n00b in Northern VA

[mattmac]

Greetings! My name is Matt, I'm 24 going on 7 (huge fan of Spongebob), and I'm currently living with my fiancee (wife starting April 5th!). We eat out way too often, mainly because we've been too lazy to cook. But lately something weird has been happening in the kitchen.

I've been in it...COOKING.

But that's not the weird part! Are you ready for the weird part? Ok...here it goes...

I've been...ENJOYING IT!

I make extremely basic dishes like enchiladas with just beans or beef with cheese. Nothing special there. I make pasta frequently, boiling water isn't too much of a challenge for me - I think I have that one down to an art.

Every now and then I'll get a little bit more complicated. I can make a Cajun Chicken Pasta - penne pasta with alfredo sauce (canned, I don't make it from scratch yet), and chicken cooked with a cajun seasoning I make by throwing a bunch of spices together. This is NOT an art - I have issues with getting the right ratio of chicken-to-seasoning. Last time I made it I had waaaay too much of the seasoning. It tasted great, but it was too strong. It's a work in progress.

Last night I made a mesquite maranade for some chicken with a side of pasta and garlic toast. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO boy was it YUMMY! I was so proud of myself! Which leads me into why I am here!

I DO enjoy cooking! I take pride in spending time in the kitchen and making something good to eat for myself and my fiancee. I enjoy knowing she can come home from work and relax while I cook. She deserves it. The only problem is that I suck at cooking. So I am here.

I found DC by searching google for "cooking forums". Forums are by far the best resource and training tool (besides actual practice).

I hope to find a lot of recipes to try out, tips and advice on different cooking methods, different tools to use, etc. Right now I have the very basics, so I'm quite limited. I also wish to eat healthier. "Vegatable" is a bad word in my vocabulary. I'm not obese by any means, but if I keep up my current way of eating, I will be. So "vegetable" needs to be a word that brings a smile to my face, not choking noises. I'm also tired very often, and I attribute that to a poor diet and lack of exercise.

Getting off my butt and into the kitchen seems like a great way to start! I can enjoy a new hobby and become healthier in the process!

Me -

Everyone else here, and hopefully me in a few months -

As a side, I enjoy astronomy, aviation/space flight, drums, reading, and ice hockey (C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS!).

 

[GB]

Welcome to the site. I am sure you will find everything you are looking for and more here.

 

[Barb L.]

Welcome to DC, nice to have you join us - enjoy !

 

[kitchenelf]

Welcome to DC. And your statement

24 going on 7

...do guys really have to state that in writing?

You can't tell me I'm the ONLY one that thought of that!

Isn't cooking fun? Alfredo is EASY from scratch - just make it! You already know how to use Google so go for it! It's so much better than the jarred stuff! I love talking food so this summer when produce is at it's peak there's lots of things that are perfect, light dinners.

LOL on the choking noises when the word vegetable is mentioned. Try roasting them in the oven. A quick toss in some olive oil, kosher salt (you must get some if you don't use it already), and roasting in a 375 degree oven. I have turned broccoli haters into LOVING it! Same goes for Brussels sprouts. Cut fresh ones in half, toss with olive oil, kosher salt, drizzle with a bit of reduced balsamic - roast away - they are awesome!

All cooking is is reading a recipe and following it. It doesn't have to be hard. The thing is that what we have always thought was a simple recipe can be time-consuming but oh, so worth it!!!! Hope to see you all over these boards!

 

[sattie]

Welcome to the DC family!

 

[mattmac]

Thanks everyone!

Kitchenelf - no, I suppose I didn't have to put it in writing. But I'm 24 going on 7...and darn proud of it!

And you make it sound so easy! You say "drizzle with a bit of reduced balsamic" the same way you'd say "put one foot in front of another to walk". I have a hard time getting amounts correct by guessing. Drizzling reduced balsamic will result in either of these two outcomes: too much or too little. And what the heck is reduced balsamic anyway? :O Balsamic that's on sale at the grocery store?

 

[kitchenelf]

Thanks everyone!

Kitchenelf - no, I suppose I didn't have to put it in writing. But I'm 24 going on 7...and darn proud of it!

And you make it sound so easy! You say "drizzle with a bit of reduced balsamic" the same way you'd say "put one foot in front of another to walk". I have a hard time getting amounts correct by guessing. Drizzling reduced balsamic will result in either of these two outcomes: too much or too little. And what the heck is reduced balsamic anyway? :O Balsamic that's on sale at the grocery store?

LOLOL on the "reduced" balsamic! Put about 1/2 cup of balsamic in a small pot (if you have a butter warmer for the stove that will work). Turn it on medium heat and when it starts to get thick (but not too thick) remove it. It should coat the back of a spoon, you should be able to swipe your finger across it and it leave a "track". Poof - You have reduced balsamic. It's VERY good - it turns sweeter. It's good drizzled on a salad too. It is easy - it's just a matter of doing it. If you get it too thick it will stick to your back teeth like candy!

 

[buckytom]

mattmac, balsamic is balsamic vinegar.

do you have the secret recipe for crabby patties? i wonder if a little balsamic vinegar would make them taste good?

welcome to dc.

 

[redkitty]

Hey Matt, welcome to DC!!!

 

[mudbug]

Bienvenue, matt. You will be amazed by what you learn here. You already have the enthusiasm, so you are halfway there.

 

[pdswife]

Hi, welcome to the group. Glad ya stopped by
!

 

[PanchoHambre]

welcome... just keep experimenting trial and error will get you far.

I am not a great cook either but I enjoy it and have a few tricks up my sleeve

Enchiladas were one the first things I learned how to cook as well. I still make them fairly often. It is a great thing to make because you can play around with the fillings and sauces etc. I also cheat alot and do a "enchilada pie" casserole where I just layer the tortillas more like you would a lasagna.

What I like about the forum is you get a variety of opinions from people with really different approaches which is cool becuase my ADD does not flollow recipes well but I love having lots of little bits of information in my head when I set out to cook.

 

[GotGarlic]

And you make it sound so easy! You say "drizzle with a bit of reduced balsamic" the same way you'd say "put one foot in front of another to walk". I have a hard time getting amounts correct by guessing. Drizzling reduced balsamic will result in either of these two outcomes: too much or too little. And what the heck is reduced balsamic anyway? :O Balsamic that's on sale at the grocery store?

Tasting is the key - drizzle a little, taste, if it needs more, drizzle a little more, taste ... repeat till you like it, and remember: you can always put more in, but you can't take it out

Welcome to DC.

 

[mattmac]

Thank you, everyone! Lots of great advice already! I already see one thing I don't do - tasting! Definitely need to do more of that as I cook. Reduced balsamic seems easy enough!

I need to expand on my enchiladas - they literally are extremely basic. Tortillas with beef that has the store-bought TacoBell seasoning, and my fiancee likes canned refried beans. So...no creativity there. We really like them, so I think that might be a fun place to start experimenting.

 

[PanchoHambre]

I need to expand on my enchiladas - they literally are extremely basic. Tortillas with beef that has the store-bought TacoBell seasoning, and my fiancee likes canned refried beans. So...no creativity there. We really like them, so I think that might be a fun place to start experimenting.

northing wrong with simple and tasty!

Here are some of my enchilada tweaks

One thing I like to do is to saute the beef with chopped onions, garlic, and bell pepper. You can season the meat yourself too.. A litte cumin goes a long way so be cautious! Shaking a litte hotsauce into the meat while you cook it adds flavor too.

For a lighter taste you could grill up siome chicken cutlets (or those convinient boneless chicken pices) in adobo seasoning...maybe with a little lemon and some oil and cut it into chunks for a chicken fajita style enchilada... this goes especially good with the green enchilada sauce.

for convinience I often use the can or packet sauces but if you look at the spices on the package it is not hard to devise your own

Throw some thin sllces of avocado and finely chopped cilantro leaves on top for a fresh taste

ok sorry dont want to mess with a good thing but I really like to make enchiladas they are one of my favorite things to cook

 

[GotGarlic]

Thank you, everyone! Lots of great advice already! I already see one thing I don't do - tasting! Definitely need to do more of that as I cook. Reduced balsamic seems easy enough!

I need to expand on my enchiladas - they literally are extremely basic. Tortillas with beef that has the store-bought TacoBell seasoning, and my fiancee likes canned refried beans. So...no creativity there. We really like them, so I think that might be a fun place to start experimenting.

Try this: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/showpost.php?p=505392&postcount=14

I like canned refried beans, too, but I add lime juice and top with shredded cheddar. And if you like it spicy, add some hot sauce, too

 

[mattmac]

Even more great advice, already! Enchilada night is coming up next Monday, so I'll be ready!

Speaking of garlic, GotGarlic - I used garlic cloves for the first time on Sunday! My fiancee and I made bruschetta from scratch. We got a baguette and cut it into bite-size pieces, then put them in the oven for a bit. Once they started getting a golden color, we took them out and rubbed garlic on them. I was amazed! It was like butter melting right into the bread. The smell was so good. After that we put some olive oil on it, mozzarella cheese, and put it into the oven some more. Once the cheese was melted, we topped it off with diced tomatoes (canned...sorry ) and basil.

We made a bunch and brought it to a party. They went over VERY well. People were eating them like chips.

 

[TATTRAT]

Welcome, from another in NoVA.

 

[GB]

diced tomatoes (canned...sorry )

Canned tomatoes often times are better than the fresh ones you buy in the super market. Do not be scared to used canned. The one tip I will give you though is the less they are processed the better, so you are better off buying the whole canned tomatoes and dicing them yourself instead of buying the already diced. That being said, I do sometimes buy the dices ones when I just feel like opening a can and dumping them into something.

 

[Bilby]

Welcome to DC!! When I want a pasta sauce and can't be bothered making it properly, I add my ingredients into my drained pasta, pour a couple of tablespoons of cream into the mix, sometimes a couple of teaspoons of tomato paste as well (depends on the ingredients in the dish), some herbs (like parsley/chives very basic flavours), maybe a bit of garlic, salt and pepper, mix well and serve, top with grated cheese. Sometimes I add cheese to the pot. I like pasta as a "clean the fridge out" dish! Pasta takes an awful lot of flavours really well. Just try thinking what goes with what before you throw things in. A can of crushed tomatoes over pasta and warmed through with some seasonings can also be a very quick and easy sauce. Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce and maybe some chilli for a bit of bite! And whatever sauces you put over pasta, can often be used as a topping for potatoes - baked in their jackets, sauted, or as a bake!

I often make savoury beef mince and freeze in portions. With the addition of herbs/spices/seasonings, I can then take the basic mixture into different cuisines - Italian herbs for some spaghetti bolognaise, Mexican for tacos/burritos, etc.

Good luck!