Anyone else really rubbish at trying new recipes? Want to encourage each other?

[frugalfuzzpig]

We have got into a major rut where cooking is concerned. I am so BORED.

I am not particularly good at cooking, I find it quite stressful and tiring unless it's something I know really well. DH does most of it but as he's hoping to get more work soon I really want to contribute more.

We aren't getting another grocery delivery order for a few more days but when we do I would like to start trying say one new recipe a week? Maybe two. I would also really like to get the DCs more involved. They are 4 and 6 and can be a little fussy.

I have a frugal meal planning thread going as well (on the credit crunch board) but thought this might be good for that 'stuck in a rut' feeling!

[frugalfuzzpig]

My aims for next week:

Try one recipe in the slow cooker that we've had for TWO YEARS and never used - am thinking beef brisket but not sure what to put in with it.

Try these courgette fritters - only really need the feta as budget can't stretch to fresh herbs at the moment.

Also am making stained glass biscuits with DD this afternoon which I've meant to do for years quite a while. I am completely shit at baking so a little apprehensive...

[frugalfuzzpig]

Anyone?

(I did the courgette fritters today. They were lovely)

[MelanieCheeks]

How were the stained glass biscuits?

We've had a request from SN stepson to make pizza this weekend. I'm always petrified by things that need yeast. But I want to try that cauliflower base pizza recipe that's gluten free, so I might do that one for me. The toppings can be similar, same tomato paste and cheese.

[frugalfuzzpig]

The biscuits were pretty good! I was surprised by how much they expanded in the oven though so they didn't really keep their shape. That may be because I used a food processor to mix it (not well enough to spend ages mixing by hand) so there was more air in? I don't know. We've located the hand mixer now so will use that next time. I found some cheap candy canes in town so we will try those instead of sweets next time.

I've never made pizza from scratch! The most adventurous I've been was using a pizza base mix (one time we made stuffed crust with sliced mozerella, that was lovely). I'm intrigued by the cauliflower substitution, how does that work? :)

[MelanieCheeks]

It's a gluten free/paleo/low carb variation. Mashed cauli mixed with cheese and egg, then baked. It forms a sort if base on which to plop the usual pizza toppings. I'm off to search simple pizza recipes now.

[glorious]

Come and join the cookery bookclub! We tend to do at least one book a month that's available in libraries / a blog etc. plus a second which may be more unusual. No need to be a serious cook, we're all nice! It's in this topic

[MoreBeta]

One way to try something new is to type a particular ingredient you have in the cupboard/fridge or one you would like to try into Google and put BBC recipes after it - you will get loads of suggestions.

For example I just typed 'mushroom pasta BBC' into Google and came up with this recipe.

It doesn't have to be a complicated recipe - just something simple but different with a nice ingredient.

[MelanieCheeks]

I based it on this recipe

and it turned out beautifully - I'll definitely be doing it again. I used frozen cauliflower, didnt bother with the grating malarky.

[PoloMintCity]

The BBC GOod Food recipe for chicken, ginger and edamame bean (I use peas though!) pilaf is lovely - all in one pot, on table in just over half an hour and everyone will eat it! I add a clove or two of chopped garlic which I don't think is in the recipe.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I have zillions of recipe books and virtually never cook from any of them.

I'm particularly interested to know if anybody has made -

HFW's potato salad tartare from his Vege book (which I dislike but am determined to find at least one thing to cook routinely from)

Nigella Slater's roasted onion soup (from The Kitchen Diaries which irritates the heck out of me but again I feel guilty for not using)

I really like courgette fritters and make super simple ones with just courgettes, feta, flour, egg and herbs. I do sweetcorn ones in a similar way but spice them up a bit - lovely with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

[frugalfuzzpig]

Ooh do you have a particular recipe for the sweetcorn ones? I remember making some from a recipe book once but I can't even remember what book (from library). They were more pancakey than the courgette ones though and didn't have cheese.

I tend to get a bit overwhelmed by the huge choice/ingredient lists in recipe books now so generally do more what morebeta says and search online instead.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

No recipe. I just put some defrosted frozen corn in a bowl, with some finely chopped red onion, some flour, some chilli and coriander, spices and eggs/bit of milk and mix then fry in dollops. There are lots of recipes around for them though.

[frugalfuzzpig]

Thanks I'll give that a go. I guess now I know the basic fritter method I can add in whatever I feel like?! That's the kind of thing I want to do - learn more basic things that I can adapt IYSWIM :)

[OldBeanbagz]

This year my aim is to try a new recipe every week as i have loads of cookbooks but hardly ever get round to trying our new things.

The first two went down really well but the third didn't . I'm not letting this put me off though.

Unfortunately i remembered to photograph numbers 2 and 3 but forgot number 1 so i will have to cook it again (yummy salmon curry). My plan at the end of the year is to put them all in a FB album.

DD (12) is also keen to do a bit more cooking this year but i'm thinking she probably only has time to do this once or twice a month.

[frugalfuzzpig]

It's demotivating isn't it when stuff doesn't work out. I always get worried about trying new things in case it goes wrong and it's a waste of money. So I'm sticking to relatively simple things and building up slowly!

What were the other things you've tried?

[MelanieCheeks]

A new recipe a week sounds great - especially with photographic evidence.

I look at it as a learning experience - sometimes it doesnt work out, but I try to work out why that was, and make the required changes.

[OldBeanbagz]

It was mushroom bourguignon that no one liked. The other recipe was a chicken/green bean stew. Still 2/3 isn't bad.

This week i'm planning something Lebanese, maybe with some homemade pitta bread.