Recipes for beginner cooks - young adults.

[ejuneca]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this but I couldn't find any other one where this topic seems to fit.
I'm doing a couple of night courses this fall to finish a diploma that I started two years ago.
I'm trying to figure out how and what to shop/prepare for my two YA kids so they can feed themselves on the night they'll be on their own(their Dad will be home the other night, although it wouldn't hurt to have something specific for him to make too.)...beyond my oldest(who is working and therefore has the money) just ordering pizza.
I also figure, since they should be on the way out the door in the next two or three years, this'll be a good opportunity for them to try their cooking wings,lol.
Any ideas for easy recipes...beyond tacos and sloppy joes that is?
Just FYI, my son is definitely meat and potates...not fond of pasta, although I'm thinking of get a pack of gnocchi to see how he feels about it. And he's not crazy about casseroles because he doesn't know what's in them. And he's not a fish eater. He does, though, enjoy dinner salads.
His sister is a burgeoning foodie and is interested in just about anything. .
They're both fine with any ethnicity.
Thanks for suggestions.

[irishfire019]

My 11yr old loves to make and eat this.

Potato and ham chowder

Ingredients:

6 lg red potatoes
1 Cup reserved cooking liquid
1 package dices ham
3 Cups milk
2 Cups grated cheddar cheese
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs ap flour
1 med red onion
1 clove minced garlic
salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste

cut potatoes into 1 inch cubes(you can use more potatoes if you like)
In large pot put enough water to cover potatoes
cook until just tender approx. 15min.
Keep 1cup of potato cooking water and drain the rest of the water off
In same pan melt butter
add diced onions and minced garlic, over med heat cook for 4 to 5 min.
add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper
cook for 3min
wisk in flour to make rou
cook, stiring occasionaly for 5 min.
add cooking liquid, mix well, cook another 5min
stir in milk, add ham, potatoes and cheese
mix well
cook over low heat for 30 min stirring frequently
serve with crusty bread and salad

You can also add frozen corn-my kids love it tha tway. I also use 2oz blue cheese. Good luck

[ejuneca]

irishfire019 wrote:
My 11yr old loves to make and eat this.

Potato and ham chowder

Ingredients:

6 lg red potatoes
1 Cup reserved cooking liquid
1 package dices ham
3 Cups milk
2 Cups grated cheddar cheese
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3 Tbs ap flour
1 med red onion
1 clove minced garlic
salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste

cut potatoes...
...cook over low heat for 30 min stirring frequently
serve with crusty bread and salad

You can also add frozen corn-my kids love it tha tway. I also use 2oz blue cheese. Good luck

Thanks.

[Isabella's Can Opener]

I just had to reply to this post. This is exactly how I became interested in food and cooking all those years ago. My Mom had decided to a) return to the workforce and then b) because of the limited jobs available to her decided to put herself through college via night school. My siblings and I were left to "fend for ourselves" in the kitchen a few nights a week. The way it eventually worked out was that we took turns planning and preparing the family meal on our designated night including making sure the ingredients were on hand or on the grocery list. For me that started me off scouring recipe books for interesting stuff to unleash on my older brothers and sisters. To this day I can still spend hours just poking around looking for new recipes to try. A task much easier than it used to be. My advice is to show them how to set up an account here, show them how it works and then let them loose. Make it their responsibility to find what they can within the family budget and what the family will and won't eat, (Your son may find he likes casseroles if he makes them,) and to make sure everything is on hand for their night to cook. They will learn valuable skills that they will carry for a lifetime. I hope this helps.

[ejuneca]

Isabella's Can Opener wrote:
I just had to reply to this post. This is exactly how I became interested in food and cooking all those years ago. My Mom had decided to a) return to the workforce and then b) because of the limited jobs available to her decided to put herself through college via night school. My siblings and I were left to "fend for ourselves" in the kitchen a few nights a week. The way it eventually worked out was that we took turns planning and preparing the family meal on our designated night including making sure the ingredients were on hand or on the grocery list. For me that started me off scouring recipe books for interesting stuff to unleash on my older brothers and sisters. To this day I can still spend hours just poking around looking for new recipes to try. A task much easier than it used to be. My advice is to show them how to set up an account here, show them how it works and then let them loose. Make it their responsibility to find what they can within the family budget and what the family will and won't eat, (Your son may find he likes casseroles if he makes them,) and to make sure everything is on hand for their night to cook. They will learn valuable skills that they will carry for a lifetime. I hope this helps.

An excellent suggestion...thanks. My son "seems" to be game...we'll see if he actually takes part. He says his biggest hang-up is he doesn't feel he can handle the multi-tasking that he seems to think is necessary. I may have to create workplans for him, until he understands timing. My daughter already has an app on her iphone from one of our favourite magazines so she's got a raft of recipes already saved...problem is most are for baking,lol. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for responding.,

[Katkekxxx]

Hi! I'm new around here, but I can relate to this topic as I'm 15 and trying to figure out what to cook brought me here in the first place.

I agree with the previous poster, but I can write a few easy and fast after school recepies for what I make for myself regularily:

Cook rice and green peas (I make them in the same pot), cut some frankfurters into small pieces. When rice is done heat a pan and throw in the frankfurters, green peas and rice in that order (make sure to put a little oil on the pan of course) in the end add 1 whipped egg (per person). and cook until the egg is done.

Teach them how to make vegetable soups and risottos, since they offer countless under 30 minute options depending on which vegetables are available.

Plain chicken meat with rice or potatoes is always easy to make; when you leave your kids alone they will definitely figure out how to make those, so don't worry too much

when there is not much time rice+cheese+tuna is really quick, also the easiest thing is to cook pasta and mix sour cream, tuna (one package each), a bit of lemon juice and mayonnaise (don't forget salt).

I hope it helps at least a bit.

Sorry for my bad English

Also, warn your kids where to add salt!

[Molly53]

Welcome to the forums, Katke. It's very nice to meet a new friend!

[nochlo]

My 3 top things would be:

1) I boil chicken breast and cut into chunks, then I freeze. then lay out for an easy meal like a salad with chicken, a chicken salad, or an easy chicken wrap. This is perfect for a beginner.

2) I freeze my lef over lasagna and then all u have to do is heat it up. They can still make the bread to go with it plus the salad or mozerella sticks..

3) My recipe, Balls of Chicken- very easy to make and takes almost no time until ready.

Hope this helps.