ISO a quick and not too complicated dinner recipe for a beginner cook

[Marlena]

Hi everyone!
Cooking is my hobby and I'm still learning.
Can you recommend an easy dinner recipe for abeginner?
Something quick and not too complicated would be great
Thank you!

 

[Kathleen]

Marlena, Andy M's recipe for American Chop Suey may work. I posted an easy recipe for the American goulash in the same thread.

It would be helpful to know what ingredients you may wish to use as well! And, of course, we hope to hear how it turned out!

Welcome to DC!

 

[taxlady]

Welcome to Discuss Cooking. When you write "quick", do you want the whole meal ready in a hurry or do you want the work of cooking it to be quick? For example, making a soup or something else that has to cook for an hour or two, but you only have to do any active cooking for 10 or 15 minutes.

 

[HeyItsSara]

Hello!

Give us more details so we can help you.

 

[blissful]

I like this recipe because we almost always have everything on hand and what we don't have on hand we make substitutions for.
Greek Lemon Spinach Lentil Soup (a stew really)
The ingredients are:

• 1 pound brown or large green lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 10 cups vegetable broth or water (14 cups is closer to correct)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds (I don't care for these)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• Put all of the above in a pot and begin chopping below
• 2 medium Yukon gold, russet or red potatoes (1 1/4 pounds), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 10 ounces baby spinach, chopped (or other green)
• 1 small butternut squash (1 pound), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)(or sweet potato)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (unnecessary)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, with leaves, sliced (if you have it)
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Add the chopped vegetables and cook 30 more minutes, season right at the end before serving
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 lemons

To adjust it, use the potatoes you have on hand, use any squash or sweet potatoes you like, use spinach or any other greens you like. I add extra water, so it is a heavy soup.
The chopping vegetables takes about 20 minutes and while you are doing that the soup has started cooking. Add veggies and cook for 30 more minutes. Season it with lemon S&P at the end.
In less than 1 hour it goes from ingredients into soup or stew ready to eat. Serve it with an extra lemon slice on top and salt if needed.