Simple recipes

[Alisa]

In attempt to woo a guy I like I offered to make him dinner. My kitchen experience is limited to making a good macaroni and cheese but it has never impressed anybody. I am looking for simple easy good recipes I can make with basic stuff since I can't go to the store. I would also like to make dessert but he doesn't like chocolate. I looked through the cookbooks that they have here but all of them require half the things I would have to go to the store and I have to live off fifty dollars for a few mouths.

[ZenLunatic]

What do you have to work with?

[Guest David Puddy]

my kitchen experience is limited to dumping the fried rice i just bought at the chinese restaurant a few doors down, into a bowl, and then washing said bowl when i'm done eating.

 

i don't know if i'd be impressed if you did this, but i love fried rice, so i'd be happy.

[Whitty]

If you have an oven-safe frying pan or cast-iron skillet, a super easy dish that's good this time of year:

 

You'll need two bone-in chicken breasts or pork chops (don't have to be bone-in, but the results will be better), about half of a medium onion, two carrots, and a potato.

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 

Chop the carrot, potato, and onion into rough chunks (about 1") and set aside.

 

Liberally season your chicken/pork all over with salt (kosher would be best), pepper (fresh ground would be best), and whatever herbs you care for: rosemary, sage, thyme, savory, and parsley are all good choices.

 

Heat some oil in your skillet over medium high until oil just starts to put off wisps of smoke.

 

Add the chicken/pork. Let one side brown for 5-6 minutes. Flip, and brown the other side. Remove the meat and let drain on some paper towels.

 

Add the chopped veggies to the skillet and some extra oil if needed. Season 'em liberally with salt, pepper, and herbs. Brown, stirring every few minutes for about 8 minutes total.

 

Add the meat back to the skillet.

 

Place your skillet into the oven for about 25 minutes. Check it after 15 minutes to give the veggies a stir and flip the meat.

 

Make sure the meat is done if you're unsure (a bit of rosy pink color close to the bones won't hurt a thing).

 

Serve that junk. Warm bread and wine recommended.

 

Make sexy time.

[Alisa]

If you have an oven-safe frying pan or cast-iron skillet, a super easy dish that's good this time of year:

 

You'll need two bone-in chicken breasts or pork chops (don't have to be bone-in, but the results will be better), about half of a medium onion, two carrots, and a potato.

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 

Chop the carrot, potato, and onion into rough chunks (about 1") and set aside.

 

Liberally season your chicken/pork all over with salt (kosher would be best), pepper (fresh ground would be best), and whatever herbs you care for: rosemary, sage, thyme, savory, and parsley are all good choices.

 

Heat some oil in your skillet over medium high until oil just starts to put off wisps of smoke.

 

Add the chicken/pork. Let one side brown for 5-6 minutes. Flip, and brown the other side. Remove the meat and let drain on some paper towels.

 

Add the chopped veggies to the skillet and some extra oil if needed. Season 'em liberally with salt, pepper, and herbs. Brown, stirring every few minutes for about 8 minutes total.

 

Add the meat back to the skillet.

 

Place your skillet into the oven for about 25 minutes. Check it after 15 minutes to give the veggies a stir and flip the meat.

 

Make sure the meat is done if you're unsure (a bit of rosy pink color close to the bones won't hurt a thing).

 

Serve that junk. Warm bread and wine recommended.

 

Make sexy time.

that sounds good but I don't have access to meat. I will have to do inventory but I think I can use pasta, breed, chease, spices, mabey eggs, butter, tofu (yuck) soy milk, and whatever in the walk in freezer I can't open.

[Drazil]

If you have bread and eggs, you could make that egg meal that that man in V for Vendetta makes - he cuts a hole in the bread and puts the egg in there and fries it. It looks cute...

[hollow]

Try Pasta Carbonara -- but you have to have bacon and Parmesan.

 

Try Food TV's web site for easy recipes:

 

Food Network Web Site

 

It has a recipe from Mario Batali that looks very do-able (I am a terrible cook, so I looked for one that I could attempt if I were in your situation):

Spaghetti Carbonara

[yermom]

I use allrecipes.com a lot. Their "search by ingredient" feature is super helpful as are the user reviews of recipes...they really give you a good idea of what will work and what won't. Chowhound.com is also really cool...a very hip kind of food site with helpful video tips.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

This vegetable soup from the More With Less Cookbook has pretty simple/cheap ingredients

 

Heat 3 T. vegetable oil in heavy oil

 

Add

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium onions, sliced

1 or 2 stalks celery, sliced

1 to 2 c. shredded cabbage

1/4 c. chopped parsley

1/4 t. salt

Cook over medium heat about 15 min., stirring occasionally

Add:

4 c. chicken broth (you could use veggie broth or water with chicken/veggie bouillon)

2 c. fresh of frozen french-cut green beans

1/4-1/2t. caraway seed

 

Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 min. or until veggies are tender.

 

Dice into soup bowls: 1/4 lbs. cheese (or less?)

Ladle hot soup directly onto cheese to melt it slightly

[PigSooie]

That soup sounds really good.

[hollow]

I love vegetable soup, I make it without a recipe as I use what I have available -- the base is veggie or chicken broth and canned tomatoes with a bay leaf and thyme, then I throw in whatever fresh veggies I have in the fridge and a dash of Tabasco (or similar pepper sauce). Sometimes I add pasta or rice, again, it depends on what I have available. Planning on making some soon as my husband will be traveling and I'm on my own for food.

[austrya]

Make french toast.

[poppydawn]

that sounds good but I don't have access to meat. I will have to do inventory but I think I can use pasta, breed, chease, spices, mabey eggs, butter, tofu (yuck) soy milk, and whatever in the walk in freezer I can't open.

 

You could do a strata. The night before, soak torn-up bread in eggs and milk that have been whisked with salt and pepper. Before baking, mix in grated cheese. For veggies, frozen spinach or broccoli are usually a good combo. Bake at 350 degrees until it's golden and bubbly on top and firm when you press in the center. If you can do a simple salad on the side (any lettuce but iceberg. Make a dressing by whisking 1 part olive oil to 2 parts citrus juice or vinegar with salt and pepper).

 

If you've got eggs, milk and cheese, you can do a quiche, too. Quiche or strata with Graham's veggie soup would be very yummy, especially on a chilly night.

 

If you need real recipes for strata or quiche, I concur with the recipe sites Loretta recommended. Allrecipe.com should be able to set you up with lots of options for either.

 

Edit to add: a frittatta would be another option. It's basically a big, simple Italian omelet that you cook in the oven. Simple, cheap, and always impressive. Again, great with soup or salad on the side.

 

For dessert, plain ol' homemade sugar cookies. If they're fresh-from-the-oven, you'll blow him away.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

http://achewood.com/index.php?date=05162002

[isadorah]

that sounds good but I don't have access to meat. I will have to do inventory but I think I can use pasta, breed, chease, spices, mabey eggs, butter, tofu (yuck) soy milk, and whatever in the walk in freezer I can't open.

 

 

here's a couple suggestions with those ingredients:

 

 

simple pasta dish (as long as you have access to olive oil)

very straightforward: cook pasta, chop up the cheese into small chunks, mix into a bowl with lots of salt, pepper, and other spices, and olive oil. It would work best if you had mozarella and not cheddar, and would be even better if you had a tomato, balsamic vinegar, and an avacodo.

 

 

cheese quiche (as long as you have access to flour)

more complicated. make the dough: 4 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups butter, 1 egg, 1 3/8 tsp salt, 1 tbs lemon juice (can be left out or a white vinegar can be substituted), 1/2 cup water. mix the butter, salt, and flour together until it resembles crumbs, mix in the rest of the ingredients. kneed together into a dough. refrigerate for at least one hour. butter a round cake pan (at least 2" deep) or quiche pan and then spread the dough into the pan to line it.

 

filling: 4 eggs, 2 cups mils, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar (optional), a dash of nutmeg and a dash of cayenne pepper. mix everything together, add cheese (and the tofu if you want) pour into dough in quiche pan.

 

bake for 15 min at 425

[kidsmoke]

A simple dessert:

 

1 box angel food cake mix

1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple (in its own juice)

Cool Whip

 

Mix cake mix, pineapple, and juice together and pour into well-greased 9-by-13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown on top. When cool, frost with Cool Whip.

 

Variation: Replace canned pineapple with a 15-oz. can of diced peaches in its own juice.

 

Good luch with your cooking!

[benjamin]

My kitchen experience is limited to making a good macaroni and cheese

 

No lie. If a girl made me that, I'd be ecstatic. Homemade MacNCheese is the way to my heart.

[kidsmoke]

No lie. If a girl made me that, I'd be ecstatic. Homemade MacNCheese is the way to my heart.

 

I like the way you think. As comfort foods go, nothing can touch a good homemade Mac N Cheese!

[stooka]

[tellya]

If you have bread and eggs, you could make that egg meal that that man in V for Vendetta makes - he cuts a hole in the bread and puts the egg in there and fries it. It looks cute...

This used to be my favorite. My mom always made it and I have no clue how. This may be my project for the day