Can you give me your basic cooking tips?

[Cloud44]

Early 40s and I’m embarrassed about how rubbish I am in the kitchen to be honest. This year I really want to eat healthier and cook meals from scratch more.
Can you tell me your favourite most basic recipes to help me get started? Meals that take less than 30 minutes after a day at work?

My tip is based on something I read on Facebook today.

Onions do not caramelise in 10 minutes.

Recipe books generally lie about this. Accept that they will take more like 40 minutes and enjoy much nicer food.

It’s true- tonight’s goulash was delicious!

Ah, lovely, thank you!

Another vote for Gousto or similar.
It taught my husband to cook, and reawakened my interest in cooking

@sweetpickle23 · Today 21:19

Buy this- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roasting-Tin-Simple-Dish-Dinners/dp/1910931519/ref=asc_df_1910931519?nodl=1&amp%3Btag=googshopuk-21&amp%3BlinkCode=df0&amp%3Bhvadid=310856639426&amp%3Bhvnetw=g&amp%3Bhvrand=18256377547738457706&amp%3Bhvdev=m&amp%3Bhvlocphy=1006886&amp%3Bhvtargid=pla-418222817678&amp%3Bpsc=1&amp%3Bmcid=dc76d81f3b863b1bb3b53f2c2e5262fc&amp%3Bth=1&amp%3BdplnkId=da7cbecf-76c2-488d-ba55-73ac2735807e&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Recipes are all “chop up stuff and bung into one roasting tin”. Anyone can do it.

Thank you! I've just ordered two of these cookbooks! - the one you suggested and the traybake sweet one :-)

It’s about as helpful as the OP. As you yourself say: what is OP thinking? What does ‘can’t cook’ mean or what level of inexperience are we talking? What kitchen equipment does she have? What budget? Amy allergies or intolerances? What dietary preferences? Spice tolerance? What’s in store cupboard? Does OP know how to season? Is this once a week
or daily? Does OP have a freezer? How many people is OP cooking for? Does OP really mean 30 mins, or a Jamie Oliver 30 mins?

The question is like “what exercise can I do after work, I don’t know how to exercise?” with zero context. 50 posters will ask 20 questions. Why didn’t OP just google?

You see this on MN all the time. Posters splurging out questions without thought, others replying in good faith and taking time to do so properly. I find these kinds of OPs rude.

I was curious about this one so I googled it.. seems VERY basic.. might have to give it a try.. is it just a kind of rich, buttery taste?

Yeah, you could Google but asking the women of Mumsnet for their tried and tested recipes is a good idea, I think. After all, there's a wealth of experience on here.

I don't follow recipes but my top tip is cooking low and slow......

Try student cookbooks. Very simple recipes with normal ingredients. I used them when I was younger and learned the basics from there.

OP what kind of food do you like to eat?

I would also recommend the BBC website. Make sure you specify “basic” in your searches for minimal ingredients and fuss. You can add your own touches later, once you’ve gained confidence. Beetroot risotto, spaghetti carbonara and muffins are surprisingly easy.

Buy Delia Smiths cookery course and read the introductions to each section, then follow the recipes. Buy an electronic kitchen scale, food mixer and hand held blender. And you’re good to go. You can gradually buy baking tins etc as you need them.

You don’t season the chicken?!

You really don't need to know all that to suggest a couple of quick and easy recipes!

I find this on all my threads, though. Someone likes to point out that you can't possibly get what you are looking for on Mumsnet...all the while helpful posters are giving me just the information I needed!

I came in to recommend Ministry of Food too. All the basics, simply explained, with step by step pictures.

Quick meals:
any grilled or pan fried meat or fish with steamed or stir fry veg and pasta/rice/potato.
Pasta with one of the quicker cooking sauces.
Omelettes.
Chicken or veg curry with a jar sauce.
Stir fry with a packet sauce if you like and noodles.
Reheat something you cooked at the weekend.
"Massive salad"

A great tip and absolutely true but unfortunately I never manage it

Also, we had a really quick dinner tonight.

Toast with mashed avocado and poached eggs on top.

It's really too time consuming to ask for recipes.

But it's very easy to find them yourself!

Loads of cookery books out there, or all the major supermarkets have RECIPES on their websites.

You can usually filter them down to healthy, quick, and by main ingredients (fish, chicken, meat, etc.)

Look at Waitrose and Tesco.

Firstly, don't turn the heat up under your pans too hot. It adds burnt flavours sometimes and ruins your pans.
We like pork mince and sliced mushrooms, fried off with garlic puree, then add ready cooked udon noodles, sliced spring onions, peanut butter, marmite, sprinkle of sugar, lime juice, splash of water to get saucy consistency, serve sprinkled with crushed peanuts.

I was going to say Delia, and Good Housekeeping!

Treat recipes as guides not demands

learn some basic stuff like omelettes, bases for ragu, stews etc and have fun

30 minutes is plenty of time to make a nice dinner

Another good tip is cook once eat twice. Cook double the amount and eat it for lunch the next day or freeze the sauce/ragu and cook your starch to order.
Season season season! Taste as you go! Too spicy? Add cream/coconut milk. Too bitter? Add a bit if sugar. Too bland? More salt and a splash of acidity like lemon juice. Missing something? Add marmite or wostershire sauce.
Use the right oils, so roasting use veg oil, dressing use olive or sesame.
Butter and wine whilst not good for the waistline Add lots flavour.
Triple the amount of dried herbs a recipe calls for. Dry fry spices and aromatics.
Add garlic at the last min, it burns real quick

My main tip- do not let a recipe tell you how many garlic cloves to use. You measure that with your heart.

Vanilla is to baking what garlic is to cooking.

What sorts of things do you want to learn? What do you normally order when you eat out?

Get a chorizo. Slice into coins. Fry until they release their oil and go a bit crispy. Scoop them out (leave the oil) and put on a piece of paper towel.

In a separate pan boil baby new potatoes until tender. Tip into the chorizo pan along with some mushrooms and sugar snap peas. Fry in the chorizo oil for a few minutes. Add the chorizo back and serve. We call this ‘chorizo tumble’.

4-8 bone in skin on chicken thighs depending on size
Small packet of small mushrooms (or cut up some big ones but not too small)
1 onion, really thinly sliced, grated or diced (I do half grated, half thinly sliced)
3-4 garlic cloves
1 cups rice
2 cups stock
Bay leaf
Butter

Preheat oven to 190

Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown in a large casserole dish then set aside the chicken.

With the pan off the heat put the rice evenly in the pan, add the mushrooms, garlic, most of the onion, bay leaf, arranged kinda evenly throughout the rice, put the chicken on top of this, it kind of stands on top of the mushrooms garlic etc, add the stock, if you sliced the onion I then throw some on top.

Wrap top in foil, put the lid on, put it in the oven for 1hr

50 minutes in remove the lid and foil and let it cook open for the last bit.

I have it with broccoli or something else green

Takes longer than you asked for but only unattended cooking time, the actual putting it together is very quick

my made up version of a cassoulet:

dice an onion and sauté over a low-medium heat in about a tablespoon of olive oil for 10 mins or so until translucent and soft.

add finely chopped garlic to taste (I use about 4 cloves) and saute for another 3 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

add 2 tablespoons of tomato purée and saute for a couple of minutes.

add two tins of cannellini beans, including the liquid.

add one tin of chopped tomatoes (worth buying a decent brand like mutti or cirio)

stir well and turn down the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

stir in a glug or single cream and some chopped fresh basil

salt to taste

serve with crusty bread, or new potatoes, or rice.

Its so delicious, hearty, healthy and filling. This makes enough for two adults to have for dinner with a portion leftover as well. I have it about once a week and I love it.

it also freezes well!