I want to learn to cook properly

[nvictor]

I need your help and your advice here. I want to learn to cook healthy meals. I really hate what other students eat. I know the basics, sandwishes, eggs, rice and pasta Those are really easy.

If you know a recipe that you think a student can make quite easily, please post it in reply, thanks a lot, I need it.

[Royce_aus]

Stir fry!!! seriously the easiest and most versatile meal to cook.
basically you pick some vegetables you like lets use capsicum, bok choy, and cherry tomatoes,
then you pick a main ingredient, normally i use tofu but recently i discovered nutmeat.
then you pick a flavor this is where it gets creative if you keep a bunch of sauces around the kitchen you can mix and match till you get a flavor you like.
i normally include oyster sauce, sesame seed oil(a little bit at the end goes a long way) soy sauce, tom yum paste, black bean sauce, teriyaki sauce or even sweet chilli or tomato sauce
anything will do really, and you pretty much just fry the vege's in the pan till they are cooked enough (i like em crunchy) mix in all your favourite flavors.

the trick to it is which ingredient you cook first, i like to fry my tofu first in some honey soy and then take it out of the pan before i cook up the vege's that way i get two flavors in the stir fry. and because its all vegetables and not much sauce (i prefer subtle flavor so i can still taste the vegetables true flavor) i think its quite healthy.
no added msg

have fun and good luck

and remember when it comes to sauces you can always add more, so use it sparingly at first.

[dor]

cooking is really an art baking is a science...the best way to learn is from some one, this book was written in the 1930s
Amazon.com: French Cooking in Ten Minutes: Adapting to the Rhythm of Modern Life (1930) (1930): Books: Edouard de Pomiane,Philip Hyman,Mary Hyman
so it doesn't use microwave - its a nice start..

but really i would first concentrate on quality of foods- i would rather have fresh salad with a simple vinegar /olive oil sauce fresh bred and raw milk cheese and a nice glass of wine, then a more complex meal with less quality ingredients.

[Wanderer]

Nosh for students just search on amazon and you'll find it.

Excellent book with loads of recipies - very good starting point.

Also it only uses cups/spoons as meausrements to keep it simple.

I love it.

[nantucketsunset]

in a big bowl, put in a handful each of:
-cooked wholewheat pasta, small shapes are best
-raw spinach-baby leaves can be nice
-raw tomatoes, cut up
-cut up/crumbled feta cheese (also parmesan will do in a smaller quantity)
-nice olives, if you like olives and have them on hand

add:
-a tablespoon or 2 of very good (natural, no additives) olive oil/balsamic vinegar vinagrette dressing

add a bit of:
-ground black pepper
-a little raw red onion, cut up in fine slivers, if you have it on hand and like it

toss and serve :-)


this makes a tasty, filling salad
bursting with vitamins and minerals
there is a balance of carbs, protein, and fat
leftovers will keep in the fridge for a day

[nvictor]

Dor, I got the book from Amazon today, it's an exciting reading from someone who was neither a cook nor a french Thanks a lot

[Kristina]

I learned to cook by reading cookbooks and trying out a variety of stuff! Best of all if I didn't have something I learned to improvise... the more new recipes you try the better you get at improvising. Here are some recipes that got me through school:

Casseroles -
Starch (Cooked rice/pasta/potatoes)
Vegies (Green beans, peas, corn, onions, mushrooms)
Sauce (Tomato, Alfredo, Cheese)
Meat (Cooked Chicken, ground beef - drained, canned tuna/salmon)
Top with bread crumbs and/or cheese
Bake at 350 for 60min until heated through.

It helps to find a similar recipe and copy the amount of vegies/starch/sauce ratio and the cooking time.

Good luck and start out with small quantities... if it doesn't taste great you don't feel so bad throwing it out (I rarely do that now )

Kristina

[rohit]

My biggest advice about cooking is to start out by making the a simple dish that you like a number of times.

Experimenting with a number of different recipes was my first shot at cooking, but that was pretty daunting and didn't help too much. By trying simple recipes multiple times, I had a base to work from, with the confidence to try more and more complex things.

As s simple recipe to start out with, repeat, and then tweak, stir fry is a great example.

[Wit and Itch]

On my web site there are few basic rules for cooking, and there are 3 very easy and healthy recipes.