Easy meals for non-cooks?

[rolypolypony]

Hello all! My husband's company recently moved, so until we also move, he's facing a 1.5 hour commute each way, meaning _I_ am now in charge of dinner if I don't want to wait to eat until 8pm! So I'm looking for fairly easy recipes - we do have a TON of veg cookbooks, but I've discovered I much prefer personal recs, especially as I am a disaster in

Comments

[marasca]

I'll think about specific recipes, but most of mine do involve frying pans. ;)

One thought in general for you, though- If you try focusing on just one task at a time, you may find that you do fine with boiling, frying, etc. So before you even think about putting the pan on the heat, read the whole recipe carefully, and cut up all of your vegetables and group them by what goes in the pan together. Take out all the spice jars you'll need, and make sure the measuring spoons are out, or even measure the spices into a little bowl. Even make sure you have a timer handy to help guide you through the times in the recipes.

I've had several friends who swore they couldn't cook who actually do just fine as long as they have their eye on the frying pan the whole time.

[rolypolypony]

Hehe, those are very good tips - perhaps after I'm a bit more comfortable, I'll try to branch out! :)

[rolypolypony]

Oh, crockpot! That's a great idea!

Pasta is definitely something I can handle!

[small_chicken]

Oh dear...most of my recipes go like this: I look in our fridge, see what's in it, and make something up.

I definitely second doing all of the prep work before putting pan to stove, and getting all of the things measured out beforehand. My other tip to pass along: keep your knives sharp!

But mostly, I think the best thing you can do is pick through Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking (even an older version--mine is from 1984). Just pick a section at random and read it. The guy is a great writer, but more importantly, the principles behind what happens when you cook become clear. And once you get them (and have had a little practice), anything becomes possible.

[rolypolypony]

Thanks!

[bella_phenomena]

I've gotten a couple of recipes by going to my coop's deli section and seeing what kind of salads they have that I like. Then use the ingredient list to make my own. I'm not very good at keeping track of how much of something I'm adding, so they're hard to pass on.

This week, they had Garbanzo Salad, and I used--
1 big can garbanzo beans, drained
some bell pepper, chopped small
some zucchini, chopped small
some green onions
some parsley
Then a vinaigrette made from lemon juice, oil, tahini, salt, pepper, turmeric, cayenne.

Good luck!

[rolypolypony]

Thanks!! That sounds yummy!!