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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can you give me your basic cooking tips?

156 replies

Cloud44 · 05/01/2024 20:48

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?

OP posts:
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Peasand · 08/01/2024 00:19

The acid in vinegar denatures the protein in egg whites so it solidifies quicker.
usually put about a desert spoon of vinegar in the water even in doing a few at the same time.
Think the same effect of vinegar on egg white protein is why some recipes for meringue have vinegar in them.

Dumbndumber · 08/01/2024 15:20

Depth of flavour can come from seasoning and using herbs and spices, often even just adding salt and pepper to something bland improves it considerably (as long as you do it bit by bit so you don't over salt it).

It also comes from browning meat to caramelise it and from things like cooking the spices through, and from using meat juices, etc.

When I make gravy, I use the juices from whatever meat I've roasted and separate most of the fat out, which I'll keep for roasting veg, etc.

The juices are usually in 2 forms, jelly like and a more liquid form with bits in that are stuck to the tray, which is often brown coloured.

I'll use both to form the basis of a gravy, alongside a few dessert spoons of the fat from the meat, a chopped carrot, bit of chopped, diced onion, etc. It all goes into a pan to be thickened as needed with cornflour or flour so you have a paste/roux, I then slowly add around 300ml hot water, stirring as I go. I usually use the water I've cooked my veg in to add more flavour, but you can use water made with a veg or meat stock cube. I then let it simmer til thickened and season to taste.

I'll often put a few bits of chopped veg (eg, carrot, onion, leek) under the meat so it cooks with it and that all gets added to the gravy as it all helps with flavour.

If not needed at the time of the roast being cooked, I will often freeze all the juices to use as stock at a later date.

When using tomato puree in a sauce I cook it out for 30-60secs so that it has a better, more rounded flavour in the final dish...by that I mean I add it to the pan with the veg or meat (no liquid) and stir it and cook it for 30-60 secs before adding the liquids.

This is the same as I do with any spices or spice paste. It gives a better, more rounded flavour and takes the harshness away that you get if something isn't cooked through properly.

Slow cooking also helps develop flavour.

TheKeatingFive · 08/01/2024 15:27

Fats are an important conveyor of flavour. If you're using very lean meat and minimising cooking fats, you won't produce the kind of full flavoured sauce you're looking for.

x2boys · 08/01/2024 15:29

Mirrormeback · 05/01/2024 21:04

Tonight I put chicken breasts in a Maggie so juicy cooking bag with its Cajun spices and we ate that with rice and peas

Quick easy and cooked from scratch

I use a sistema microwave rice cooker so it's very quick and easy and painless

I love Maggie's so juicy gets my kind of cooking!

Theordinary · 08/01/2024 16:02

I reckon if you can make a decent tomato sauce and a White/Cheese sauce you can make lots of different meals out of these basic sauces.

Tomato = fry onion and garlic, add 2 tins tomatoes, dried herbs. Simmer for a while and it's done.
White Sauce = Cornflour 15g per half pint of milk, adjust to how much you want. Make a paste with a little milk and cornflour, then add rest of milk. Simmer until it thickens and keep stirring. Then add cheese or not depending on what you're using it for.

Just these 2 sauces can be the base for Bolognese, lasagne, chilli, pasta bake, fish Pie and loads I can't think of. Also The Dairy cookbook is excellent for all basic old fashioned recipes.

OneTC · 09/01/2024 11:56

I made bread and butter pudding with a packet of out of date croissants the other day, so easy and it was bloody amazing.

4 egg yolks
2-3 tablespoons caster sugar
300ml double cream
200ml milk
4-6 croissants stale
Handful choc chips or raisins
Flaked almonds
Vanilla essence
Cinnamon

Mix yolks and sugar
Bring cream and milk and vanilla and cinnamon to a near boil and pour into the bowl with eggs, stirring continuously
Arrange cut croissants into a well buttered oven dish, add nuts, chocolate or raisins randomly about the place
Pour in the mixture, try and get everything a bit wet
Leave to stand for as long as possible, minimum 20 minutes
Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes at 180c/160c, uncover, sprinkle small amount of brown sugar and flaked almonds onto exposed croissant bits and cook for about another 10 minutes

Can you give me your basic cooking tips?
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