I'm a new cook - help!

Hi all - I am embarrassed to say that I am terrified of cooking but am absolutely driving DH mad so have caved and am giving it a shot. Can you share your favorite easy dinner recipe with me? And can you recommend some good websites that have idiot-proof recipes? I've checked out a few but get totally overwhelmed very quickly!

Weird thing is I loooove to bake and I'm really good at it but cooking real meals totally freaks me out.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!

Re: I'm a new cook - help!

OK, so if you like to bake and you are comfortable using the oven, start there. How about a pork loin or a roast chicken. Throw in some potatoes with the roast, a vegetable on the stove and you got yourelf a meal.

Re: I'm a new cook - help!

there's a recipe on the chicken-flavor stovetop stuffing box that is easy, quick and delicious!
you mix part of the stove top with water and set it aside. you put the rest of the dry mix on the bottom of a baking dish.
cut up a pound of chicken breast into 1 inch pieces or so, put them in the dish on top of the dry stuffing mix.
mix a defrosted bag of mixed veggies with a can of cream of chicken soup and some sour cream. put that mixture on top of the chicken. and the stuffing that you mixed with water, goes on the very top. it gets baked for like 30 minutes.
it sounds kind of gross but it's really delicious. i make it with some biscuts; it's one of dh's favorites.
the exact measurements and directions are on the box, if you're interested.

Re: I'm a new cook - help!

here's one of my favs, found it here and easy:

Lemon chicken (Katie Couric version)
- coat raw chicken in flour
- pour olive oil into pan and cook chicken until slightly browned and remove
- add in 1 can chicken broth, a few spoonfuls of flour and half cup lemon (I also like to add chopped garlic)
- stir and let sit until it boils, then wait another minute or two for it to thicken
- put chicken back in, turn stove down a bit and let it marinate.

That's it!

I like going to marthastewart.com for recipes, but some are a lot easier than others.

Re: I'm a new cook - help!

** I posted this on a thread below, maybe it will give you some ideas! don't be scared.. i was too at first, but once you get into it, its fun! good luck!! **


i would recommend getting a rachel ray cookbook... shes kind of annoying but her recipes are great and so easy!

shrimp scampi is easy... boil pasta. while its cooking, melt some butter and minced garlic ( you can buy it already minced in a jar which saves SO much time!) in a frying pan with a little bit of oil.... then add the shimp. when the pasta's done, dump the shrimp and garlic butter all over it and mix it in. sooo easy!

i also LOVE my crockpot!!! i make a pot roast in there.. i put the roast and some carrots ( iuse the baby carrots so i don't have to spent time cutting up carrots!) and potatoes and an onion all in the crockpot together with some beef broth.. let it cook all day while i'm at work, and you have the whole dinner done when you get home! ALSO with this, i buy a bigger roast and more veggies, so that we get two dinners out of it. so i'll pack the extra up into the fridge, and then 2 days later just throw it in a baking pan and into the oven for about 10-15 minutes to heat up again. comes out just as good as the first night.. seriously!

salisbury steak is also good... make hamburger patties with ground beef. cook them in a frying pan. when they're almost done, dump in a can of beef gravy and let it heat through. serve it all over egg noodles.. its kind of like a beef strongaoff type stuff.

i also make a chicken and rice bake. take a lasagna pan. put in a can of cream of chicken soup ( i use the light verson) with a cup of water, a cup of uncooked rice and some frozen corn. mix it all up, then put chicken breasts on top of it. cover it with foil and bake it at 375 for about 35-40 minutes. its an all in one dinner you have the rice, chicken and veggies all in there.. and only one pan to clean!

also USE YOUR FREEZER!! there are so many things you can make ahead when you have the time, and just freeze them for when you don't have time i make stuffed shells like this, you can freeze baked ziti, you can freeze soups and chilis.... i'll make chili in the crockpot and freeze half of it for a night i don't feel like cooking