I need some easy to prepare, follow and cook recipes...for a bit of a cookery dumbwit

[IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece]

I can cook things like chicken and veg (like traybake things) or fish (providing it's in those foil cook bags) or sausage and mash and bolognase though its not brilliant!

But I'm really not a fantastic cook...I hate it, find it boring and get impatient

But I SERIOUSLY need to learn how to cook properly-not gourmet but lasagne, pot roasts, proper bolognese, curry etc
(I'm actually a nanny and although it's never ever been a problem before I just feel like it's letting me down)

TIA

get delias basic book, the illustrated cookery course.

fab for basic normal food.

baking needs precision but main courses mostly don't

Thank you :)

Does anyone have any good basic recipes they can suggest?

Ratatouille:

Chop up onion and garlic, sweat over a low heat in a frying pan. Add in chopped courgette, peppers, mushrooms and a tin of tomatoes. Season and simmer.

Either just serve with couscous or use it as a base for chunky bolegnaise (just fry off some mince separately and add to the sauce).

If children refuse veg blend the ratatouille and you have a hidden veg sauce for pasta.

Thank you!

Bumping for more ideas!

Am currently eating a one pan middle eastern dish which is easy and delicious!

Hareera del kafta
Serves 6

500 gr minced meat, beef or lamb or a mix
1/2cup chopped parsely leaves
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp uncooked rice
1/2 - 1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 ltr (4 cups) chicken broth
S&P to taste
Optional extras:
Handful of white raisins
100-200 gr of chopped frozen spinach.

Mix minced meat with half the chopped parsely. Form small balls and set aside.
Heat some oil and cook the meatballs until golden.
Add chopped onion and the broth and bring to a simmer.
Add spices, tomato paste and puree, rice, spinach (optional)and cook until rice is done.
Add parsely and raisins, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Garnish with extra freshly chopped parsely.
If you like add some drops of fresh lemon juice for some freshness.

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Or,take any basic macaroni&cheese recipe and replace half of the macaroni with cauliflower. Boil together with the pasta and add sauce to it.

enchiladas
fry a finely chopped red onion and pepper in some oil until beginning to soften, add in turkey mince
(approximately 100g per person) and cook until done (around 8-10minutes). Add some frozen peas or
sweetcorn and cook for 2 minutes more. Spoon in 2 heaped tbsp red pesto and 1tbsp tomato puree. You
can add 25g grated cheese if liked here (we don't as DH hates cheese). Spoon into tortillas and roll up.
Slice in half and put into baking tin. Top with HM tomato sauce and/or grated cheese. Bake until golden
on top at 180degrees (approx 10-15mins).
meatballs
finely chop 1 onion, grate a peeled apple, crush a clove of garlic, crumble a chicken stock cube and add
to a bowl with 500g lean beef mince (or mixture of beef and pork mince) and 2 tbsp tomato puree. Use
your fingers to combine ingredients and then roll into small balls. Coat with flour and fry in a large pan
until all sides are brown and they are cooked through (approx 15mins). Serve with HM tomato sauce
and pasta (in our house it's crusty bread as DH hates pasta).

Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food might be good. There are some recipes here

Peel carrots
Chop onions

Fry onion in oil. Add loadsa chopped carrots. Pour stock over and boil. Season. Add coriander. Blitz with blender.

Yum.

Thank you so much!

Here's a Victoria Wood (!) soup recipe. Chop an onion, sweat in butter until soft, add a chopped up cauliflower and a chopped up medium potato. Add pepper and some Marigold vegetable bouillon powder, plus water. Cook until soft, whizz until smooth and serve. You could add grain mustard, then strong grated cheese at the end for a different version.

In mumsnet there are two super links which may help you -

One is for students -
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/a1850615-Student-recipes-competition-Send-us-the-recipes-and-culinary-tips-you-would-pass-on-to-new-students-and-win-a-copy-of-The-Ultimate-Student-Cookbook
the other is easy curry recipes -
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food_and_recipes/a1556744-Curry-recipe-that-doesnt-use-50-billion-ingredients-please
and
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food/852366-Curry-making-Virgin-here-A-v-v-simple-first-recipe/AllOnOnePage