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i want to make all my meals feom scratch any recipes ?

28 replies

mama2g · 03/04/2016 12:19

Hi, I'm looking to start making meals from scratch, sauces too total novice with cooking I usually do simple recipes. Does anyone have any recipes they wanna share nothing spicy though as I have 2 young children and a fussy man thanks in advance

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swashbucklecheer · 03/04/2016 12:22

When I first started to do this i got ansley harriots meals in minutes book. (Can't rem why I picked that one) but it has a load of quick meals from scratch that could start you off

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GinandJag · 03/04/2016 12:26

What kind of food do you like to eat? I make everything from scratch, with very few exceptions.

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AlexandraEiffel · 03/04/2016 12:32

Really easy one:
Sauté onion, add tinned tomatoes and tinned tuna. Some herbs if you like (Italian mix would work). Maybe some tomato purée. Serve with pasta and grated cheese on top.

Another:
Roast some veg (onion, courgettes, peppers, carrots for example)
Beat some eggs, pour over, put back in oven till egg is cooked. Serve with bread or oven chips and/or salad

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AlexandraEiffel · 03/04/2016 12:34

One more:
Sauté onion and pepper (green works well). Add tinned tomatoes.
Grill some sausages. Once cooked slice and add to tomato sauce.
Fennel seeds are nice in it too. I also sometimes put in smoked paprika but that can be spicy
Serve with pasta.

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mama2g · 03/04/2016 13:17

I am willing to try pretty much anything, also trying to have my children to try more stuff

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JapanNextYear · 03/04/2016 13:24
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HelenF35 · 03/04/2016 13:42

Bbc good food website is very good. Try the chicken parmigiana, it's lovely and really simple.

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dreamingofsun · 03/04/2016 17:31

buy a student cook book. really easy and very few ingredients

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Betrayedbutsurvived · 03/04/2016 17:55

www.100daysofrealfood.com/

This blog is great

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lastqueenofscotland · 03/04/2016 18:17

BBC good food is amazing for easy to follow recepies.
Student cookbooks, delia etc all good too.

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Pantah630 · 03/04/2016 18:28

The MN Cookbook Top Bananas is very good too Grin

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GhostsComeWith · 03/04/2016 18:46

I recommend taking a look at books by Jo Pratt and Bill Granger, both have lovely simple, fresh recipes. Jamie's ministery of food book is very good for basic, learning how to make family meals and Fay ripley's book is good for similar.

Once you get a few nice dishes under your belt you'll never look back - good luck!

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froomeonthebroom · 03/04/2016 18:50

Basic spag bol: fry chopped onion, pepper, garlic and mushrooms. Bung in some mince and fry until brown. Add tin of toms, mixed herbs, salt and pepper. Done!

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froomeonthebroom · 03/04/2016 18:54

Fry some chopped bacon and a couple of sliced leeks with a pinch of allspice. Add a cup of basmati rice, a stock cube and pour in enough water to cover. Stick in the oven for 20 mins. Delish. I sometimes add chopped parsley afterwards too, or bulk out with smoked fish.

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BeaufortBelle · 03/04/2016 19:09

Roast chicken
New potatoes tossed in butter with tbs of chopped parsley
Little gem, shredded, half cu diced, orange pepper sliced, two big plum tomatoes (cutvin half, in half again and slice across three times, add juice of a lemon to equal amount of olive oil, and toss.

Packet bacon lardons
Fry in a pan with teeny bit of oil
Slosh of white wine or chicken stock (small glass)
Handful of cheddar
Handful chopped parsley
Half tub of creme fraiche
Twist of black pepper
Can add shallots and/or mush at beginning I dc will eat
Stir through pasta

Omolette, chips and salad

Macaroni cheese
Macaroni
Big slice of butter melted, add tbs plain flour, let it melt together, add 3/4 pint milk stirring, (if you keep the flour and butter mix really gooey it doesn't go lumpy), heat up until it thickens and let it simmer for two/three minutes, add two big handfuls of mature cheddar.

Now, you have a cheese sauce recipe.

Lineva casserole with a large bage of wilted spinach, add 1lb of cod loin or other white fish, pour over the cheese sauce. Put in oven for 35 minutes. Serve with potatoe croquettes and peas.

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babyconverse · 03/04/2016 20:05

Second Jamie's ministry of food or the first (white) hairy dieters book. The hairy dieters has all the staples - chilli, spag bol, curry etc and always work out well and well received. Bbc good food website has good hairy bikers recipe for sausage casserole too plus some of the recipes from the books to get you started without shelling out for the books

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babyconverse · 03/04/2016 20:07

You'll need to spend a little building a store cupboard of herbs and spices but you'll soon find that the only things you need to buy to make dinner is the meat- it does pay dividends

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Only1scoop · 03/04/2016 20:12

Jamie's ministry of food.

Great starter

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mama2g · 03/04/2016 22:16

Thank you all Grin

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Potterwolfie · 03/04/2016 22:27

Mary Berry's latest book is excellent, her recipes are always spot on and usually use a few ingredients that you can get in easily, and cheaply. Ainsley Harriot's old means in minutes is great, and the BBC Good Food website is brilliant.

Quite often I'll look for inspiration by Googling the ingredients I have in the fridge and see what comes up!

Once you can make a basic tomato sauce, cheese sauce, pizza base (try a scone base recipe for an easy starter) and pastry, your options are endless.

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TyneTeas · 03/04/2016 23:04

some of my from scratch but quick non-spicy favourites:

dead quick and easy spaghetti and meatballs

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/spaghetti-and-meatballs.html

(the sauce is also good with grilled chicken, potatoes and green beans)

bacon in a tomato sauce topped with potato wedges and cheese

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/loaded-skins.html

bacon and tomato pasta (also nice with chicken instead)

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/bacon-and-tomato-pasta.html

tomato soup

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/tomato-soup.html

potato and bacon soup

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/bacon-and-potato-soup.html

chicken/prawn/chorizo rice with peppers

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/rice-with-chorizo-and-prawns-sometimes.html

Fish stew (it's not spicy but you could leave out the cayenne and put in just a pinch of paprika)

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/fish-stew.html

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stilllovingmysleep · 04/04/2016 22:32

It's a really good decision to start cooking from scratch.

My basics these days are mostly very simple things like grilled fish or chicken with lots of vegetables (cooked in different ways); chicken schnitzel (for my DS), pasta dishes, roast chicken & potatoes (always). And then for days when I have a bit more time & energy, I make things like:
-pasta bakes of various kinds (eg this)
-pasta & meatballs
-risotto either with lemon & egg or with leeks or with prawns & peas / or risotto as a way to use chicken leftovers after a roast
-a chicken curry eg chicken tikka masala
-meatloaf with mash eg this
-falafel with yoghurt sauce and pitta bread eg this

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sophUK · 06/04/2016 10:07

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JiltedJohnsJulie · 10/04/2016 18:09

Try your local Asian supermarket if you want to build up herbs and spices. They are way cheaper than the supermarket Smile

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mommybunny · 14/04/2016 15:44

Jamie's Ministry of Food is definitely a great start. Loads of great ideas.

Whenever I make roast chicken I always do two - one to eat that night and the other for weekend meals. There are so many things you can do with leftover chicken: risotto, curry, pasta (fry up some bacon and onions, your favourite herbs, cook some flour into the fat from the bacon, add a splash of wine and chicken stock and reduce, serve over cooked pasta), pot pie, croquettes (a particular favourite with my DC - Hugh F-W has a good recipe on Guardian website), sandwiches - the list goes on.

I never buy jars of tomato sauce anymore for pasta or pizza, because it's SOOOO easy to make from scratch: blend two cans of plum tomatoes till smooth, fry some minced garlic in about 1-2 tablespoons olive for 30 seconds, add smooth tomatoes, some herbs if you like (oregano, basil, parsley), and a little salt. Let it come to boil, turn heat down to low and simmer 15 minutes. Job done and if you double it you can freeze it for ages.

Don't discount frozen chopped ingredients in your drive for "scratch" cooking: to the extent they were frozen from fresh they are just as good and can save loads of time. This will make you convinced even earlier that you are doing the right thing! There is a thread in this section with some great tips for convenience foods - have a look. When you're using convenience foods, just try to get as close to the fresh ingredient as you can, with as little garbage/preservatives as possible.

Good luck!

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