Cooking dinner for first time?!
Cooking dinner for first time?
my firned is cooking dinner today for the first time. all she knows how to make is scrambled eggs or pancakes so this will be a first. I need some good simple recipes and/or menu ideas for her as she will be makeing a full course dinner,(meat, potatoe, veggie dessert etc...) Also something that doesnt cost more than 20 dollors to make (the whole dinner)
Answers:
Good one!
The first time can be called a success if the food kills no one and the house does not burn down.
Start with a good pan. It will help you make good food.
Learn how to manage the heat...there is only a few minutes difference between raw, done and burnt.
spaghetti (boil water first, then add the spaghetti), chopped up tomatoes and chopped mushroom, tomato paste and some basil, mix it all up.- cheap, delicious and extremely easy
OR... this recipe is YUMMY and cheap to prepare
Chicken with Apricot, Maple and Mustard
8-10 bone-in chicken pieces
1/3 cup apricot jam
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup white wine
1 tsp dried tarragon or sage
paprika to taste
Preheat the oven to 350.
Put your chicken parts in a baking dish. Mix up the sauce and pour over the chicken, turning the chicken pieces to coat. End with the chicken skin side up, then sprinkle paprika over the chicken.
Bake until done, about 45 minutes to an hour depending on which chicken parts you used.
THEN FOR DESSERT try this
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
2 cups crushed pretzel sticks
1/2 cup margarine or butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
4 Tbs mayonnaise
8 oz whipped topping (e.g. Cool Whip)
12 oz strawberry Jello
20 oz frozen strawberries
Mix the crushed pretzels with the margarine or butter. Press into a 9x13 pan and bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let cool.
Cream the softened cream cheese with sugar and mayonnaise, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread this over the cooled pretzels.
Dissolve the Jello in 2 cups of hot water and add the frozen strawberries. Stir, and then let set slightly. Pour over the cream cheese mixture. Chill and serve.
hope this helps
hmm.. it isn't too easy to make a dinner for 20 dollars, but i can give it a try. The recipes i'm giving are all made out of things that can commonly be found around a house, to cut down on cost-
for a salad, mix together salad greens (lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc) and serve with salad dressing, or make your own. To make your own, mix together olive oil and basil or oregano.
Lentil Soup-
1 cup lentils
1/2 medium onions, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup tomatoes, diced
5 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
Wash the lentils in a strainer. Place in a large saucepan with 1 cup water and boil until most of the water is gone. Add the rest of the water and the other ingredients, except for the tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add the tomatoes about 5 minutes before serving.
Cucumber slices Provencal (appetizer)-
1 large english cucumber
1/3 cup tomatoe spread
3 tbsp. any shredded cheese
fresh basil leaves (optional)
Cut the cucumber into 32 slices. Place the slices on a paper towel to drain. Spread about 1 tsp tomato spread on each slice of cucumber. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 tsp cheese. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hr. Top each slice with a basil leaf before serving.
Honey Chili Potatoes-
5 potatoes peeled
red chili powder (to taste)
salt (to taste)
2 tsp. sesame seeds
35 ml honey
20 ml white vinegear
oil for frying
Slice the potatoes into narrow strips, dunking them into a bowl of cold water as you slice. Heat the oil in a pan. Thoughroly drain the potatoes and place small batches in the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Drain potatoes and cool to room temperature. Re-immerse fried potatoes into pan and cook for 2-3 more minutes until crisp and golden brown. In another pan mix honey, vinegar, chili, and salt. Add the fried potatoes to this pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve.
Shish Kabob-
2lb. leg of lamb, chicken, beef, or pork
1 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 onion, sliced
3 tomatoes sliced
Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Mix olive oil and lemon juice and rub into meat. Place in dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with slices of onions and tomatoes. Refrigerate four 1-5 hours. Arrange meat on skewers, alternating with tomatoes and onions. Broil over charcoal, cook over open wook fire, or in an oven broiler until meat is well cooked.
Rice and Green Pea Pilaf-
1 cup long grained rice
1/2 cup almonds, cashews, or peanuts
1 tsp cumin
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 cups shelled fresh or frozen peas (thawed)
3 tbsp. mixed fresh herbs
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 turmeric powder (optional)
1/2 tbsp finely shredded ginger
1/2 tsp salt
Wash the rice. COver with water and soak for about 20 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over moderately low hetat. Add the nuts. Fry sturring constantly until they are golden brown. Remove the nuts from the pan.
Increase the heat to medium and add the ginger. Fry for a few minutes. Pour in the rice and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the water, peas, turmeric, salt, and herbs. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Add the nuts just before serving.
Oreo Truffles-
1 package oreo cookies
8 0z. (1 package) cream cheese, softened
2 packages semi sweet baking chocolate, melted
Crush 9 of the cookies to a fine crumb and reserve for later use. Crush remaining cookies to fine crumbs and place in a medium bowl. Add cream cheese and mix until well blended. Roll mixture into 42 balls. Dip balls in chocolate;place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs. Refrigerate until firm.
hope this helps!
A roast (chicken, beef, pork) is fairly easy and forgiving. Look online or in a cookbook for approximate times and temps, though a meat thermometer is a good idea. A whole chicken would be the cheapest, and if you soak it in a brine solution (1/2 C salt, 1/2 C sugar or honey, and any spices per gallon of water, kept in the fridge) for about 4 hours ahead of time it will be the best chicken roast you ever had.
You can roast some new potatoes with the meat, or bake some in the same oven.
While the meat is setting/cooling when it's reached the right temp, you can use the oven to bake up some store-bought biscuits.
Make some gravy from an instant mix, and you can add the drippings from the roast pan.
Cook up a pot of frozen veggies.
You can start with a bag of pre-made greens mix and any other veggies you want to add (chunks of tomato, cucumber, carrots, etc) and maybe some croutons.
So, there you go - salad, roast, potatoes, veggies, biscuits, and gravy - a meal fit for a king or queen.
Or, try baked ziti with hamburger, cheese, and tomato sauce - easy and good. Check for recipes online. This should be pretty cheap, even with a salad, and some Italian bread.
Try also "Miserly Moms" recipe index for easy and affordable meals:
http://www.miserlymoms.com/momfrecipes1....
pastsa
It seems your friend has no experience to try anything too difficult. Why not prepare a simple meat loaf with tomato sauce, mashed potatoes, a side salad of mixed greens, and for dessert baked apples. All are simple to make and not expensive.
bake chicken .,steam asparagus, bake potatoes ,brownies /w ice cream.....[box brownies is cheaper to make] you will have money left over for a soft drink es believed me. make sure chicken is wash in cold water lay on baking pan season to your taste i always use salt pepper and garlic.... steam asparagus make sure your water is boiling before you put them ,,,,brownies follow recipe on box] have a wonderful dinner