Recipes for 'cooking from scratch' please

[LittleMissLego]

I wish i was an amazing cook, but I've just realised that actually i only have a very small limited number of recipes i can cook from scratch (bolognese/chilli/a few curries). For things like lasagna or steak pies i tend to buy them ready made in the supermarket and just bung them in the oven to heat up.

I have an instant pot pressure cooker/slow cooker, an oven and a microwave.

So if you have a foolproof 'cook from scratch' amazing recipe please could you share it with me?

PEANUT BUTTER CHICKEN

CHICKEN, LEMON & COURGETTE PASTA

RED DRAGON PIE

HOMITY PIE

All of these are family favourites.

If you can make bolognese then it's just a short step to lasagne.

All you need to do extra is a bechamel sauce and that needn't be hard. I use the all in one method instead of making a roux, use a whisk and it works every time with no lumps.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.deliaonline.com/recipes/books/delias-complete-how-to-cook/all-in-one-white-sauce%3Famp

Then layer it up, alternating bolognese and bechamel with pasta sheets, finish with bechamel and a top with grated Parmesan and if you got any breadcrumbs use those too, but they aren't essential.

Bake in the oven - I usually do 35 minutes or so - till it's bubbling and golden.

Cannelloni- a variation.

Make a basic tomato pasta sauce - 1 tin of tomatoes, about 1/3 of a tin of water to swill it all out, a good glug of olive oil, pinch of salt, one or two cloves of garlic, peeled and a bit bashed but not crushed or sliced. NO ONIONS! It makes it watery, according to my Italian family!

Then, with a large piping bag you can fill cannelloni tubes with bolognese, lay them on a layer of tomato sauce and top with tomato sauce and finish with bechamel.

Or you can use the tomato sauce as a simple pasta sauce.

Sorry for the lack of paragraphs!

Oh and you cook the tomato sauce, of course! About 15-20 mins till it's reduced and it rich and delicious.

If you can make bolognese you are off to a good start
Just buy a white sause to make lasagne
Delia Smith does an excellent easy shepherd's pie
Make a steak pie by doing a beef casserole, then cook ready made pastry on a lined baking tray and add the top when you plate it, same with chicken or veg pie. Dumplings are easy to make to change it slightly or add mash to change it again

I've started to go back to meat and two veg type cooking. So a protein (meat or fish) a starch (rice, potatoes etc) and two types of steamed veg. With sauce on the protein and flavour on the veg.

This crispy gnocchi - it’s basically as simple as a bag of fresh gnocchi and some chopped veg, toss in some olive oil then roast. It’s delicious, takes almost no effort, and makes a really nice change from pasta.

Toad in the hole www.delish.com/uk/cooking/recipes/a29572279/toad-in-the-hole/

Macaroni cheese www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/best-ever-macaroni-cheese-recipe

Paella realfood.tesco.com/recipes/classic-paella.html

Fried rice

Boil some rice.
Finely chop loads of veg: onions, carrots, mushrooms, peppers, courgettes, spring onions, sugar snap peas… and fry it gently in a pan. Add some Chinese 5-spice, a bit of fajita seasoning, some chilli powder, and some puréed ginger and garlic (I use the stuff from a jar because I’m lazy). Add some oyster sauce. Cook it gently, then add the rice and mix it all up. You can also have it with prawns, or any finely diced leftover meat. Or chicken/ Turkey mince.

I tend to make it when I’m cleaning out the fridge so I can use up all the sad veg.

Now there's only 2 of us...

1. Shop-bought thinly sliced beef
2. A big pile of veg - perhaps carrots cut on the slant boiled with broccoli and frozen peas added last minute
3. Home-made roasties - boil pots for 15 mins, drain well and rough up shaking them with the lid on, tip into very hot goose fat and baste and roast at 190 fan for 20 mins. Then turn and baste again until golden and crunchy.

Pour hot gravy (bisto and an oxo cube) over beef to warm it. Yum.

Chicken breast with Boursin.

One chicken breast per person.
One pack of Boursin garlic and herb soft cheese (one pack does 4 breasts)
A pack of parma ham, or prosciutto, or even some unsmoked streaky bacon.
White wine or chicken stock (from a cube is fine)
Seasoning.

Cut a slit in the side of the breasts and fill generously with the soft cheese. Wrap each breast firmly in the ham or bacon. It will usually take a couple of pieces for each breast. Place the meat in an ovenproof dish and pour round either white wine or chicken stock, just enough to cover the base of the dish generously, but not swimming in it. Cover with foil and bake at 180 for around 25 minutes, then remove foil and continue cooking for around 20/30 mins - depends on the size of the breasts. Check juices are running clear, then serve with mash and veg. The sauce created by the cheese and stock/wine is delicious and the mashed potato mops it up beautifully. NB if you use a stock cube, half of it should be sufficient, and don't salt the dish as the cheese and bacon etc are already salty.

Instant pot fajita rice

in sauté mode; add oil to pan, sauté diced onion and a pepper, garlic and diced chicken for 3/4 mins. Add 2 tsp fajita or taco seasoning, jar of salsa, tin sweet corn, tin black beans or kidney beans (or any other preferred bean). Add I cup water to deglaze the pan (scrape the bottom so it doesn’t burn later). Add another cup of water, chicken or veg stock cube/bouillon powder and a cup of rice. Place lid on, set to pressure cook for 15 mins. Serve with tortillas or on its own

Instant pot risotto - 75g arborio rice per person, 150mls stock per person. Put in the inner pot with whatever you fancy in it - onion, chorizo, mushrooms, raw chopped up chicken, whatever. Put the lid on and pressure cook for six minutes. Give it a few minutes after it beeps to settle then QPR. If you wanted to add prawns or frozen peas bows the time to add and stir for a couple of minutes - they'll cook in the residual heat. Stir through some grated Parmesan (cheddar works but not very authentic!). Bob's your uncle.

Super easy veg pasta sauce. Fry onion, garlic, red pepper and mushrooms. Add chopped courgettes, fresh chopped tomatoes. Then add a carton of passata. Season well. Cook until courgettes are soft then blitz with a stick blender. Serve with pasta and Parmesan. I make enough to freeze one portion.

This is a lovely easy one.

Get a standard fairly large baking pan. Stick a whole block of feta cheese in the middle. Then empty two packets of cherry tomatoes in there. Olive oil, salt and pepper, herbs, chilli flakes. Stick it in the oven to roast for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook some spaghetti.

When the dish comes out of the oven, stir it all up and add the spaghetti. Yum yum!!

@something2say that sounds brilliant! Will give it a go.

Thanks so much.

When i first got the instant pot i made so much risotto, but somehow haven't cooked that in ages. Will add that to the menu this week. I will also try out fajita rice and paella.

Boursin chicken recipe also looks amazing. I think sometime during lockdown i might have seen the feta/pasta/tomato recipe on tik tok but had forgotten about that till now.

@something2say - that sounds wonderful. Will definitely give it a try!

Easy Thai green curry

Fry an onion
Stir in whatever veg you want, or chicken or fish
Add a dollop of thai green curry paste
Add a tin of coconut milk
Add 300ml of chicken or veg stock
Bring to boil then simmer for 20 mins
Serve with rice

These are great!

The whole point about cooking from scratch is that you do not need recipes.
Why?
Well , you know the basic cooking techniques and can combine this knowledge with food and nutrition.
I could give you recipes I cook, but they are mine and require experience.

This is so useful, thanks op!
mine is..fish, slice of cheese and tomatoes on top, bung in oven.
Hot pasta, stir in chopped fresh tomato, black olives, Camembert or Brie. Goes all melty yum.
fry garlic and dried chilli, in olive oil. Pour on pasta . So moreish!

I mean, that's not true though is it? Cooking from scratch means using actual ingredients and not processed / preprepared products. It doesn't mean make it up in your head.

Harissa black olive chicken
Really easy, made it tonight actually.
www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/tapenade-chicken-traybake-recipe?fbclid=IwAR052ZIGMEsqLaG2H-UhuIIMXSwlS1ha_Fo0ZkwARC4GAFdjhXapIw01Pgg

marinate skinless boneless thighs for a few hours, transfer to baking dish with raw baby potatoes, fresh thyme and leave for 45 mins.

@FelicityFlops cooking from scratch means not using prepared sauces from jars etc. Not writing your own recipes