Complete NEWB to cokking!!

[32chevy]

Hey going to school at WNEC in Springfield MA and it my junioryear and would like to better my cooking skills. So far I can cook

At home
make homescratch cookies.

At school

I grill 90% lean burgers in a pan will spices . It comes out great. I have access to a cooking top in a small kitchen but thats it .

it good for cooking spagehthei and such.


what else can i cook can ya give me idea please

 

[KYHeirloomer]

When I was in school, more years ago than I care to remember, my "kitchen" consisted of a 2-ring gas burner and a fridge.

With that I was able to do almost anything except baking. And I even bought one of those ovens designed for camp stoves, to let me sort of do some of that.

I think, soon as you get a chance, you should let us know some of the things you like to eat. Not necessarily what you've cooked in the past, you underestand. And it would be good to know what you have available in terms of cookware---pots pans & skillets; knives; etc.

But, just to get you started. If you can do burgers in a pan, then you can do any sort of grilled sandwich. Grilled cheese, for starters. Built on that by ringing the changes: different kinds of cheese, adding in other proteins (sliced ham, for instance), etc.

Go on to do Reuben sandwhiches. Preferably on rye bread, put a slice of
Swiss cheese, then some corned beef, then sourkraut. Top with some Thousand Island dressing, more corned beef, another slice of Swiss. Then grill that in a little butter until the bread toasts and the cheese melts. Flip and repeat on the other side.

Again, if you can do burgers you certainly can do pan-fried chicken breasts. And when it comes to running changes on that the sky is the limit.

Start by learning the three-plate method of breading. Line up three shallow bowls. In one put seasoned flour (flour with salt & pepper mixed in). In the second an egg wash; beat an egg with a little water or milk. In the third goes your breading mixture---which we'll talk about in a moment.

It's best to slightly flatten the breast by beating it with a special mallet, or the bottom of a skillet. Idea is to even up the thickness so that the breast cooks evenly.

Once beaten, dredge the breast in the flour. Shake off any excess. Then dip in the egg wash. Then into the breading, making sure to cover all surfaces.

Heat the skillet, add a little oil, butter, or combination. Cook the breast until browned and crisp on one side, flip, repeat.

Things you can use for breading are unlimited, and range from bread crumbs, crushed cookies, crackers, and chips; ground nuts; crushed cereal. Etc. Each will lend a different flavor to the chicken.

You can also vary the flavors by the herbs and spices you mix into each of the bowls (try, for instance, thinning the egg wash with hot sauce instead of water). And you can substitute other things for the eggs. Coat the chicken with a mixture of Dijon mustard and white wine, for instance, and then into the breading.

And, of course, you can add addiitional flavor layers by saucing the chicken.

 

[KYHeirloomer]

OK, what else can you cook?

Understand I'm trying to inspire you to try other things, not just give you specific recipes.

You say you do spaghetti. That's fine. But it also means you can do virtually any pasta; 90% of them are cooked the same, with only the sauces varying. For for a change, try rottini, say, or fusili, or any of the small shapes. Vary the sauces. If you have marinara one time, try a white sauce the next.

Look what we've done. We've created almost a meal: pan fried chicken with pasta. All you need is a veggie to balance it out.

Meanwhile, start exploring other grains, all of which can be cooked on the stovetop. There is couscous (which is actually a pasta, but we won't tell), and rice, and quinoa, and bulghar, and millet, and barley. Each of which provides a different flavor layer to accompany your chicken.

Surely you can do mashed potatoes, and all the variations on that--garlic mashed, and bacon mashed, and cheese mashed. Explore other roots and use them instead of, or half and half with, the potatoes. Turnips, and rutabaga, and parsnips.

Of course, pretty soon you'll tire of eating chicken and burgers all the time. So move on. Pork chops can be cooked in the same skillet as the chicken breast. Chops can be breaded or not, as your tastes dictate. Steaks, too, can be made in the skillet. If there's anything better than a skillet-grilled rib eye with a simple cabernet/blue-cheese sauce I don't know what it is.

And, while we're using the skillet, don't neglect the world of seafood. Anything from breaded and deep fried filets, to sauteed shrimp can easily be done on the stovetop.

 

[KYHeirloomer]

One Pot Meals

The easiest stovetop cooking consists of one-pot meals. Once you've prepped everything they virtually cook themselves.

I know you have a pot, cuz you cook pasta. The easiest one-pot meal is meatballs. Start with the same ground beef you use for burgers. Mix in salt, pepper, maybe a little oregano. Add some chopped onion, an egg, and a handful of breadcrumbs. Form the mixture into small balls, the size of walnuts.

You can either prefry them or not. Frying adds an extra flavor layer, but, obviously, requires more time and a second pot. Merely roll the balls in seasoned flour and pan fry until browned on all sides. Then add them to sauce (homemade or from a jar, your choice) that's been heated in the pot. Cover, lower the flame, and let simmer slowly until the meatballs are cooked through.

Other one-pot meals: the whole range of stews, ragouts, and similar dishes. Don't limit your thinking. Stews usually cannot meat that's cut up small. But you can also stew whole cuts, like a chicken, or rather large pieces. The classic Coq au vin (chicken in wine) is nothing more than a chicken, broken down, and poached in wine. And even a whole roast can be done on the stovetop (why do you think it's called pot roast?).

Don't neglect soups, particularly now that cooler weather will soon be upon us. BTW, the only substantial difference between a soup and a stew is the amount of liquid.

I really hope you're getting the idea. Your opportunities are only limited by your imagination and the amount of time you want to spend cooking.

 

[32chevy]

wow thanks

im taking note. Mom cooks gourmet like food every day. Crazy so im familiar with some things.

I can get meat from stop & shop. pork and apple sauces would be yummy. Do you have salmon recipes.

I can get oranges, aplles and nannas at school. i can get the appropriate cokking utensils.

Im thinking of cooking twice a week. There is a cafe. and paid mealplan im on but. I would enjoin cooking more.

I eat any thing except mushroom dont know why .

is there a way i can make a pizza like tortea bake on a pan??

if you havent noticed im more of a hands on guy. I like to build cars and figure stuff out

 

[KYHeirloomer]

I'm also a hands-on guy; woodworking rather than cars, but nonetheless.

I'm also passionate about cooking, and cook restaurant style at home. Blame it on my mother.

Mom was a good cook. Nothing particularly fancy, you understand, except at the holdidays. But she taught me three rules of survival, one of which was, "any man who can make his own breakfast will never starve," and she taught me to cook. Been doing it since I was eight.

I'm gonna wait until Kevin (ChubbyAlaskaGriz) chimes in. He's our resident salmon expert, and probably can supply you with a half-dozen stovetop versions without even thinking about it.

Oh, yeah! Pork chops and apple sauce. Got a yearning for those myself. But instead of buying applesauce, why don't you cop a couple of apples from school and make fried apples to go with the chops? Peel the apples. Cut them in half. Core and seed them. Then cut each half into wedges. Drop them into acidified water (a little lemon juice in plain water to keep them from turning brown). When you're ready to cook them, melt some butter in a skillet. Add the apple wedges. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, nutmet, maybe some powdered cloves. Cook, tossing, until sugar carmelizes. Add a little apple juice and cook until apples are tender.

 

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Hi 32 Chevy,

Welcome to our forum. I think you will really enjoy it here! I know I do and I have learned alot too.

So you are a junior, do they offer spelling and or typing classes? It may help you in the future to look into these classes to help fine tune your skills? No matter where you go in life or what you do reading, spelling and writting skills are necessary. Have you ever considered going to Culinary College when you graduate? If you love to cook and be in the kitchen it would be something to consider.

Anyhow welcome to SpicePlace, hope you will come here often to learn and share!

CCCathy

 

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Hi Chevy!

Welcome to our l'il corner of the web! As you can see already, we're a fun and friendly group w/ lotsa kitchen know-how. So make yourself home with us- we're glad you're here! We hope you ask questions and share, often!

Brook (KYH) has offered tons of great info.

I'll add a couple remarks about salmon and pasta...

I was a chef for many years- recently spent 13 years in Alaska where I ate and cooked salmon almost every way imaginable...

First- I know students can be among the very busiest folks on the planet- so when you cook pasta, cook extra- rinse it well and bag hand-fulls of it up in quart or gallon sized zip-lock bags perhaps tossed with a wee bit of oil for quick, easy re-heating for several day's worth of meals. It'll keep well in the fridge (I presume you have access to a fridge- what about a microwave?).

Salmon? Well, you can buy any number of varieties of fresh or frozen salmon- even canned... I shop at a Super Wal-Mart and often I can get 2 lb. bags of frozen Alaskan Salmon ( 5-6 nice fillets) on sale for around $7.00 which is a real bargain! And since it's IQF (indiviually quick frozen) in seperate pieces, it's easy to grab one single fillet from the bag to cook- or you can again save time by cooking it all in one shot in a pan on the stove, and saving the leftovers for meals over the next day or two.

Here's a simple meal-plan for a bag of 6 salmon fillets:

Meal #1 Supper: Cook 6 fillets of salmon in a pan on the stove-top. Brush one w/ teriyaki glaze and pair with cooked pasta or rice, and snow peas or veggies for a yummy Asian-inspired meal. (wrap/chill leftover 5 fillets of salmon)
Meal #2 Breakfast: Crumble a piece of leftover cooked salmon into scrambled eggs or an omelet- adding a few pinches of cream cheese and serve with a toasted onion bagel.
Meal #3 Lunch: Crumble a chilled fillet of cooked leftover salmon onto a bowl of fresh, washed spinach leaves. Drizzle w/ a bit of dressing for a yummy healthy salad, to which you can add raisins, nuts, grapes, chunks of fresh pineapple, etc. (reserve a handfull of the fresh spinach for the next meal).
Meal #4 Supper: In a pan on the stove-top add a 1/2 c. of cream and throw in some and black pepper. When it starts bubbling, add another crumbled fillet of your leftover salmon and a bag of cooked, leftover pasta, and reserved fresh spinach. Stir or toss until the cream reduces to a thick sauce and the fish and pasta are heated through... sprinkle a hand-full of parmesan cheese over all and you have a delicious salmon/pasta alfredo/florentino! Add garlic if you like- though traditional alfredo has no garlic...
Meal #5 Lunch: In a pan on the stove-top, melt a wee bit of butter or margarine and saute some fresh sliced sweet bell peppers & onions... when they're cooked nicely, pour onto a plate, then place a large flour tortilla into the hot pan. Warm on both sides- add a bit of shredded cheddar, crumble-up your 5th portion of cooked leftover salmon, dump the peppers and onions over all, fold tortilla in half and you've got a yummy salmon quesadilla!
Meal #6 Supper: Crumble last leftover, cooked fillet of salmon into a bowl. Add a dab of mayo and maybe stir-in some chopped celery and green onion. Eat alone- on top of a salad, sandwiched between 2 slices of bread/toast, or brown buttered english muffin halves in your pan, spread salmon mixture on, top w/ slice of cheese and voila!- a salmon-salad melt!

For any of these dishes you can easily sub chicken breast, pork chops, taco/fajita meat, turkey, etc. Once you expand your kitchen repetoire you begin to realize just how truly versatile most menu items can be! Fun AND Delicious!