Easy Cooking Please?

[Planet 24]

I am as many of you may know not a good cook, I can burn water :(

My son - who is a chef is coming to stay for a week and I want to surprise him so please help me out here, I need a selection of easy recipes - no cheese or chocolate, that I can surprise him with. I'm sure he has given up on me and I just want to show him that even I can manage the basics occasionally.

So any easy cooking recipes will be very gratefully received :)

[Eeyore]

Erm... a meal out at a nice restaurant? Sorry that's no help but it'd be a safe bet maybe??

[tact77]

Pasta, sauce and garlic bread. Or steak, chips, mushrooms and tomatoes. Or even better a nice salad with pitta bread.

[Sparrow]

Lamb steaks with sweet potato, red onion and rosemary is all i can think of at the moment -

2 tbsp olive oil
4 Lamb leg steaks
3 sweet potatoes (finely sliced)
1 red onion (halved and sliced)
sprig fresh rosemary or tsp dried
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard.

1) Pre heat oven to 220c/fan200c/gas mark 7

2) Heat half the oil in a roasting tray, brown the lamb steak on both sides and set aside.

3) Toss the sweet potato, onion,remaining oil and half the rosemary in the roasting tray,then lay the steaks on top. Brush the lamb steaks with mustrd, scatter with the remaing rosemary and roast for 20 mins until the sweet potatoes are soft and the lamb cooked.


Its really easy to do and quick. I will have a think - i went to catering college for 3 years believe or not - but these days I just havent got the patience cooking fancy stuff!

[Planet 24]

I have to make myself clear here . Steak ??? Tact I dont know how to cook steak ..Honest
You are talking to a TV dinner Queen :lol:

I cooked a chicken once... we didnt eat it the cats did.

I will certainly download that recipe and print it out, sounds delicious :)

[Eeyore]

There's a new restaurant opened up in town, called the G-Spot!! Actually that's short for Gourmet Spot. I hear the chef is fabulous and the food is somewhat creative and very very different

[Planet 24]

I have tickets for Roy Harper so it might be good to go for a meal afterwards, thanks Eeyore :thumbs:

[Sparrow]

What about a chilli or casserole that you could just stick in the oven and forget about? All you would need to do is chop the veg and chuck it in a dish with the meat. a jar of sauce over it on a slow heat.

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

There's a new restaurant opened up in town, called the G-Spot!! Actually that's short for Gourmet Spot. I hear the chef is fabulous and the food is somewhat creative and very very different

ewww, i dont think i could eat there :no:

[sp54]

Stir fries are really easy too - they must be as my eldest son can even do it and he is normally King of the Pot Noodles. I taught him how and he has even made it for his new girl friend AND she ate it LOL!!!!!!!!!!

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

beans on toast? :rolleyes: :lol:

[Planet 24]

I have to make a confession that my kids have never eaten beans ( neither have I) ...I know its bad :lol:
I can manage the toast,:) however croissants today were rock hard as I left them in the micro too long...Mr. P said ...not again no wonder I had to have a tooth out :lol:

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

:lol:

my youngest would only eat baked beans if they were in a shepherds pie, he thought they were the shepherds :yes:

[Planet 24]

Im just going to add that I made some bread once - the boys and I were making Milk Bread ...Mr. P broke a molar on the first cottage roll he tried.

I dont do home baking now.

[tact77]

LOL @ BM.

P24 I am not a very good cook either. All I do is cut the tomatoes in half then put the steak, mushrooms and tomatoes under the grill for about 7 mins each side for the steak.

Oven chips are the best, just put them on a baking tray at what ever heat it says on the packet and put the timer on. Buy a ready made pot of peppercorn sauce tip it into a bowl and microwave it.

[StoneHenge]

Home made shepherd's pie is easy, what about an omlette? Do you have a non stick pan?

Beat about 8 eggs for three people in a bowl, add mushrooms, onions or whatever you like in the mixture, a touch of cheese if you like. Pour a touch of oil in the pan, turn to a medium heat, and then pour in the mixture. Then when the bottom is about done, stick the pan under the grill until the top is done.

Cut up, serve with a tossed salad and some garlic or herb ciabatta (warmed in the oven as per packet instructions), and there is a lovely and filling meal. Easy!

[Planet 24]

Im busily trying to copy all these down :) I really want to make an effort for him he's had a rough time of late and he always ends up cooking for me, trouble is Mr. P might start expecting this every night and that will never do :no:

[Eeyore]

A nice idea for a salad - I get basil infused olive oil, mix some pesto with it, and pour the dressing onto rocket - yummy, goes well with italiany sort of food

[Beth]

tuna pasta bake :)

fry one large tin of tuna in oil in a pan, add some onions add one tin of toms or baked beans or both

mean while boil some pasta in a sauce pan

throw some mixed herbs into the frying pan

drain the pasta after 15-20 mins, throw the contents of the frying pan into the big pasta pan and mix

serve with pre made garlic bread and tossed salad (you can buy this pre made in a bag ) ;)

normally I would say but in an oven dish and sprinkle with cheese and bung in the oven for 10 mins, but you said no cheese :D

I am sure what ever you do for him he will like as you are his mum :wub:

[Annabel]

M&S do the most lovely salmon.

It comes in a foil tray so all you have to do is put it in the oven at the specified temperature. It comes with a sachet of glaze that absolutely makes the salmon so delicious - it has soy and ginger in it.

Its completely fresh, so to my mind, its not a 'ready meal'

We have it with new potatoes/rice and salad - all of which can be bought at M&S. - whatever you fancy...

also another recommendation - for desert M&S do lemon souffle to die for.

[Noise Stopper]

Quick Salmon with Lemon and Dill:

Take Salmon Steaks (how ever many you are cooking for)
put them onto a Microwavable plate
Squeeze lemon juice onto the fish
Put a knob of butter on each steak, cover with another plate the same size.
Put the whole thing into the Microwave for about 6-8 minutes )depending on how well you want the fish done)
This basically steams the fish with the lemon and butter so tender fish with a lemony tang! Goes really well with new potatoes and seasonal veg.

Bon appetite!

Ian :nfh1:

[Planet 24]

I'm getting spolied for choice now arent I? ... and hungry :yes:

[tortoise]

Def go to M&S

I don't cook really at all.Mr T does all the cooking, it is the Italian in him!!

For a simple pasta dish cook some spaghetti and use a Lloyd Grosman sauce. Heat it up and chuck it on.

Don't tell Mr T though, he makes all our sauces!! :blush:

[Planet 24]

Thank you for all your suggestions I'm going shopping to M&S on Monday and have also copied down all the recipes. He is not going to know what's hit him. :)
It will be so good to have him 'home' for a week. Bet I get a lot of washing :lol:
Thanks again for all your replies. :)

[smoo22]

Try sweet & sour pork chops, Planet - dead easy. I usually use spare rib pork chops - they are so much cheaper, don't have a big lump of fat down one side and are SO much tastier!

1 or 2 chopped onions
Can ginger beer
Good glug of orange juice (either fresh or diluting)
Tablespoon of brown sugar (or half a spoon of white sugar)
2 or 3 teaspoons of flour (or cornflour) mixed in quarter of a cup of cold water.

Put chops in an oven dish, throw the rest over it, cover in foil and cook at gas 5 (180c) for about an hour, turn the chops and stir the sauce at half-time. After the hour, take the foil off and put them back in for another 10-20 mins till the sauce thickens up.

Then all you need are some potatoes to soak up the juices (I presume you CAN cook tatties, P? :lol:.....)
OR maybe a couple of garlic baguettes out of a packet - for the last 10 mins in the oven along with the chops.

I'm sure whatever you make your son will appreciate the effort, regardless of the result! :D

[sesentayuno]

beans on toast? :rolleyes: :lol:

That crossed my mind, it was my staple diet when I was in the Uni :lol:

Ses

[Planet 24]

We bought some salmon from M&S and did your recipe Annabel and it was lovely. Nice and easy just as well as I have now developed a chest infection ( lot going about so Im told) and wasnt up to much anyway. But it was very tasty. Think I might have a go at the sweet & sour tomorrow Or maybe some chicken (pre-cooked)with salad. We bought loads of stuff - my total bill for Marks was almost £60, but that did include a pair of knickers and some socks:lol:

[tact77]

Glad the meal went well and hope your feeling better soon.

You can't visit M&S without buying knickers but just don't try and cook them:lol:

[Planet 24]

Definitely going for sweet& sour tonight and I have been left to it as the 'boys' have gone out for the day-bit of male bonding ;)
Just as well I have all day to get the meal ready as my chest is rotten:(

Tomorrow, well it looks like chicken & salad at the moment.
As for battered knickers...too tough..besides I would only burn them:lol:

Its awfully nice to see your kids but since his arrival I have been entertained with non-stop Sky Sports, ( football play-offs) so I might just be pleased to see him go at the end of the week.;)
One football mad male in the household is enough for me.

[StoneHenge]

Hope your chest infection gets better soon. I had one not so long ago and they are not nice!

Glad the meals are going well. I haven't had sweet and sour for ages. Might have to have one now!

[Beth]

glad it was ok :) and new knickers to boot :thumbs: :D