30 and never cooked a meal from scratch in my life - input needed

[Girlwhonevercooks]

Hi. I am a bit embarrassed to be making this post. I'm 30 and I've never cooked an actual homemade meal in my life. My diet is abysmal. I live predominantly on ready meals that you put in the microwave, meal deal sandwiches from Tesco and takeaways. I have a few questions. Do you have any recommendations for meals that can be made without using the oven? As it uses a lot of electricity and I can't afford to use it very much. I have a cooker and a microwave. What else do I need? Also if there is a cookbook for someone who is a complete beginner, please recommend one to me. Any other advice would be appreciated MN.

I would try Delia's How to Cook. https://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook

There is a reason that she has been so popular for so many years, that lady knows her stuff! SImple recipes and building up skills.

And you dont need fancy equipment. Start with a cheap set of pans, one big sharp knife, one short one (also does a peeler), a basic grater, a slotted spoon a couple of spatulas and a frying pan.

As for cook books, dont buy new, do a reccy of your local charity shops, you could get 20 books for the cost of one new one!

Also look in supermarkets for cooking equipment as it's sometimes hard to judge the size and quality online. Scoville are cheap and excellent quality non stick baking trays and deep frying pans that can serve as a wok or casserole and go in the oven if you get one without rubberised handles.

One of each will set you up for tray bakes where you put protein and veg on a tray and bake in the oven plus stir fries, stews, bolognese etc.

Heinz and Loyd Grosman pasta sauces are fine and often on offer for £1.50 so not massively expensive especially since MN discovered Mutti tinned tomatoes and declared all others shit thus increasing the cost of making a basic pasta sauce.

On the grater, I'd get a normal box grater, the microplane one is for grating parmasan over pasta and grating nutmeg, so not essential. I use a slightly bigger grate for parmasan as the smallest side just clogs up.

Also look at Mob Kitchen online, the premise is students in house shares taking it in turns to cook for each other using simple techniques and easily accessible ingredients.

But don't worry about the cost of electricity or even equipment. You must currently be spending a fortune on ready meals, takeaways and supermarket sandwiches. It costs so much less for the ingredients to make the same food yourself so you'll still save even when you do this, and the electricity won't be that much anyway.

Hi OP

Good on you!! I hope you find that you really enjoy cooking - i know I do.

I would start really simply by cooking rice in the microwave to have with a takeaway curry. The hardest thing about cooking is trying to do more than one thing. Then when you are ready to tackle a homemade curry you will be so used to doing the rice that it will be really straightforward.

Then the next thing I would do is eggs. You can do this in the frypan. Once you get the hang of that, then add bacon or sauteed mushrooms or fried tomatoes so you are having a fry up for dinner.

Out of Jamies list of equipment I would buy a pan you can use to cook pasta and start with the pasta dish. I think that would be the easiest and most forgiving. Cook the entire sauce first and leave it on a low heat to keep warm while you make the pasta. Then you can focus on one thing at a time. The recipe should make enough for 4 meals so you can have it 2 nights in a row and freeze 2 portions of the sauce - don't make extra pasta and freeze it as it is much nicer fresh.

A few people have suggested jacket potato and I agree that is also a great beginner option.

To also keep you in the kitchen, just get a cooked chook (or half chook) from the supermarket and make a salad to go with it. Its easy and healthy and something most of us cooks do often.

Once you have the hang of the bolognaise and cooking pasta, try pesto pasta.

Rubbish, cooking from scratch is the best way. No effort , no gain .

Delia Smith’s How to cook 1 & 2 is good.

Get yourself in a charity shop and you’ll have all that in no time!

The JO book is brilliant for learning.

I disagree with both of you.

OP

Use jars and tins as a stepping stone to home cooking.

OK easy meal one. Beans on toast.

Put two slices of bread in the toaster and switch on.

Open a tin of beans, if it is a large tin separate in to two containers, I use a jug and it can be Pyrex or plastic, cover with cling film, microwave on full power for 2 or 2.5 mins.

If you like butter then butter the toast when cooked, I usually have one whole piece of toast and one cut in two as they fit on the plate easily.

Pour over the beans and then eat.

Don't worry if the toast pops up before the beans are ready.

Second very easy meal.

Go to a supermarket, buy a stuffed fresh pasta eg Cappellacci or ravioli. Boil a kettle and put the boiling water in a pan on the heat.

Add the pasta, when it is cooked it will float to the top, drain through a sieve or colander, put in a bowl and add a knob of sated butter, the butter will melt.

This is a 'halfway' dish, once you are used to making it you can start making your own sauce to go with it.

I'd really recommend seeing if there are any local beginner cooking courses such as at your local college. It's a great way to learn some basic skills and recipes, to give you the confidence to get started at home.

Goodness OP, you seem to have been given a recommendation for a cook book which requires a lot of financial outlay after stating that money is a factor for you.

I cook from scratch and had never heard of a microplane before this thread, please don't waste money on one at this stage.

I will recommend the Cherry Pick app. There are loads of recipes on there for free, I use it a lot and I haven't subscribed or paid a penny for it yet. I just use the recipes which are mostly really simple and very well explained.

With regards to the equipment list - just choose a recipe, get the ingredients for it, if you need anything specific to cook it in see if you can substitute it with something you already have. You could fry in a saucepan to start with for example.

A good starting recipe could be to fry some onion in the bottom of a sauce pan be generous with the oil, add some chopped up pepper and frozen peas, add some passata, add a bit of Italian herb mix or basil/oregano, salt and pepper and a tea spoon of sugar. If you want to add some ready cooked chicken or tofu you can. Then once it's been simmering for 10 minutes pour it over some pasta. One pan for the pasta, one pan for the sauce and you've cooked a home cooked meal without buying a load of expensive equipment.

Good luck with your cooking journey.

Same here. Any grater is fine. I would also say that a colander is non essential . You can drain water using the lid of the pan. You don’t need a separate wok either .

Good idea. Also, our city market has a Ministry of Food inspired 'learn to cook' unit, so also look out for something like that near you. Google your city council learn to cook.

I did this for my city and as well as colleges, there's a few 'social enterprise' type organisations that offer this. Plus if you look on you tube for ministry of food jamie oliver, you can see the TV show that relates to the Ministry of Food book.

Good luck OP, you'll get there. I cook really well and it was mostly self taught because in my 20s and 30s I simply couldn't afford to buy the sorts of food you're eating so I had to make it myself, which is far cheaper.

Delia is so much better than Jamie Oliver if you are a beginner. Jamie is better later on when you're a bit more confident.

It's £3.50 on World of Books.

I agree with a PP, you should be able to buy most of that list (which is overkill IMO) at a charity shop. Or try freecycle. You don’t need all new equipment.

I’d say the Delia Smith How To Cook book is good. You could also look through her website (Deliaonline, I think it’s called) and the BBC Good Food website for recipes that seem simple. Student Cookbooks are also very good, as are the Rukmini Iyer Roasting tin books, where you basically bung everything in a roasting tin and have a fantastic meal for very little effort or washing up. I know you said you didn’t want to use the oven, but an occasional one of those would give you enough for a couple of meals or more.

Ignore the list of equipment at the front of Jamie’s book and just make sure you have what you need to cook your first chosen recipe. Those equipment lists are often ridiculous and you can often make do with what you already have when you’ve built up a few basic items. Note - I’ve been cooking from scratch for years and I don’t have a microplane 😂

Start with really simple recipes. I suggest veggie ones to start with so you don’t have to stress about meat being cooked or precise timings. Start very simple - omelette, scrambled eggs, a salad, a stir fry, pasta with a tomato sauce with grated cheese on top, etc.

Hi OP just a normal grater is fine.

You don’t need a griddle, a frying pan will be perfect.

On the theme of lessons, my local community shop which also operates a food bank have free cooking lessons and they give you their own cookery book.

If you are going to spend any money get the best knife you can afford and learn how to sharpen it.

You only need 1 cook's knife, you can do anything with it, peeling potatoes isn't great but you can always cook them in their skins.

I'd second the suggestions to get a student cookbook as they start from the assumptions that you are new to cooking, have limited kitchen equipment and are on a budget. I'd start with learning a few simple pasta dishes and stir fries (for some of which you can use some preprepared/jarred ingredients to help you on your way). I'd focus on things you can make with the equipment you already have plus a few extras - you definitely don't need everything on Jamie's list (at all, let alone on day 1!). When you feel a bit more confident you can then gradually buy more equipment and expand your repertoire.
Good luck and have fun learning (and ignore the posters saying that cooking too much faff, it really isn't and you may find that once you get the hang of it you are eating healthier food and saving money!).

If you are going to spend any money get the best knife you can afford and learn how to sharpen it

I disagree with this. I spent good money on a cook's knife from a naice cookery shop and it was the biggest waste of money ever. It forever needs sharpening and it's just shit.

Whereas Ikea sell a knife set for SEVEN POUNDS, that is really good, rarely needs sharpening and has lasted for years despite them all going in the dishwasher several times a week.

They also have a grater for £2.50 that is the same as the one that's £8 on Amazon

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/idealisk-grater-stainless-steel-66916200/

OP if you're near an Ikea have a look there, their cookware is excellent and well priced.

Get Gousto for a few weeks! It's incredibly easy and meals are outstanding. You just need a wide based pan and a baking tray for most recipes.

What ready meals do you like to eat? It’s not much point in me suggesting foods that you can make if you finish making & don’t like 👍🏻

Chilli with rice
Spaghetti bolognese
Creamy sauce with mash
Chicken drumsticks in tomato sauce

Sausage and mash

Get a bag of frozen mixed vegetables and have it with everything. Very handy

Start with the classics - spaghetti bolognaise, first

Chop an onion into pieces by slicing it thinly than cutting the slices in half (see Jamie Oliver's website for how to do it even more efficiently, hard to describe in words). Cut up 2-3 garlic cloves (the segments inside the bulb).

Fry 500g mince in a larger frying pan or a saucepan is good, if you buy the 18% fat mince you don't need to add fat, but do heat the pan for a minute or two before adding the mince. Keep turning the mince so it browns, once mostly brown add the onion and garlic and continue to fry until no red mince. Add 2 cans chopped tomatoes (supermarket own brand are fine), 2 tsp mixed Italian herbs and a teaspoon sugar (trust me), 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, stir until bubbling then turn down the heat to lowest setting, and leave simmering for 15 minutes. You can now serve it with pasta (use instructions on the back, or use to make lasagna, cannelloni, etc, delicious on baked potatoes with cheese. This will serve 4-6 people, it can be kept refrigerated for 3 days (reheat in microwave or on hob) and can be frozen for a month, longer if the freezer is good quality.

Very similar to the above is chilli, just add at the time you add the tomatoes an can or red kidney beans, and chilli powder to taste (I use a fresh chilli chopped up and half tsp powder ) plus a teaspoon of ground cumin.

I highly recommend Jamie Oliver's ministry of food cookbook to get started

Fajitas - get a spice mix (either a sachet of fajita spice or a jar of tex mex seasoning).
Buy a pack of chicken - make enough for 2 days as you can microwave it warm the next day.
Peppers and onions.
Tortilla wraps - big or small as you like them.
Dips to add - I like guacamole and soured cream, some people add salsa (you can try making this when you have more confidence as homemade salsa is delicious)
Grated cheese if you want it.

I use scissors to cut the chicken into strips.
Cut the onions and peppers.

In your fry pan put some oil (sunflower, rapeseed what ever you have - not olive oil as it isn't so good for frying)

When the oil is hot add the onions, cook for a minute or 2, then add the peppers, cook until the pan is hot again, then add the chicken. - stir all of this regularly. If it's burning before cooking turn the pan down. If it's not giving a good sizzle as it cooks turn the pan up.
When it's nearly ready add the spice mix and stir it around.

Then serve. Build one tortilla at a time or they go soggy.

Enjoy.

(You can change the veg - a can of sweetcorn added at the end, sometimes I add brocoli or mange tout, add a chilli if ypu like it spicy.
You can vary the protein - beef stir fry strips, quorn, prawns, or big mushrooms sliced.)

If you have 2 frying pans, a cooker, fridge/freezer, tin opener, some forks, a few spoons and a microwave then two meals which you can make without buying anything else are:

Jacket potato with beans and cheese:
Buy a large whole potato, a tin of beans and some grated cheese.
Microwave the potato on full power for 4 minutes. Turn it over and microwave again on full power for 4 minutes. Put half the tin of beans into a bowl in the microwave and heat on full power for 2 minutes. Cut open the potato, pour on the beans and top with grated cheese.

Chicken curry:
Buy some oil, chopped onion, chicken in small pieces, a jar of curry sauce and a pack of naan breads.
Put the oil in the frying pan and heat it on around half heat until it is warm. Add the onion and keep stirring for 3 minutes - the onion should begin cooking. Add the chicken and keep stiring for 5 minutes - the chicken should change colour. Add half of the jar of sauce and a little bit of water. Once the sauce is bubbling a little bit turn the heat to low and stir regularly for 20 minutes. Eat with the naan bread.

If you're going to spend money on new equipment the two things which I would buy are a saucepan and a sharp knife. Once you've got those two things have a go at making the chicken curry with a whole onion and a whole chicken breast that you chop. Plus try your hand at pasta and pesto which will give you a third meal.

Try cooking each of them once a week for a month, plus try making your own sandwiches for lunch instead of meal deals. At the end of the first month you'll feel a lot more confident about cooking for yourself and can branch out to some new recipies.

Good luck!