To ask for tips from people who enjoy cooking!

[Greenville]

I absolutely hate cooking. I avoid it alot and unfortunately because of this we end up eating lots of crap takeaways and ready meals.

I've tried getting into it but can't. I have bought cookery books but try one recipe and then its left collecting dust. I've tried doing a meal plan but only realise I only know how to cook around 10 meals, half of which are just meh and I don't enjoy.

I want to stop wasting money on takeaways and eating crap and to cook everyday.

When I wake up and think about cooking the first thing I struggle is what to cook. I don't know what to cook! Then it's I don't have the ingredients in the house and it's too much hassle/ no time to go shopping so then it's just easy to get a takeaway!

Help me break this cycle please!

How do you enjoy cooking? Why? How do you think about cooking? To me it's a chore.
Where am I going wrong with food planning?
I want to fall in love with food and cooking!

I have managed to find it a better time in the kitchen by focusing on getting better at one recipe at a time.

Chetna Makan has lots of recipes that are easy and quick Indian food. Youtube and cookbooks. Youtube is v useful if you don't know what you are doing...much easier than a book.

If you up your fruit and veg and eat much less takeaway and ready meals you'll also feel so much better. Another incentive.

I hated cooking and wasn't very good at it at all. Weirdly, I started spending more time cooking when i was in an unhappy/abusive relationship in my mid twenties. I didn't like being around him much, so would find recipes that would take a while and shut myself away in the kitchen to cook. Over time I started to really enjoy cooking and the processes involved.
Your situation is different, so I'd recommend starting with fairly easy and simple recipes that don't take too long to begin with. Find some pasta recipes that you like the look of, as they don't take too long, and you can do lots with pasta. I don't actually own any cook books, I just scour online for recipes. Nadiya Hussain does some quick and easy recipes, she did a TV series based on her book. Another good writer is Nigel Slater as his recipes are simple, he's very descriptive about what you need to do and his enthusiasm for food is quite infectious - even though I find him quite irritating as a person!

Hello Fresh is quite good.

I was always a bad and uninterested cook and over lock down I started these easy online India cooking classes, really cheap at £6.50. They were quick and enjoyable and to my astonishment my stuff tasted good! I got lots of compliments and people liked my food! This really motivated me to like cooking (I can only do Indian food though).

I love cooking but on some time starved days I can find it a chore too. My tips would be:

• get a mini chopper, so easy for chillis, garlic, ginger, onion and herbs
• always have a bowl/sink of soapy water to clean hands things you'll need again
• don't wait until you're hungry to cook, do it early in the day if you can
• I hear great things from non cooks about Hello Fresh, you can specify how long you want it to take, low calorie, meat free etc etc, also once you have the recipe sheets you can do it yourself.

We've been doing Gousto for nearly a year and it's helped massively.
We choose lots of different recipes and it comes ready with exactly the ingredients you need.
It's quite nice following the recipe cards. I put my headphones on and listen to a podcast (current fave Married, shagged and annoyed).
Then if I cook my DH tidied up or vice Versa. Definitely got us out of a cooking rut.

I would start by making a list of food you like to eat then making simple meals
Where you half cook half (cheat ) use a made sauce ,
Ie chicken korma sauce in a jar , cook chicken pieces ( breast or thigh chopped up into bite sized pieces ) boil your own rice job done
Ditto pasta meals
Ditto meals with potato and veg
Start to become adventurous adding in different meats / veg etc

Once you become confident with these then either ( or both simultaneously) get a few cookery books that you read and follow or go and have a few cookery lessons - for cookery lessons I would ask on here or maybe Facebook for recommendations local to yourself with a cook who cooks the type of meals you like
Ask your friends if they know anyone willing to teach you

How I fell in love with cooking:

Mon-fri eat quick,easy things.

Saturday try something new - maybe cook for friends or with your partner

Sunday - takeaway or something yummy but slow cooked.

I'm now getting my kid involved and he is cooking whole dinners (with supervision) at 8.

For cook books I'd concentrate on getting one and working through (even just on weekends) Especially if it's a type of cuisine and then you can reuse ingredients. I'm currently doing East by meera sodha to expand my meat free ideas.

The more you cook, the better you get. I can rustle up (lovely) meals out of fridge scraps or shop according to what's on offer or adapt recipes for what you have in. It's just practise!

Definitely get Gousto!

I don't bother with recipes much. I'll roast a chicken, fry a steak, stick a piece is salmon in the oven...then think of a side dishes. Go on food pages on Instagram or Facebook...loads of good ideas

Or look on YouTube...loads of food channels on there

Those boxes ? Like gusto ? I’m starting with them in September, not because I don’t like cooking, opposite… im a feeder 🤦‍♀️🤣

Have a look on the ‘Pinch of Nom’ website. They do quick and easy recipes. There’s loads of them and usually a video to show you how. They tell you if they’re suitable for freezing so you could double the ingredients and have some in the freezer for later. They do books too . There’s one called 100 Quick & Easy recipes. Don’t be put off because it says slimming. I think it ought to say healthy instead. There’s also a vegetarian cookbook if that’s of interest. Personally I always just use the website and they have a face book page too. They’re not too faffy or I couldn’t be bothered. I’m not a keen cook either.

Have you got a good Asian Supermarket nearby? That will help enormously.

Buy the bags of frozen garlic&ginger puree, frozen diced onions, and pastes of your favourite types of curry. That’s half the work done already.

There an Indian recipe says to chop fresh tomatoes, use tinned, it’s fine and it’s MUCH easier.

This chickpea and tomato curry is quick and easy:
meerasodha.com/workers-curry/

Great thread. I hate cooking. Found lasagne fiddly with sheets and layers.. ends up takeaway by thursday. I like fish but kids husb dont. Stressful lol

Another one recommending a recipe delivery like Hello Fresh/Gousto/Mindful Chef they make things so much easier!

Hi op

I used to love cooking, fell out of love when i became single but have found the magic again! Things i did:

See cooking a meal a treat, just for me, plan something i really want, once a week,
Music on & glass of wine, (i used to only cook for others, so this is a big deal for me) i see it as 'me time'

I started with simply cook kits - 4 recipes & all spices/pastes etc needed buy the rest of ingredients yourself, most meals v quick but high really good! Link to free box below if you would like to try them.

I then moved on to gousto, more involved i usually have one or two boxes a month. I see these as an extra treat as they do all the shopping! Link for 60% off below if you want to try.

cook.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=NICOL42250257&utm_source=weblink

simplycook.com/invite/EEQVFT

I hope you find some enjoyment in cooking, best wishes.

I signed up to Simply Cook earlier this year, and really like it. They provide a shopping list, and most recipes are quick to make following clear step by step instructions.

@Greenville

Oh gosh- I've already tried that!. I actually have an Instant Pot in its box unopened, brand new! I've never used it! 😯

I think a lost case!

You haven’t tried it then

Dh loves cooking and finds it relaxing. I enjoy it sometimes, but because I do most of the weekday cooking, I do find it a bit of a chore sometimes and I get stuck in a rut with what to cook.

You absolutely do need to start by choosing things you really like! Also, if you're used to using ready meals and takeaways, don't switch to cooking from scratch every night all in one go - you'll get overwhelmed and give up!

Choose a couple of simple-ish dishes each week that you really fancy eating. Make the same ones pretty regularly until you get confident with them.

Found lasagne fiddly with sheets and layers..

Lasagna is a right faff to make! It sound like it will be easy and quick but it always seems to take forever…

How do you enjoy cooking? Why? How do you think about cooking? To me it's a chore.
Where am I going wrong with food planning?
I want to fall in love with food and cooking!

I got interested in cooking in my early twenties as I was always on a 'diet' but still wanted flavoursome, exciting food. It just carried on from there really. Twenty years later I would say I absolutely love cooking, eating it (of course), watching tv programmes about it, reading cook books. It's simply something I thoroughly enjoy.

I would say that I do have lots of spare time, so I can commit more time to it.

For meal meal planning I'd start with the main ingredient you like and google recipes with those things in.

Try Gousto. It’s fab. More expensive than shopping and planning yourself but cheaper/healthier than take aways. Recipe cards are really simple and easy to follow. Recipes vary between 10 and 45 mins but you can choose if you want quick ones. It’s so easy as everything is pre measured for you, you just have to chop the odd bit of veg. Very tasty and balanced/healthy too. I’m a convert!

Me and my boyfriend get the box for 4 people and use the left over portions as lunch the next day

When chopping, try not to cut yourself. Can lead to food tasting metallic and spoils the meal.

smply.in/FVTQET

Here is a code for Simply Cook. I have just signed up.