then fresh lemon juice just after it's done.


I love blue glass cookwear. It can go straight from the microwave to the dinner table (computer desk). Everything looks good on it and food seems to taste better too. I usually add something colorful, fresh, and crispy to the plate like cherry tomatoes, apple or cucumber slices, grapes, strawberries...

[Mr. McD]

19. Pork Chops In Onion Sauce

4 pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 small onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup hot beef broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Season pork chops with salt and pepper; coat with flour. Heat oil in a heavy frying pan. Add pork chops; fry for 3 minutes on each side. Add onions; cook for another 5 minutes, turning chops once. Pour in beer and beef broth; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove pork chops to a preheated platter. Season sauce to taste. Blend cornstarch with a small amount of cold water. Stir into sauce and cook until thick and bubbly. Pour over pork chops.

[Insider]

20. agree with crockpot

especially in cold weather. i didn't do it much while at work, unless i was nearby. but even on saturdays or sundays, the whole house would smell so good, definitely felt "home-y"

chicken wings cooked fastest, not that it matters.
wings or pork cubes or beef cubes or small turkey wings with:
barbecue sauce & onions
mushroom soup & onions


careful with the spices. they explode with flavor in the crockpot.

good eats.

[MissMillie]

38. American Chop Suey!

1.5 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1 onion
2 tbs. chopped or minced garlic
2 tbs. dried parsley
1 tbs. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 lb. box elbow macaroni, cooked according to direction.

Brown ground meat, onion and garlic in skillet. Add seasoning and tomato.

Pour over cooked macaroni and mix.

Grated parmesean over the top is terrific.

[AwakeAtLast]

23. Easy fajitas

There is fajita seasoning in large containers you can buy from the spice section of the grocery store. I have Paul Prudhomme's Fajita Magic that I like. Cut up onion and peppers (whatever color you like) and put in large pan with a small amount of olive oil. Cook while you are cutting up chicken breast, sprinkle seasoning on chicken to taste. When onions and peppers are done enough for you, take out of pan and put in chicken. When chicken is done, add onions and peppers back to reheat. Add filling to tortillas with sour cream, cheese, salsa, black olives (my favorite), or anything else you like and PRESTO, fajitas!

After you make these a few times, this will take you no more than 15-20 minutes, tops.

I hope you enjoy!

[Nevernose]

27. I know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow, thanks

I'm too cheap (er, frugal, yeah, frugal, that's the ticket) to buy bonelss chicken unless it's seriously on sale. Tomorrow I can almost guarantee that I won't be in a mood to de-bone it myself.

Question: What about beef? What cut of meat should I use? (assuming that you eat red meat)

[Rabrrrrrr]

33. Skirt steak is the traditional fajita beef, but any cut will do

since skirt steak used to cheap - that's why it was used in fajitas - but now that fajitas are so popular, the price of skirt steak has gone up a lot.

My local butchery recently had a sale on skirt steak if one bought the giant package - about $4.60 a pound, in a 6 pound package. But I just frize most of it.

I grilled (on a real grill!) some flank steak a couple weeks ago to make fajitas, and that worked also just as nicely.

But you could use filet mignon if you wanted, or sirloin, or whatever you want.

[AwakeAtLast]

42. I didn't snub you on purpose!

I just went to bed. I have never tried this with beef. I eat red meat, I just prefer chicken fajitas over beef. I am sure some good cut of sirloin would work fine. I should also tell you I am a beef snob. Having grown up on a farm, it is very hard to buy beef in a grocery store these days. I get mine every time I visit home, from the deep freezer. If you try it with beef, let me know how it turned out!

[Swamp Rat]

24. WillyBrandt, jus' move to New Orleans fo' a year

We'll help ya out.

Jus' for stawters, we got:

Seafood Gumbo
Berled Crawfish
Alligator Jambalaya
Boudin and Andouille
Shrimp Etouffee
Blackened Redfish
Turtle Soup


Check dis out, you can make groceries online:
http://www.unclejohns.com/cajunmarket/abes/basics.htm

Ya betta watch out, you gonna be real hungry! Jus' pass by da house and ax da lady at da counter fo' what's good fo' ya.

[AwakeAtLast]

25. It's been too long since I've been to N'awlins!

OHHH do I miss that food!

[JI7]

26. how about those box dinners like hamburger helper

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

28. If you like fish, cod and snapper filets are usually reasonable

First cook the cod or snapper in one tablespoon of oilive oil...snapper cooks within 5 minutes on medium flame turning once.

Then remove fish from pan and in the same pan add:

1 tablespoon more of olive oil
1/4 cup of white wine...bring to boil the simmer until you cannot smell alcohol..about 5 - 10 minutes

1/2 chopped onion


Saute the onion until it becomes opaque

add 1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped into small fine pieces

one tablespoon capers then cook until tomato is cooked and soft..maybe 5-10 minutes and spoon over fish

This tastes great with any kind of rice on the side..preferably white rice and you can spoon the sauce over the fish and rice



You can do this recipe with chicken breast too instead of fish

[Misunderestimator]

34. Yummmmy.... when's dinner?

:) :rubbingbelly:

[Rhiannon12866]

29. This is not exactly how I do it, since

I mix in both the grated Parmesan and a couple of tablespoons of grated Romano cheese, by hand, but Pesto sauce is just the best. It is very versatile, but you can just mix it with hot pasta (I prefer linguine) any day of the week. Easy and really good. I got this from The Food Network and it is very close to mine.:-)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_7088,00.html

on edit: this lasts for a really long time, despite the fresh basil.:-)

[Guy_Montag]

30. Mine is...

Ingredients:

Onion, garlic, pesto (spoonful), chorizo (spanish sausage), mushrooms.

extras: sundried tomotoes, artichoke hearts

Fry onion in a little oil until soft,
add everything else & cook for 10 minutes.

Stir through pasta.

takes about 10 minutes.

[Bertha Venation]

32. chicken & potatoes

Cut up a potato or two and a boneless chicken breast or two, or some boneless thighs. Pour a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the potatoes. Add whatever seasoning you like and slowly brown. When they're almost done (mash a little w/ a fork) add the chicken. Season again. Brown chicken, stir frequently til all is done.

It's not very good for you, I grant you, but it's quick, easy, and very tasty.

[denverbill]

35. Make yourself a lasagna.

Just buy a box of noodles and follow the recipe on the package. When it's done, cut it into serving sized pieces, wrap them in foil, refrigerate what you can eat that week and freeze the rest. You can get a lotta meals outta one lasagna and all it takes is a few minutes in the nuke.

[bearfan454]

36. I got a good one for you.

This is from my bachelor days. Gas grill, or bbq, or pan fry, or broil a couple of steaks. Whatever kind you like. Microwave a couple of baked potatoes, and open a can of green beans or corn and cook them on the stove. Put some frozen dinner rolls in the oven the last 10 minutes. Easy, good, and leftovers for cheap. WTF ?

[MissMillie]

37. Tonight it's baked haddock

sprinkle haddock filet with bread crumbs (I use plain but use seasoned if you like), and a dash each of salt and pepper. Drizzle w/ 1.5 tbs. melted butter.

Bake in 350 degree oven until fish flakes.

serve w/ a steamed vegetable, and of course (this time of year) sliced tomato.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

gotta like kraut for this one

one pork tenderloin
two cans of GOOD kraut (fresh if you can get it)
about 1/2 cup dry white wine (drink the rest with the meal)
sprig of fresh rosemary

Dump it all in a crock pot...let it cook while at work...bring home good dark german gread...bon apetit

easy and tasty

theProdigal

[MissMillie]

39. Tasty chicken parts or chops

bake them in the oven, but before you put them in, roll them in a mixture that is 1/2 bread crumbs and 1/2 Lipton recipe soup (like onion/mushroom or garlic/mushroom, or whatever).

[MissMillie]

40. you can grill just about anything easily

It's pretty common for me to throw something into a marinade (either home-made or store-bought) before I leave for work, and then throw it on the grill when I get home.

One of our favorites: shrimp. Shell and clean it. Marinade in a store-bought tequilla/lime marinade, then put it on skewers and grill for just a few minutes.

Serve w/ rice pilaf and a green salad.

[IronLionZion]

41. some of my favorites

Pita:
cook some roast beef or chicken or some kind of meat in a frying pan. Throw in some onions or your favorite sauce for taste. Put in a pita with some fresh veggies and mmm.... delicious and nutricious.

quesadillas:
thin flat bread with cheese, meat, salsa or whatever folded in half and cooked on low heat in a stove. Put a little butter or oil on the flat bread first so it doesn't stick to the pan. PAM is disgusting, stay away from it.

Ramen:
while it is cooking according to directions, throw in some frozen vegetables, boiled eggs, or some cooked meat.

make soup and throw in just about anything you want for something interesting to eat. You can do that with salads too. Throw in the craziest vegetables you can find and some fruits and nuts and dried chow mein noodles too.

stay far away from fast food and frozen dinners.

[cookiebear]

44. ImportFoods!!

Go to ImportFoods.com and get Thai Green Curry Paste. Then buy a bunch of coconut milk.

I spent a month eating everything simmered in that concoction. Even broccoli is like a taste sensation in it. TOOO GOOD!

Roast chicken is simple and fast --- get chicken quarters (free range is best :D ) and learn to live it up.

Vidalia onions ... sliced and slow cooked in a little butter is almost the best thing on earth to eat.

Fresh blueberries or strawberries in cream - the real ones. OMG!!!

Get a bread machine. A good homemade bread with some butter is about the best meal you can have ever!!!

Buy teas that you really like and sit around at home drinking them. That will get you in the mood to cook at home. :D

Get a George Foreman Lean Mean Roasting Machine. That sucker can cook a tender juicy pot roast in 60 minutes!!!

OMG, I'M SOOO HUNGRY NOW!!!