Help a 21 year old single guy learn to cook

King Durk the Awesome

King Durk the Awesome

TNPer
Yeah, I've lived by myself for four semesters during college at Missoula, but I still had a meal plan so I didn't have to cook things. But now I've graduated and I actually have to cook and stuff, unless I want to eat at Wendy's 5 times a week.

So today I tried cooking spaghetti for the first time ever. I know that I had to wait for the ground beef to turn brown before pouring in the Prago (pwns Ragoo btw). But I think I poured it in a tad too early, as some of the beef was still pink. Well after letting that simmer for an hour I ate it, and it tasted... interesting. So can I just heat the beef + Prago again at a high temperature? Does anyone even know what I'm talking about, or am I just living in my own little world? :(

Also, other easy recipes would be a great thing to post. And they need to be DETAILED, as in, when to use cooking oil.

Here's what I know how to cook already: Spaghetti, pork chop sandwiches (Montana food), bacon, scrambled eggs, pasties (again, Montana food), and pancakes.

Neither mom nor grandma know how to cook, and dad literally responded "El Oh El, Cooking?" when I asked him about it. So my genes are working against my already pathetic cooking skills.

Also, if any lovely NS ladies want to drop their careers/education, move to Bozeman, Montana, be my sexy times girly partner, and cook for me, I'm single :tb2:

I am the most erotically pathetic NSer ever :w00t:
 
I can cook, like a motherf*ck. Cooking is a vastly overrated skill; in Ancient Rome the cook was the least valuable slave.

A few of my old favourites to get you started;
Potatoes; a staple. Easy as pie to cook. For a nice jacket potato (a meal in itself); get yourself a nice big-ass potato and give it a good stabbing (with a fork). Make sure your oven is around 200 C, bung it in, and forget about it for an hour. Then go back and check. The longer you leave it the crispier the skin becomes, I wouldn't leave it in longer than 1 1/2 hours though. Cut an 'X' in the top, pry it apart, put a bit of butter in there to melt.
Serve with either beans or chili con carne.*
You can also do jacket potatoes in the microwave; set it at the highest level for about 6 minutes. Not as good, though.

You can make mashed potatoes quite easy, too. Chop it into cubes, chuck in a saucepan of boiling water and leave for 20 mins. Drain off all the water (use a sieve or you'll end up with a soggy mess), mash the now-soft cubes up, chuck some butter in there and serve with veg and a meat of your choice.

* If you don't like tinned stuff you can make this yourself. What I use (in other words, what's cheap); mince; kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste (that stuff in a tube), liberal dose of mixed Italian herbs. Put your mince (make sure it's defrosted, obviously), in to a frying pan on maximum heat. Don't bother putting any oil or anything in, it cooks in its own juices. While that's cooking (keep stirring it) put your tomatoes, kidney beans and paste into another saucepan, this shouldn't take long to heat. Don't let it boil!! When the mince is nice and brown all over (shouldn't take long; about 5-7 mins ish), bung it in your saucepan o tomatoes, stir it up. Add a liberal dash of Italian herbs. This is just my cheapo-way of making it, of course.

P.S. I think you screwed up your ground beef attempt. Once you add in a sauce the beef itself won't cook, just be heated up. Make sure it's all done before you chuck in any sauces. Since it's red meat it ain't gonna kill you, but be careful with chicken!
 
beans on toast.

First assemble the implements and ingredients. You will need:

A saucepan, a can opener, a large spoon, a toaster, a knife, a fork, a plate, a can of baked beans, two slices of bread, butter.

You will also need:

A mixing bowl, an egg whisk, four spatulas, a large BBQ fork, an ice cream maker, two rolls of kitchen paper, cochineal, a skewer, two more saucepans, a microwave, two flower pots, a casserole dish,

These are not needed for the recipe, but blokes cannot cook without using everything in the kitchen.

2. Open the beans. This is the tricky bit.

Place the can opener over the edge of the can, and squeeze the handles together to pierce the rim. Now turn the turney bit, and watch in amazement as it simultaneously cuts and turns the can. What will they think of next?

3. Go to the fridge and get a can of coke. You deserve one.

4. Go back to the kitchen counter, and tip the beans out of the can INTO THE SAUCEPAN (this last part is essential).

5. Place the saucepan on a low heat on the hob, and stir the beans from time to time with the large spoon.

(the spoon is the thing with the round bit at the end)

6. While the beans are heating up, put the bread in the toaster. ONE SLICE OF BREAD PER SLOT.

7. Plug the toaster in.

8. Push the lever on the side of the toaster down, and marvel as the bread descends into the machine. Wait until it goes “ping”.

9. Return to the beans. Stir.

10. Once the toaster has gone “ping”, carefully remove the bread, and put it on your plate.

11. take the knife (long, and bladed, not the thing with three spikes that looks like a short trident – that is a fork.

12. Use the knife to spread butter on the toast. It will melt a bit as you spread it, which is handy.

13. the beans should be warm now. Pour them out.

14. Dammit. I left a bit out. I should have said “pour them out over the toast”. Never mind. Leave the mess. You can sort that out when it has cooled down a bit.

15. redo steps 2,3,4,5,9 and then skip to 14.

16 eat, and enjoy.

17 now phone your mum to get her to come round and wash up, clear the beans off the floor, and cook you a proper meal.

The end.
 
Sydia:
P.S. I think you screwed up your ground beef attempt. Once you add in a sauce the beef itself won't cook, just be heated up. Make sure it's all done before you chuck in any sauces. Since it's red meat it ain't gonna kill you, but be careful with chicken!
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Yup, make sure it's properly fried brown and no longer red or pink. Then add the sauce and only heat it up. Most of the sauces are not meant to be cooked, just to be heated up. Look at the product label, that will most likely tell you what to do.

I don't totally agree that you cannot cook the meat in the sauce. You left it simmering for an hour, so the raw part of the meat will be cooked after that torture. But there is a big difference between frying and cooking. Frying creates much more or at least different tastes, usually the more yummy ones. Having some cooked meat together with too long cooked sauce creates the "interesting" taste.
 
Cooking pizzas from frozen is simple, although in the interests of your health I would limit it to a maximum of once a week. Just take it out of the freezer, let it defrost slightly for ten minutes or so while the oven heats up to 220 degrees Celsius, then put it in for however long it says on the instructions (15-20 minutes). Come back at that time, check it has been cooked the whole way through and isn't too soggy or limp and if it isn't, then take out and enjoy!

Salads are also good, just take some lettuce, tomatoes, grated carrots, drain tuna from a can and put it together, then enjoy.
 
Cooking is a vastly overrated skill
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The above only applies if you're a Brit. Their food either tastes like paste or curry depending on the ethnicity of the dish. Also, you're from Montana. You need meat. All these potato and bean recipies will only serve to as appetizers or snacks.

Europeans... *shakes her head*

Spaghetti tips, tricks and variations:

The Meat
Cook ground beef (or turkey if you're a pansy) completely through and use the lid of the pan to hold back the meat and drain any grease off into a glass cup. Then add the sauce. You can throw out the grease after it cools. Don't put it down the sink drain.

If you're cooking for one, divide your meat into 1/2 or 1/4 lb portions before you put it in the freezer. You can put each portion in ziplock freezer bags. This way you can thaw only what you need and save yourself days and days of left over or waste. 1lb of ground beef will usually feed 4 or 5 people. Buy the smaller jars of sauce so you aren't wasting it as well.

You can also buy large resealable bags of frozen pre-cooked meatballs. They aren't quite as good as homemade, but they aren't bad. This way you can take out exactly what you want and leave the rest for another day. (Hoagie/Sub rolls, provalone cheese, meatballs and spaghetti sauce combine for a nice meatball sub too)
Microwave the frozen meatballs before you put them in the sauce. Then heat the sauce and meatballs in a pan on the stove.

The Sauce
Make sure you buy small enough containers. Once they are opened they don't keep for very long in the fridge. If you buy canned sauce, do not keep left overs in the can. Put it in a bowl, preferably glass (plastic stains), container and keep it covered. Don't be afraid to try Alfredo or other cheese sauces.... except cheeze whiz. That's not a sauce, or cheese for that matter.

The Pasta
Don't break the pasta to get it to fit in the pan. If you don't have a tall pasta pan, just let the pasta stick out the top and let it cook down. It will curl to fit the pan as it absorbs the water.

Bring the water to a rolling boil before you put in the pasta. This helps it from getting sticky, especially if you are letting part of it stick out of the pan as it cooks.

Salt the water or use a teaspoon (ish) of flavored olive oil in the water. It's your only chance to put flavor into the pasta. Don't put cooking oil (vegetable or canola) into the water. The oil won't keep the pasta from sticking it will just give it an icky taste and make it greasy.

Rinse the pasta after you drain it and while still in the strainer. This washes off any residual starch which is what makes it sticky.

Try learning how much you need for portions so you don't have left overs. 1/4 lb of spaghetti is usually enough for one person. If you do have left overs, try keeping them in a baggie in the fridge over night. The next day put 2 Tablespoons of REAL butter or olive oil into a pan. Melt the butter, toss in the left over spaghetti and 1/4 cup of Grated Parmesean cheese and a little (1/4 tsp) sweet basil or parsely. It makes a yummy side dish for any pork based meal too.

There are some yummy frozen ravioli's out there you can substitute for variety. Also Barilla makes dried tortalini that tastes pretty damn good. I suggest sticking to the cheese stuffed varieties. The meat they use in the frozen stuff tastes like mystery meat. blech.

Next week... Macaroni and cheese: side dish of the gods or something like that.
 
I agree with Dark. And be sure to drain off the grease before adding the sauce.

Let's have another staple of kids who don't know how to cook: Eggs!

Plain scrambled eggs:
1) Decide how many eggs you want to eat.
2) Crack them into a large (<--IMPORTANT) bowl.
3) Take a fork and beat the crap out of it.
4) I like to add salt and pepper to taste at this point. Most add it after it's done. Your choice.
5) Take a frying pan and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Turn the heat on high, and spread the oil around the pan a bit.
6) When the oil starts to smoke slightly when you carefully look at it, pour your eggs in.
7) Take a spatula and beat the crap out of it. Eventually, you'll see the eggs congeal in little chunks.
8) Cook to your desired degree of doneness and take it off the heat. (I personally like my scrambled eggs to be dry.) Put the eggs on a plate, and eat!

Scrambled eggs with other stuff:
This follows the above protocol, with the following steps inserted between steps 3 and 4.
1) Take out whatever else you want in your eggs. If it's veggies, wash them well and dry.
2) Chop up into little bits.
3) Toss into your beaten eggs.

Eggs over easy:
1) Add some oil to your frying pan, spread it around, and set it on high.
2) When the oil starts smoking a bit, crack open the egg(s) into the pan.
3) Using a spatula, push the whites into a vaguely circular shape.
4) Cook one side to your desired degree of doneness.
5) Flip (carefully) with the spatula.
6) Cook other side to your desired degree of doneness.
7) Take off heat and season with salt and pepper. Eat! Win!
 
My great-aunt Hetty had a super-easy chicken casserole that tastes great the day it's cooked AND as leftovers, you can also freeze anything you don't use.

Another helpful hint, if you're not much of a cook, invest in a crock-pot and a crock-pot cookbook. Especially if you work/go to school most of the day and aren't home, and when you finally get home the last thing you want to do is spend an hour cooking something because you're starving.

Anyway, here's the chicken casserole recipe and a couple others that I make quite often.

Hetty's Chicken with Rice
(it makes a fair bit, so I'll either half it, or be really nice and share with my housemates, or freeze it.)

Ingredients:
1 can Campbell's (or equivalent) chicken gumbo soup concentrate.
2 cups uncooked rice (make sure it's real rice, and not instant)
2 cans Campbell's (or equivalent) cream of chicken soup concentrate.
1 soup can of water
1 pkg. onion soup/dip mix
8 frozen chicken breasts (now you know why I half or share it.)

First Mix the rice, the cans of soup, and the water in a bowl. Stir it well, until it's all a big soupy uncooked rice mess. Second You'll need a good-size casserole dish, a standard 9x13 pan works great, or you can use a smaller, deeper dish if you don't have a 9x13. Give it a good, once-over with some cooking spray so the rice doesn't totally stick. Third turn the over to preheat at 350 degrees while you're finishing up. Step four...Pour the soupy rice mixture into the greased pan. Next, get that onion soup/dip mix (Lipton's is great; if you've never bought it before, there are two packets in each box. You only need one packet for this recipe.) Anyway, give the packet a good shake before you open it, so that the dehydrated onions and the powdered bit are mixed together well. Open it and pour HALF of it over the soupy rice mixture. I light to kind of swirl it in with a fork, but you don't have to. Step five, arrange the frozen chicken breasts on top of the soupy rice mixture. Just plunk them down right on top of it, making sure they all fit. Six, sprinkle the other half of the onion mix over the chicken breasts. Easy-peasy. And seventh, Cover the whole pan with a good amount of foil so that you don't get any escaping steam while it cooks. Last but not least, stick the pan in your preheated over and go play on the computer for a couple of (2) hours while it cooks.

The whole recipe makes eight good-size servings... Mom always makes this for a quick and easy Sunday dinner for my whole family. Make sure you have a good salad and some mixed veggies with it, because the casserole by itself isn't exactly health-central.

Also, if I'm halving it, I usually just leave out the can of gumbo and add 1/3 cup more water instead. Not much one can do with half a can of gumbo concentrate, unless you stick it in some tupperware and put it in the fridge in case you want to make more chicken and rice later in the week.

My own twist: also, if I don't have any cream of chicken but heaps of cream of mushroom soup lying around - I'll use that instead in a half recipe, and I'll stir in a can of mushrooms instead of the gumbo. (again, adding 1/3 cup more water)


Another one-dish meal, since you're learning how to brown hamburger...

Anita's Hamburger Soup
(My aunt's recipe. I've found that soup actually freezes really well, so you can make a bunch and then freeze it in portions in those Glad or Ziplock containers; it's a great, hearty soup for fall/winter days.)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 16 oz. can diced (or crushed) tomatoes
2 medium onions, diced (chopped into pretty small pieces)
2 medium carrots, sliced (cut into thin coins, about 1/4" thick)
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped (same thickness as the carrots)
1/3 cup barley
5 cups water
Seasoning ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 beef bullion cubes
1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf

And one big-ass pot.

Step one: brown the hamburger like you've been told, only add the diced onions as well, they're excellent for adding a bit more flavor to the beef. Two, once the beef is browned thoroughly, dump everything else into the pot. Yes, everything. Well, everything else on the list, anyway. Third, give it a good stir and bring it to a boil, stir it again and let it simmer (on medium heat) for about an hour, checking about every 10-15 minutes to stir it slowly. Fourth, salt and pepper to taste (always best to let everyone salt & pepper their own); and make sure you take out the bay leaf before you start eating it.


Last, but not least...


IG's Quick and Painless Mexican Lasagna
"Mexican LASAGNA?!?!" you say? This is my own invention, something I threw together when I was living back at home and Mom sprung dinner-prep responsibilities on me one night. It's my little brothers' favorite meal, and they're really picky eaters. It's pretty much enchiladas, only you layer the tortillas instead of roll the stuff up in them. What I love about this recipe is you can add or remove or substitute pretty much everything but the sauce, depending on what you have on hand. You can make the dish as fancy or simple as you want; you don't have to use all canned stuff - if you want it fresh, you can swap out for fresher ingredients. My personal favorite version of this dish (but the little brothers hate because it's got too much veggies) is to use shredded chicken and some sauteed green bell peppers and onions (fajita style) instead of the ground beef, with a green enchilada sauce and add some fresh chopped cilantro. If I do that, I'll use Monterey jack cheese instead of the cheddar. Anyway, it's a lot simpler to make than all this typing makes it look. And it's a really easy recipe to be creative with. :)

Ingredients:
1 can of corn
I can of diced green chiles (optional, but I love them)
1 can of medium black olives
1 can of beans (pinto or black or kidney, whatever your preference - just don't use refried beans, they don't work too well.)
1 lb of browned ground beef (I always add half a diced onion to ground beef when I brown it. If you don't have an onion, try adding some - about a tablespoon - dehydrated minced onions to it while you're cooking it. Also, for any southwestern style dish, I'll sprinkle in about a teaspoon each of chili powder and cumin as well, while it's browning.)
2 cans of enchilada sauce (whatever flavor/color you prefer - green sauce goes best with chicken or pork, red with beef)
1 pkg tortillas (corn, wheat, flour, whatever... just don't use pita bread or those funky wrap-style tortillas)
A lot of grated cheese (my little brothers LOVE it extra-cheesy.) Cheddar, monterey jack and colby jack work best.

For preparation you'll need:
a big 9/13 pan
a big bowl
aluminum foil
a big spoon
a knife
a can opener
and an egg slicer (it's a secret, I'll tell you in a minute.)

First, in the big bowl, dump your corn, beans, chiles, one of the cans of enchilada sauce, your meat, and the olives (...but wait, you can't dump whole olives in there! They need to be sliced! That takes so much time, slicing your olives one by one... my 6 year old brother made this discovery - you can slice olives in an egg slicer, about 4 at a time, if you lay them in there right and don't care too much about the presentation. Make sure you do it on a cutting board, though or your counter will get hella messy.)

Helpful hint, if you're going the creative route: The stuff you put in the bowl will be every ingredient but 1 can of sauce, the tortillas, and the cheese.

Second, once it's all in the bowl, stir it all up with the big spoon until it's all mixed in good and everything's coated in the enchilada sauce.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Third, pull out that 9x13 and open the other can of enchilada sauce. Pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the pan and then grab that package of tortillas. Using the knife, I'll usually cut each tortilla into 4ths and arrange them on the bottom of the pan so that you get one good layer of tortilla, it's okay if they overlap a little bit, but you don't want there to be any big tortilla-less or super-thick tortilla spots.

Fourth, on top of the tortilla layer, you're going to spread about a third of the mixture that's in the bowl... just scoop it onto the tortillas with the spoon and then run the spoon over it to spread it around until it's an even layer.

Fifth, on top of this, sprinkle a layer of cheese. Then you're going to put another layer of tortilla atop that. After those are on, you're going to pour another layer of enchilada sauce over the tortillas.

Six: repeat steps 4 and 5 until the pan is full or you're out of ingredients (hopefully both.) Make sure your final layer is the mixture of stuff from the bowl and not the tortillas. (If you put a layer of tortillas on top they'll go kinda hard around the edges when it bakes. That = not very yummy.) On top of the mixture, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce and then sprinkle the rest of cheese over all of it.

Lastly, because all of the ingredients you've added are already fully cooked, you're just going to pop the pan (loosely covered in aluminum foil) in the oven until it's all heated through and the cheese on top is nice and bubbly... for me, that's about 20-25 minutes at 375. I'll usually take the foil off for the last 5 minutes or so, so I can keep an eye on the cheese and so the cheese doesn't stick to it.

Yank that out of the oven once it's done and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes; or else you can be impatient and start dishing it up... just blow on that first bite before you eat it. ;)
 
I like the Fanny Farmer cookbook. It explains all the basics. Also, the food network is excellent. It is a huge database and the search summary lets you know the skill level for each recipe.

Ignore what Syd said about putting something in a pot and leaving. It's a bad idea to leave the room when the stove is on. Use the 20 minutes to make a salad or something. I had a roommate who once burned a hole right through a frying pan.

Food safety is important. Raw chicken has salmonella and raw beef can carry e. coli. Wash everything it comes in contact with, and don't use the same cutting board for meats and veggies. If wooden cutting boards or spoons get cracks in them, throw them out. The cracks will harbor bacteria. Also, wash the can opener, since bacteria lurking on the blade can cross-contaminate your food.

Cooking for only one person is a pain. It takes just a bit more time to make a lot of something as it does a little. Make a lot and invite friends over. When they reciprocate, you won't have to cook. :D
 
I am a fan of the NOLS Cookery. Simple recipes, made from staples, designed to be made with one, maaaybe two pots. Step-by-step instructions for all recipes, as well as step-by-step instructions for such basic things as baking bread, etc. It's designed as a backcountry cookbook, which is where I came to know it, but it can very very easily be adapted to front-country cooking. You can get a copy from bigger bookstores, some outdoor stores, or at http://www.nols.edu.
 
Doesn't ANYONE ever eat peanut butter and jelly anymore? It is tasty and healthy and has been touted as an anti-depressant.

TAO is actually a good cook but Mrs. TAO is a wonderful cook and TAO usually defers to her cullinary expertise ... and I have the bathroom scale to prove it.
 
Something I think is fun to make is those little Cornish game hens (when they're on sale, at least). All you really need to do is wash them with water inside and out, and throw in a little coarsely chopped onions and celery for flavor, and rosemary and a little butter on top is nice too. I'll throw it on a rack in the oven at 375-400 F for around 45 minutes or so, but you should probably take a quick look around online depending on if it's frozen or not. Oh, make sure it's breast side up when you put it in the oven.

I served it with rice pilaf (came from a box) on the side once, and it really impressed my girlfriend.
 
:tb2: all you lovely chefs.

I've just spent 2 months in Ireland, and let me tell you that Irish food is terrible. I assume British food is the same :P

Also Darkies, before you post anything about Mac and Cheese, be warned that I am lactose intolerant and instinctively barf up food if it contains too much dairy. :ill: Love pasta though. Up until a few years ago, I went through life disliking bread as well as cheese, so at McDonalds I'd order hamburgers without cheese or buns. This often prompted interesting responses, such as "IS THIS FOR YOUR DOG????" I'm not nearly as picky an eater anymore, though - anything tastes good as long as there's not a lot of cheese. Yes, that means I ordered a ground beef patty with a salad ontop ;)

But yeah, cooking for yourself is interesting. Spaghetti lasts me for three days, for example. But it tasted much better after I reheated it. I've promised myself that I'll eat healthier now that I'm out of college, but I have to admit it's hard to find inspiration to eat healthy when you have a hyperfast metabolism that keeps you thin. Need muscle mass so I can actually look like I'm older than a college student, though :headbang: Also avoiding clogged arteries by the age of 30 would be supercool :P
 
:(

Why does no-one appreciate the cuisine of the British Isles? Now if you'll excuse me I'm off for a curried eel, black pudding and deep-fried Mars bar.
 
Easy soup! (Now that it's getting all wintery...) This was my version of attempting Olive Garden's Potato Toscana soup.


IG's Potato Soup

3 tbs butter or vegetable oil
2 medium/large onions, sliced
8-10 potatoes, sliced (gratin-style) into thin discs, about 1/4" thickness
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs parsely
1 tsp thyme
1/2 or 1 tsp rosemary
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1-2 c. cooked and crumbled bacon or Italian sausage
10 c. water and 8-10 beef boullion cubes (or 10 c. beef stock, if you have it on hand...)
1/2 pint of whipping cream or half & half
Fresh-grated parmesan cheese

In (pretty big) pot, melt butter or heat oil on medium/high, sautee onions and garlic, covered, stirring occasionally until caramelized and a nice brown color. (About 15-20 minutes.) Reduce heat to medium. Add sliced potatoes, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Sautee and let potatoes brown a bit (about 5 minutes, you may need to add more oil or butter) to absorb the onion and herb flavor. Add water and boullion cubes, stir together and make sure the boullion has completely dissolved. Add bacon/sausage and let simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are fully cooked (but not falling apart.) Stir in cream/half & half. If too much of the liquid has boiled off during the simmering, add milk. Let it heat through. Serve hot with grated parmesan.
 
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