A common new years resolution is to learn how to cook, but I think people often don't know how to get started. Like eating healthy and exercising, people likely try to do too much too quickly and then aren't able to stick to it. So, I thought I would dedicate an "eat food, save money" post to learning to cook.
Most of these tips are things I wish I had known when I started cooking in earnest (9 years ago!!).
1. Start small
When you're learning how to cook, starting with a roasted lamb or finicky pastry is not a good idea. Start off slow and with simple dishes. Don't try to dive straight into a recipe with lots of steps and a long list of ingredients. Start with recipes that don't take much time and don't require an entire cart full of groceries (QED meals, in other words!).
If you're planning to cook a meal, don't try to cook absolutely everything from scratch. Try just cooking one part of the meal instead of the whole thing. If you're making fried chicken, for example, opt for some steam-in-the-microwave vegetables as your side rather than trying to make the main dish AND the side dish.
2. Focus on the basics
I think the number one thing that deters people from cooking is the prep. Chopping vegetables, mincing garlic, and stripping herbs takes FOREVER if you're new to it. It's discouraging to do all that work and end up with something that tastes just OK. Figuring out the basics of cooking makes it much more enjoyable and something you'll be more likely to stick with.
Learning how to dice an onion, brown meat, and prep veggies is more important than any arsenal of recipes. When I learned to cook, I watched lots of shows on the Food Network. The thing that's great about cooking shows is that they demonstrate cooking methods in a way that written recipes don't: you can watch someone dice an onion and see how it's supposed to look. If you learn how to brown meat--any meat--you increase your recipe options tenfold.
The sad truth is learning the basics just takes time and practice. But that shouldn't be surprising: learning how to do most things requires time and practice! It's better to take the time at the beginning to learn the basics and then start trying out recipes rather than fumble your way through a bunch of recipes.
Learning the basics is also made much easier and less frustrating if you have some of the right equipment. You don't have to break the bank, but trust me, learning how to dice an onion with a tiny dull knife is WAY more time-consuming than doing it with a big sharp knife. For my money, you need the following things:
1 large stock pot with a lid
1 large high-sided skillet with a lid
1 big chef's knife
1 big cutting board
1 baking sheet with sides
And that's pretty much it. With these things, you can learn all the basics and make countless dishes.
3. Plan ahead
Since learning to cook takes time and practice, planning ahead is indispensable.
Most people work full time. Add commuting to that and lots of would-be cooks don't get home until 7 or so at night during the week. You do not want to take time and lots of effort to get food on the table. Planning ahead will help you have the time to learn how to cook.
Since learning the basics and prep take time, try cooking one of your meals on the weekend. You'll have more time and feel more relaxed. If you're starting small (see tip #1), resolve to cook every Sunday night for a month. It's a small goal and achieving it will go a long way to setting you up for more success.
A little pre-prep when you have the time goes a long way. As you're working on the recipe for that night, prep some of the ingredients for future meals at the same time. If you're dicing one onion for the recipe you're working on, go ahead and dice another one. You can keep it in the fridge in a food storage bag and use it later in the week. Same thing goes for veggies. You can also make extra rice: make 6 rather than 4 servings and you'll have cooked rice ready for later.
This strategy works best (and learning to cook works best) when you think ahead and plan your meals out for the week. That way you can do pre-prep and save yourself some shopping trouble. Here's an example of a possible meal plan:
Sunday: Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables
Monday: Chicken tacos (If you baked extra chicken on Sunday, you're halfway done)
Tuesday: Potato pancakes and roasted veggies (Use up the leftover mashed potatoes. If you chopped extra veggies on Sunday, you're halfway done)
And so on. It takes a little practice and forethought, but you can save yourself time and money in the long run. Once you achieve your goal of cooking for a month of Sundays, try to plan out 3 meals during the week using the weekend pre-prep method.
The other plan-ahead strategy is making sure you have non-perishable extras on hand. Keep an wide assortment of steam-in-the-bag frozen vegetables in the freezer. Make sure you have a couple of boxes of pasta in the pantry and a few jars of your favorite pasta sauce. If you keep staples like these on hand, you won't have to make everything from scratch and you'll have fewer excuses to go out.
4. Accept that you'll make mistakes
Learning to do anything new takes time, effort, and patience. Not everything you make will be a success. You'll try some things and they won't taste good. You'll try a recipe and something won't cook right. There will be some things that you won't even want to feed to the dog.
DO NOT be afraid to toss it and order pizza. The important thing is to TRY AGAIN.
Because the first time you make something that tastes really great is one of the best feelings in the world! But you won't get there if you give up.
Learning to cook seems overwhelming, but if you start small, learn the basics, plan ahead, and accept that you'll make mistakes, you'll set yourself up for success.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Eggplant Pizza
Happy New Year, everyone!
People usually resolve to eat healthier in the new year, which means finding more ways to eat vegetables. Eggplant is an overlooked vegetable, so resolve to eat more of it this year.
Notes: Eggplant contains a lot of water, so you need to get some of that out before you put it on the pizza. I salted mine so it would drain and then patted it dry several times.
If you wanted some extra flavor, you could grill the eggplant first. You'd need to slice it a little thicker.
I liked the way the eggplant turned out, but I think next time I might brush it with olive oil. I might also add some fresh basil on top when the pizza is done.
I made a whole wheat crust for some added nutrients.
Ingredients:
1 ball of homemade pizza dough
1 ball fresh mozzarella
1 cup of your favorite pizza sauce (we have Vesper Brothers up here, so that's what we used)
1/2 a small eggplant
Directions:
Heat the oven to 500. Position one rack at the top of the oven and one at the bottom.
Thinly slice the eggplant. Salt both sides of each slice and lay them on a cooling rack or in a colander. Let them sit for 45 minutes to an hour. Liquid will start to leech out. Pay them as dry as you can and set aside. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces.
Roll out the dough and lay it on a pizza stone or round baking sheet. Spread sauce evenly around the dough. Scatter half the mozzarella around the pizza. Add the eggplant and then top with the rest of the cheese.
Bake for about 20 minutes, 10 minutes on the bottom rack and 10 on the top rack. Slice and enjoy!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Veggie Baked Potato with Mushroom Gravy
Winter has set in here in PA, so it's time for some cold weather comfort foods. There isn't much that's more comforting than a baked potato topped with veggies.
Notes: This is a dish that's easy to customize. You can use any combo of veggies that you like.
If you're not big on gravy, top the potato with cheese or salsa.
I give you my favorite potato-baking method. I think baking them this way gives the skins lots of flavor and they come out tender and perfect every time.
I wrote the recipe for two people, but you can easily double it to feed four.
Our camera battery was dead, so I don't have any terrible pictures for you.
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 large broccoli crown
4-5 carrots
1/2 pint of mushrooms
2 tablespoons of flour
1/3 cup of beef or mushroom broth
1/3 cup of milk
6-7 tablespoons of butter (divided)
Salt
Pepper
Directions: Heat the oven to 400.
Rub the outside of each potato with 1/2 a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle salt on the potato. Wrap each potato in foil and bake for about an hour and half until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, peel and dice the carrots and cut the broccoli into small florets. Add about a tablespoon of butter to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Sautee the carrots and broccoli until tender (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Move the veggies from the pan onto a plate and set aside.
Turn the heat to high, add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Sautee the mushrooms until they start to brown. If there isn't much liquid in the pan, add in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add in the flour and stir to coat. Whisk in the broth and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat back to medium and let the gravy thicken. (At this point you can add the broccoli and carrots to the gravy if you want. If not, just leave them on the plate.)
When the potatoes are done, split them open and fluff the insides with a fork. Top them with veggies and then add a couple of ladles of mushroom gravy. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes: This is a dish that's easy to customize. You can use any combo of veggies that you like.
If you're not big on gravy, top the potato with cheese or salsa.
I give you my favorite potato-baking method. I think baking them this way gives the skins lots of flavor and they come out tender and perfect every time.
I wrote the recipe for two people, but you can easily double it to feed four.
Our camera battery was dead, so I don't have any terrible pictures for you.
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized Russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 large broccoli crown
4-5 carrots
1/2 pint of mushrooms
2 tablespoons of flour
1/3 cup of beef or mushroom broth
1/3 cup of milk
6-7 tablespoons of butter (divided)
Salt
Pepper
Directions: Heat the oven to 400.
Rub the outside of each potato with 1/2 a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle salt on the potato. Wrap each potato in foil and bake for about an hour and half until tender.
While the potatoes are cooking, peel and dice the carrots and cut the broccoli into small florets. Add about a tablespoon of butter to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Sautee the carrots and broccoli until tender (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Move the veggies from the pan onto a plate and set aside.
Turn the heat to high, add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Sautee the mushrooms until they start to brown. If there isn't much liquid in the pan, add in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add in the flour and stir to coat. Whisk in the broth and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat back to medium and let the gravy thicken. (At this point you can add the broccoli and carrots to the gravy if you want. If not, just leave them on the plate.)
When the potatoes are done, split them open and fluff the insides with a fork. Top them with veggies and then add a couple of ladles of mushroom gravy. Serve hot and enjoy!
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Pumpkin Bread
If you haven't read this piece from McSweeny's, you are missing out. The first time I read it, I laughed so hard I cried.
At this point, I try to keep canned pumpkin in the house at all times in case the urge to bake strikes. I was planning to make some more muffins, but Scott requested bread. Pumpkin bread, you say? Happy to oblige!
Notes: I adapted this recipe only slightly. If you're not a big fan of cloves, I'd knock it back to a 1/4 teaspoon. You can really taste them. I don't mind, so I left it as is. If you wanted a more pumpkin pie flavor, add in some ground ginger.
Make this when you're planning to have company over. Your house will smell amazing.
This bread is chewy and delicious and everything fall should be.
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup butter, melted
Directions: Heat the oven 325.
Grease a loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add in the butter and pumpkin. Mix with a spoon until just combined.
Pour the ingredients in the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, remove from loaf pan and transfer to a rack. Serve and enjoy!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Fall Lasagna
I usually refer to the season between summer and winter as "fall," but the word "autumn" has a nice sound. I particularly like it because when you make it an adjective, it becomes "autumnal." I thought about calling this dish "autumnal lasagna" but I thought it was too much of a mouthful. Luckily, the dish itself isn't!
Notes: There are two important tips to remember. First, slice thinly. The sprouts and squash have to cook through in the lasagna. Second, pull everything out of the fridge with enough time for it to come to room temperature. Room temperature = more even baking.
I'm not a huge fan of the combination of tomatoes and squash, so I decided to make a bechamel sauce to combine with my marinara. If you're pressed for time or don't are for bechamel, you can skip that step.
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 small bunch brussel sprouts
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
26 oz. marinara sauce
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 small or 1 large fresh mozzarella balls
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 bunch fresh sage
Salt
Pepper
Directions: Heat oven to 375.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until it forms a smooth paste. While whisking, pour in milk. Whisk until thickened. Add in the marinara and stir together. Remove from heat and set aside.
Peel the squash. Slice it in half and scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice it. Mince the garlic and sage. Use a mandolin or sharp knife and slice the brussel sprouts as thinly as possible. In a large bowl, combine the slices sprouts with oil, half the sage, and syrup. Season with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with minced garlic and other half of the sage.
In a 9x13 baking dish, add 1 cup of marinara sauce. Layer 4 noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, one layer of sliced squash, and 1/3 of brussel sprouts. Top with another cup of sauce and repeat the layers two more times. Add the last layer of noodles and top with the remaining sauce. Slice the mozzarella and lay it on top.
Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes: There are two important tips to remember. First, slice thinly. The sprouts and squash have to cook through in the lasagna. Second, pull everything out of the fridge with enough time for it to come to room temperature. Room temperature = more even baking.
I'm not a huge fan of the combination of tomatoes and squash, so I decided to make a bechamel sauce to combine with my marinara. If you're pressed for time or don't are for bechamel, you can skip that step.
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 small bunch brussel sprouts
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
26 oz. marinara sauce
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 small or 1 large fresh mozzarella balls
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 bunch fresh sage
Salt
Pepper
Directions: Heat oven to 375.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until it forms a smooth paste. While whisking, pour in milk. Whisk until thickened. Add in the marinara and stir together. Remove from heat and set aside.
Peel the squash. Slice it in half and scoop out the seeds. Thinly slice it. Mince the garlic and sage. Use a mandolin or sharp knife and slice the brussel sprouts as thinly as possible. In a large bowl, combine the slices sprouts with oil, half the sage, and syrup. Season with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with minced garlic and other half of the sage.
In a 9x13 baking dish, add 1 cup of marinara sauce. Layer 4 noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, one layer of sliced squash, and 1/3 of brussel sprouts. Top with another cup of sauce and repeat the layers two more times. Add the last layer of noodles and top with the remaining sauce. Slice the mozzarella and lay it on top.
Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Pear Gingerbread
I am still on my baking kick, but as predicted, it has tapered off a bit since school started. I recently found this recipe for pear gingerbread and I knew I had to give it a try.
Notes: I tweaked the recipe a bit. I was thinking I'd like to grate the pears, but my pears were definitely too soft for that. So I just diced them.
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cloves
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
1 large, 2 medium, or 3 small pears
Powdered sugar for serving
Directions: Heat oven to 350.
Peel and cut the pears into a small dice.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, salt, baking soda and powder). In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (olive oil, molasses, milk, grated ginger, vanilla).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in the pears.
Butter an 8x8 baking dish and pour the batter in. Bake 30-40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Notes: I tweaked the recipe a bit. I was thinking I'd like to grate the pears, but my pears were definitely too soft for that. So I just diced them.
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cloves
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
1 large, 2 medium, or 3 small pears
Powdered sugar for serving
Directions: Heat oven to 350.
Peel and cut the pears into a small dice.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, salt, baking soda and powder). In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (olive oil, molasses, milk, grated ginger, vanilla).
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in the pears.
Butter an 8x8 baking dish and pour the batter in. Bake 30-40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Roasted Kale and Mushroom Risotto
The weather has not been cooperating with my desire for it to be fall. So, I thought I would make some warm and cozy risotto to just pretend. It made me hot while I was cooking, but it was worth it.
Notes: This turned out great. I wanted a deeper flavor so I decided to roast the kale and mushrooms first. I should have cooked the kale a little longer because I like it on the crispy side, but it was still delicious.
You may need to add some water to your stock if it gets too low and your rice isn't finished. Just keep a measuring cup next to your stove while you're cooking for easy access.
If you want to time the mushrooms and kale together, wait to put them until you're halfway through the risotto cooking time.
Wondering if your rice is done? Taste a grain or two! If it's still crunchy, you need more time.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
1 pint of mushrooms (baby portobellos, shitakes, or oysters)
1 bunch kale leaves, cleaned and stemmed
4-5 garlic cloves
1 small bunch sage leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1 teapsoon olive oil
4 cups stock or water
Salt
Pepper
Directions: Heat the oven to 400.
Heat the stock or water on medium-low. Mince the garlic and chop the sage. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add in the garlic and sage. Cook for just a minute and then pour in the rice. Toss the rice to coat it with the butter and then add 4 ladles of stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally. Continue adding ladles of stock (2 at a time) until the amount of rice doubles in size and it starts to absorb the stock more slowly. It takes about 30-40 minutes.
While the risotto is cooking, thinly slice the mushrooms and kale. Put them on separate baking sheets. Toss the mushrooms with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Season the kale with salt and pepper. Put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes each until the mushrooms start to brown and the kale starts to get crisp. When they're done, add them to the risotto and let everything finish cooking together.
Enjoy!
Notes: This turned out great. I wanted a deeper flavor so I decided to roast the kale and mushrooms first. I should have cooked the kale a little longer because I like it on the crispy side, but it was still delicious.
You may need to add some water to your stock if it gets too low and your rice isn't finished. Just keep a measuring cup next to your stove while you're cooking for easy access.
If you want to time the mushrooms and kale together, wait to put them until you're halfway through the risotto cooking time.
Wondering if your rice is done? Taste a grain or two! If it's still crunchy, you need more time.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
1 pint of mushrooms (baby portobellos, shitakes, or oysters)
1 bunch kale leaves, cleaned and stemmed
4-5 garlic cloves
1 small bunch sage leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1 teapsoon olive oil
4 cups stock or water
Salt
Pepper
Directions: Heat the oven to 400.
Heat the stock or water on medium-low. Mince the garlic and chop the sage. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add in the garlic and sage. Cook for just a minute and then pour in the rice. Toss the rice to coat it with the butter and then add 4 ladles of stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally. Continue adding ladles of stock (2 at a time) until the amount of rice doubles in size and it starts to absorb the stock more slowly. It takes about 30-40 minutes.
While the risotto is cooking, thinly slice the mushrooms and kale. Put them on separate baking sheets. Toss the mushrooms with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Season the kale with salt and pepper. Put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes each until the mushrooms start to brown and the kale starts to get crisp. When they're done, add them to the risotto and let everything finish cooking together.
Enjoy!
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