Any suggestions for delicious recipes that are simple enough for a beginner?!

Any suggestions for delicious recipes that are simple enough for a beginner?

I am 13 and I'm just learning to cook. I can do basic things like noodles & stir fry but Im going for something a little more complex. Any suggestions?

If you can do noodles, try making your own special spaghetti sauce .. the sauce takes a little more time, but all you need to go with it is the noodles, and then you're set!

We always start with a large can or two of tomato sauce (a 14 oz can is good for 2-3 people with small appetites, but we use two 14 oz cans for a family of five).

My dad likes to add garlic, a bay leaf, and season salt to his sauce.

I like to add mixed vegetables ( I get a frozen bag of broccoli, carrots, and zucchini), whole baby mushrooms, garlic, season salt, pepper, and oregano.

My mom just gets the package of spaghetti seasoning and adds that to hers, with tons of fresh chopped herbs.

All of us like to let the sauce simmer for at least an hour - the flavors tend to mix better that way.

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Other simple meals are:

BAKED CHICKEN:

What you need:
Chicken (I use chicken quarters: the leg & thigh portions)
Seasoning (BBQ, Lipton dry soup, salt & pepper, lemon pepper, whatever your family likes)
Side dishes (Mashed potatoes work GREAT, so do mac & cheese, vegetables, and rice)

What you do:
Spray non-stick spray (PAM, etc) on a large casserole dish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Season chicken however you like - we always just sprinkle garlic, season salt, and pepper over it OR sprinkle a package of Lipton Onion & Mushroom soup on over it
Place in the bottom of the casserole dish
Add 1/4 cup of water OR pour BBQ sauce on top
Cover with foil & bake for 40 minutes

As long as there is moisture in the dish, and you don't OVERCOOK the chicken, it should turn out moist & delicious. I can usually leave mine in the oven for up to an hour and fifteen minutes total, and it tastes fine. The longer you leave it in past 35 minutes, the easier it gets to take off the bone. But, once you get past an hour, it starts to dry the chicken if there is not enough moisture in the dish.

Easy mashed potatoes:
Cut potatoes (one per person) into large chunks, place in boiling water
Add one teaspoon of salt and stir
Boil until tender (they change colors and get lighter when they cook ... you can keep one small chunk out so that you can see the color difference if you want)
Drain (pour them into a colander just like you do with pasta)
Turn the burner to LOW, put the bot back on the burner
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter per potato in the pot
Add 1/2 cup of milk for every 4 potatoes (1/8 per potato)
Pour the drained potatoes back into the pot with the butter and milk, and gently smash together.
(As long as they are tender, they should mash very easily. I just stir them once or twice, then mash four or five times, stir once or twice, mash four or five times ... until they're completely mashed. The more you stir & mash, the creamier they get.)
If they are dry, continue adding 1/4 cup of milk and 1/2 teaspoon of butter until they are moist and creamy.
Season to taste: I use green onions, salt, pepper, and garlic (we love garlic in our family).
You can also add a little bit of sour cream or philly cream cheese to help with creaminess.

Easy rice:
The EASIEST rice is to get instant rice
To flavor it with ease, I put one package of Lipton dry soup (any flavor you like) into the water so that the rice soaks in the flavors. For larger families (more than two cups of dry rice, or six cups of cooked rice), you'll need to add additional packages of seasoning.

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Porch chop bake:
You'll need:
Package of boneless pork chops (at least one per person)
Package of yellow rice
A can of veggies or bag of frozen veggies
Something to season the pork chops with

All it takes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Place the rice in the bottom of a lasagna dish (large casserole dish)
Add the required amount of water (per rice pkg directions)
Add the vegetables and stir into the rice & water (it'll blend in when the rice cooks & fluffs)
Season pork chops (I just sprinkle a little bit of season salt or garlic & pepper on mine)
Place the pork chops directly on top of the rice, water, and vegetable mixture

Cover the whole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Check the pork chops to be sure they are cooked all the way through - if not, put them in for another few minutes (they should be white all the way through, with no pink spots).

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Easy Beef Stroganoff

Ground beef or ground chuck (or ground turkey or chicken)
(however much your family usually uses for a dinner - 1 lb works for my family of five)
1 or 2 large cans of Cream of mushroom soup (any "cream of" soup works here) (or even 1 large can & 1 small can, and I always get reduced fat soups)
Sour cream
Optional vegetable (I use Mushrooms or broccoli, usually)
Egg noodles
Salt, pepper, garlic to taste

What to do:
Prepare noodles per package instructions
"Brown" the meat with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
Add the noodles, "cream of" soup, and vegetable (if you're using a vegetable)
Taste the concoction ... some people like it just like this, with no more seasoning added. If it is bland, add a couple of sprinkles of season salt & pepper, and maybe a little more garlic.
Add anywhere between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of sour cream, stir to combine all ingredients.

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Chicken & Rice (Or Chicken & pasta)

You can make this with whole chicken parts OR with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I choose to make it with the boneless chicken when I'm in a hurry, but I love to make it with legs & thighs for the great flavor.

What you need:

Deep wok or frying pan
Garlic (powder or cloves)
Chicken
Salt & pepper to flavor
Water and either Chicken Stock or 1-2 large cans of Cream of Mushroom/Cream of Chicken soup (or even 1 large can & 1 small can, and I always get reduced fat soups)
Vegetables (I use broccoli or green beans)

Decide whether you want to make a creamy casserole dish, or just a fluffy rice dish. If you want the fluffy rice dish, you'll just use water & chicken stock. If you want a cream dish, you'll use the cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup.

What to do:
Cook your chicken breasts in a pan (I place the chicken breasts in the can, toss in a little salt and pepper on top of the chicken, and then add a half a cup of water. As long as you keep the burner closer to medium than high, the chicken should not stick to the pan. I hate using oils - too messy, and not as healthy).

If you're going to make the creamy dish:
Once the chicken is cooked set it off to the side & cook the rice according to the directions. If you use instant rice, you can leave the chicken in the pan and toss in the rice, water, and vegetables, bring the water to a boil, and then cover the dish and take it off of the burner).


If you want the fluffy rice dish:
Once the chicken is cooked set it off to the side & cook the rice according to the directions, using chicken stock instead of water. If you use instant rice, you can leave the chicken in the pan and toss in the rice, chicken stock, and vegetables, bring it to a boil, and then cover the dish and take it off of the burner).

You can make this dish with pasta, too - just cook the pasta first instead of last :)

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As you can probably tell, I just toss seasoning in - I don't measure them. A good rule of thumb, though, when you are starting out is to add no more than a quarter of a teaspoon at a time into your dish. For a large pot, though, like all of these dishes, you can get away with starting with one teaspoon of garlic, salt, and pepper. If your family typically eats foods with less seasoning, start with a half of a teaspoon ... but when you add more, only add a quarter of a teaspoon at a time ... and always stir it for at least three minutes before taste testing it again and adding more! When you think you're getting close, ask someone else to taste it ... and they'll let you know if it needs a little more.

Remember - everyone can add salt and pepper at the table, if it doesn't have enough ... but you can't take it back out if you put too much. So it is better to be cautious than adventurous, or it may be overwhelming. :)

I have more, but I am in a rush this morning.

Most of all, have fun while you cook! If you're not sure of your abilities, ask Mom or Dad to stand by and watch what you do - ask them not to help unless you're really messing up. The more you do on your own, the better you'll get at cooking!

Don't get upset if they give you constructive criticism for the finished meal - always keep what they say in mind for the NEXT time you cook. If you didn't add enough seasoning, you know to add a little more next time. If it was too salty, add less. If it wasn't creamy enough, ask if they think you should add milk, sour cream, or an additional can of "cream of" soup.

Always ask for suggestions, and ideas ... and be open to what they have to say. Family input is usually the best, because they are less afraid to be honest with you!