Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Simple, Healthy, Satisfying Dishes

  • 22-08-2020 7:42pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭


    Any meal ideas for a very basic, non-cook who needs to eat better ?
    Nothing with a ton of ingredients, as shopping is rather difficult.

    As far as kitchen appliances go, I have a crockpot, small air fryer, and rice cooker (altho, I don't know why).


«1

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,676 ✭✭✭strandroad


    Look up shakshouka, a great choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and simple.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 2,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mystery Egg


    Deja Boo wrote: »
    Any meal ideas for a very basic, non-cook who needs to eat better ?
    Nothing with a ton of ingredients, as shopping is rather difficult.

    As far as kitchen appliances go, I have a crockpot, small air fryer, and rice cooker (altho, I don't know why).

    The key with learning to cook is cooking what you like to eat. What do you like to eat best?


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    strandroad wrote: »
    Look up shakshouka, a great choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and simple.

    Will do, thanks!
    The key with learning to cook is cooking what you like to eat. What do you like to eat best?

    Smart that, thanks :)

    I like food - not picky... I do prefer savoury to sweet foods though... I don't know how to cook meats, so that has proven impossible. Simple potato, pasta and veg are my usual attempts (very basic at that). Love fresh fruits and all things potato! One-dish meals look appealing, but my lack of cooking skills makes everything unappetizing. :/ ...and still if it's edible, it's never wasted.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 2,557 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mystery Egg


    Sausage Pasta

    Makes 4 servings

    1 onion, finely chopped
    1 red pepper, chopped
    1 can of chopped tomatoes
    1 clove of chopped garlic or 1 teaspoon of garlic granules
    1 teaspoon sugar
    1 pack of sausages of your choice
    Oil, salt and pepper
    Pasta of your choice

    1. Using a scissors, cut each sausage into four pieces, essentially making little meatballs. Heat a large frying pan or medium pot on a medium heat. Add a teaspoon or so of olive oil. Add the sausages and cook them until they're golden brown all over.

    2. Add the onions and red peppers to the pan with the sausages and cook for five minutes until soft.

    3. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic. Stir well. Lower the heat on the pot and allow to simmer (a low bubble) until your pasta is cooked. You may want to add a lid as tomato sauces spit.

    4. Cook pasta of your choice and serve together.

    To make this dish creamy, add a good splash of cream before serving, or a few tablespoons of mascarpone cheese and stir well

    You can also grate cheddar on top too if you like.

    If you have any questions, ask. Go slow and try to enjoy it. Good luck.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,108 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    There's a huge slow cooker thread with lots of easy recipes here: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056736930


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    That sounds delisch Mystery Egg, thank you!
    I will get those ingredients this week and try it! :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    Thanks Dizzyblonde, will peruse the thread :) again... My attempts at slow cookery only produced mush - yick.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,653 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    I wonder if you’d be best off buying a cookbook aimed at beginners? Something like an early Jamie Oliver or Delia Smith? I’d go for an old classic rather than anything new. A good approach can be to just cook through each recipe sequentially. By doing that, you’re learning loads without being overwhelmed by choice, and the recipes are as tried-and-tested as they can be.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,247 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


    And prepare ie chop, all your ingredients beforehand. Takes all the panic out of following a recipe and cooking. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 871 ✭✭✭Captain Red Beard


    https://www.marionskitchen.com/thai-pork-basil-stir-fry-pad-gaprow/

    I made this for herself, once, a few months back. She's insisted on having it at least once a week since. And it's so tasty and easy that I don't mind making it that often. Winner winner pork dinner.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    Great ideas, thanks everyone. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    https://www.marionskitchen.com/thai-pork-basil-stir-fry-pad-gaprow/

    I made this for herself, once, a few months back. She's insisted on having it at least once a week since. And it's so tasty and easy that I don't mind making it that often. Winner winner pork dinner.

    Looks scrumptious for sure.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,453 Mod ✭✭✭✭Shenshen


    I've a slightly cheating version of fritatta/tortilla which doesn't require flipping it over.

    For 2 people, you'd need :

    2-3 salad potatoes (depending on their size), sliced.
    1 bell pepper, sliced or diced
    1/2 onion, sliced
    4 eggs
    Salt and Pepper
    100g grated cheese

    Boil the sliced potatoes until they're soft. Drain and set aside.
    In a frying pan, fry the pepper and onion on medium heat, until both are soft and slightly browned.
    Add the boiled potatoes, and spread the mixture out a bit to cover the bottom of the pan.
    Crack the eggs into a small bowl, scramble them and season with a little salt and pepper (err on the side of caution, you can always add a bit more later)
    Pour over the mixture in the pan. Keep the pan on medium heat until you can see the egg setting.
    Sprinkle with cheese and place the pan under the grill until the egg has fully set and the cheese is melted and bubbly

    It's lovely with some hot sauce over it. and leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days and can easily be microwaved.
    You can throw in more veg (fried courgettes, mushrooms, aubergines, fennel, or a handful of frozen peas or sweetcorn) as you like.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    Drooling Shenshen, sounds delisch! Thank you.


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,323 ✭✭✭✭dxhound2005


    My version of an omelette which does not require much skill. For one person, two eggs beaten with a fork. Heat some butter or oil in a small pan. Gently fry some onion and red pepper cut into small pieces. Have some pieces of ham and cheese ready.

    Add the eggs to the pan, and stir in the onion and red pepper. Sprinkle on some ground pepper if you like pepper. There is enough salt in the ham and cheese. Lay the pieces of ham and cheese on the eggs. At this stage the omelette will have cooked enough underneath. Instead of trying to fold it, put the pan under the grill for a few minutes until the omelette is nicely browned on top. I eat it with bread, tomatoes and coleslaw.

    The pan need not be oven/grill proof, since it is only used under the grill for a few minutes. This is the proper recipe for something similar.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cheeseomelette_80621


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    Thank you dxh, looks workable and lovely. :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    Omelettes are great. I also like these stir fry packs you can buy in any supermarket. Into the frying pan and mix in a sauce and extras and you're done!


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,352 ✭✭✭✭Deja Boo


    Great idea is_that_so, thanks!


  • Registered Users Posts: 21,078 ✭✭✭✭PARlance


    And prepare ie chop, all your ingredients beforehand. Takes all the panic out of following a recipe and cooking. :)

    This is probably one of the best bits of advice you'll get if you want to start to get better/enjoy cooking.

    "Mise en place" is the (French) term commonly used for it, to put everything in place. I think a lot more people would enjoy cooking if they did it. Allow a bit of extra time to do so, most can be done well in advance if needed. Takes the stress out of it and avoids rushed mistakes.

    As Gloom says, it's involves preparing everything in advance. Chopping, measuring etc etc as opposed to just having the ingredients to hand.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,946 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    I do a quick salad of (canned) black eye beans, chopped red pepper, flat leaf parsley, lemon juice and olive oil.

    This goes well with smoked mackerel or just some crusty bread.

    No cooking involved, although I usually fry the smoked mackerel.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 21,078 ✭✭✭✭PARlance


    Shenshen wrote: »
    I've a slightly cheating version of fritatta/tortilla which doesn't require flipping it over.

    For 2 people, you'd need :

    2-3 salad potatoes (depending on their size), sliced.
    1 bell pepper, sliced or diced
    1/2 onion, sliced
    4 eggs
    Salt and Pepper
    100g grated cheese

    Boil the sliced potatoes until they're soft. Drain and set aside.
    In a frying pan, fry the pepper and onion on medium heat, until both are soft and slightly browned.
    Add the boiled potatoes, and spread the mixture out a bit to cover the bottom of the pan.
    Crack the eggs into a small bowl, scramble them and season with a little salt and pepper (err on the side of caution, you can always add a bit more later)
    Pour over the mixture in the pan. Keep the pan on medium heat until you can see the egg setting.
    Sprinkle with cheese and place the pan under the grill until the egg has fully set and the cheese is melted and bubbly

    It's lovely with some hot sauce over it. and leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days and can easily be microwaved.
    You can throw in more veg (fried courgettes, mushrooms, aubergines, fennel, or a handful of frozen peas or sweetcorn) as you like.

    Something along these lines is a regular in our house but it's more of a warm salad. (Or a fry in disguise as my daughter calls it)

    For 1 person, you'd need :

    6 salad potatoes (depending on their size, and your liking for spuds), quartered.
    2-3 pieces of black pudding quartered.
    1 thumb size pieces of chorizo, cut into similar sizes to the black pudding.
    2-3 cherry tomatoes quartered
    1 spring onions chopped
    Squeeze of lemon.
    Some good extra virgin olive oil.

    1 or 2 eggs.

    Boil the sliced potatoes until they're soft. If added to boiling water and cut in advance, 10-15 mins should get them soft. Drain and set aside in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and some extra virgin olive oil to them, a couple of teaspoons. You don't want it wet, but the spuds will absorb the oil. (Can be done well in advance, or start boiling approx 15 mins before next stage).

    In a frying pan, fry the black pudding and chorizo for a 4-5 mins on medium heat.
    Add the black pudding and chorizo to the bowl of boiled potatoes, make sure to add the juices.
    Add the tomatoes, spring onion and a squeeze of lemon to the bowl and mix around.

    Fry your eggs (same pan will do) and as they're frying plate out your warm salad. Place eggs on top of salad , ,because you're a chef now ;) when they're done. Runny eggs make the salad even nicer.

    I find you don't need much more seasoning other than salt and pepper on your eggs.

    You can experiment with other ingredients as you build up confidence. I can't remember the last time we had eggs on top tbh but it's probably the handiest. A nice piece of pan fried hake or chicken can be substituted in for them over time. Most veg lying around can also work with the salad. Some asparagus chopped and fried with the chorizo for example.
    It's safe enough in the sense that you can play around with ingredients and quantities and for minimal cooking/skill you can turn out a nice plate of food.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,946 Mod ✭✭✭✭igCorcaigh


    ^^^ sounds lovely.

    I tend to go for picnic type foods, bit of houmous, toasted rye bread, salads, tinned fish, that type of thing. Condiments too, like tapenade or sambal.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Allrecipes.com used to be a great site for this sort of thing. Now it's like an Amazon for food. Sad face.


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    All my meals are simple, wholesome etc as I can no longer stay on my feet long enough to make anything else, and have too many food allergies.

    Hence my dinner description the other day. I had a relative staying a while back and she loves curries, seasonings etc so we ended up with a different meal for each of us,!

    I am happy and satisfied and enjoy my simple meals. And now salt is the only seasoning I use.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,505 ✭✭✭tscul32


    Check out Bia Maith.ie. Irish chef, simple recipes with easy to find ingredients. Nice guy too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,323 ✭✭✭Loveinapril


    Deja Boo wrote: »
    I don't know how to cook meats, so that has proven impossible. /quote]

    Tesco, Aldi and Lidl all do a version of a chicken in a bag that you roast in the bag, so no basting or cleaning up. The instructions are clear (temperature/ gas mark) and amount of time. The bag keeps the chicken really moist. You can eat a bit with potatoes and veg, shred it for wraps and sambos and when I use the very last bit, I tend to chop it up really small and make a veggie egg fried rice with it.

    For the rice-
    Boil the rice, strain and let it cool completely. I run it under the tap and leave it in a strainer while I get everything else ready. Fry peppers, add some frozen peas, sweetcorn and spring onion (and whatever else you fancy) in a big pan, move that to one side of the pan and put a whisked egg on the empty side of the pan. Let it cook until the underneath is set up but the top is still raw, then put the rice into the pan and mix it all together for a couple if minutes until the egg is cooked into the mixture. I add the chicken at the very end.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,054 ✭✭✭Fakediamond


    Deja Boo wrote: »
    I don't know how to cook meats, so that has proven impossible. /quote]

    Tesco, Aldi and Lidl all do a version of a chicken in a bag that you roast in the bag, so no basting or cleaning up. The instructions are clear (temperature/ gas mark) and amount of time. The bag keeps the chicken really moist. You can eat a bit with potatoes and veg, shred it for wraps and sambos and when I use the very last bit, I tend to chop it up really small and make a veggie egg fried rice with it.

    For the rice-
    Boil the rice, strain and let it cool completely. I run it under the tap and leave it in a strainer while I get everything else ready. Fry peppers, add some frozen peas, sweetcorn and spring onion (and whatever else you fancy) in a big pan, move that to one side of the pan and put a whisked egg on the empty side of the pan. Let it cook until the underneath is set up but the top is still raw, then put the rice into the pan and mix it all together for a couple if minutes until the egg is cooked into the mixture. I add the chicken at the very end.
    And if you use a little stir fry oil from Tesco for frying , it tastes just like Chinese egg fried rice!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,054 ✭✭✭Fakediamond


    Ingredients:

    Stewing beef
    Carrots
    Onions
    Potatoes
    Bouquet garni
    Bay leaves
    Knorr beef stock pot
    Can of Guinness stout
    Water

    Method:

    Chop onions and carrots, place all ingredients in crockpot, add water, simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
    Add potatoes to the pot 30 minutes before serving because they take less time to cook. Add a little more water during cooking if drying out.

    Delicious cold weather food, can be reheated next day for another yummy dinner.


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,136 ✭✭✭✭is_that_so


    Ingredients:

    Stewing beef
    Carrots
    Onions
    Potatoes
    Bouquet garni
    Bay leaves
    Knorr beef stock pot
    Can of Guinness stout
    Water

    Method:

    Chop onions and carrots, place all ingredients in crockpot, add water, simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
    Add potatoes to the pot 30 minutes before serving because they take less time to cook. Add a little more water during cooking if drying out.

    Delicious cold weather food, can be reheated next day for another yummy dinner.
    Do enough and you can have dinners for a week from the freezer! Today seems like a good day to make it!


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Wondering how I forgot this one!

    A relative came in from Canada and I had to meet her in town which meant a long drive each way, She had been travelling many hours and I needed a good meal for her when we got home.

    An old favourite.. more of an assembly job than anything else..

    Alternate layers of sliced potato and sliced onion in a deep casserole, with cheese in between the. Add seasoning to taste as you go.

    When you reach the top, add milk to barely cover and a last layer of cheese

    Slooooow oven …

    I left it for at least three hours and when we got home it was perfect and delicious

    . I imagine a slow cooker would work but not sure you would get that crispy, cheesy top layer. Yumm

    OMISSION: cover until the last half hour, then uncover and turn the heat up to crisp the top in all its melted cheese glory!


Advertisement