I wanna be a good cook?

so im not gonna say i was always a chef in my family but i always had a special talent to not screw in the kitten like most inexperienced



but anyways , i wanna learn new recipes to improve my cook



i know how to do mac n cheese , spaghetti , garlic toasted bread , barbecue pastrami? obvious snacks , and my special , garlic creamy shrimps and recently learned garlic olive potato in the oven



anyways , i need more on my menu , with typical house condiments or whatever



pasta , meats , fishes , Mediterranean , classic , deserts and all those recipes are valid



thanks and up fingers for all recipesI wanna be a good cook?
Just pick a kind of food, and perfect it.

Learn to deal with meat. Chicken is inexpensive compared to other meats, start there. Fry one, roast one, learn what to do with chicken breasts.

I'm frying BBQ pork steaks right now.

Since you know how to cook spaghetti, cream sauce, garlic bread, time to branch out. Make a lasagna, learn about Italian side dishes and salads. Find and make an Italian dessert.

Try potatoes. Baked, twice baked, cheesy, home fried, french fried.

Try something fancy for breakfast, there are a lot of breakfast casseroles out there. And French toast, bread pudding, breakfast breads like banana nut bread.

And always learn at least one dish that is suitable for a potluck. Apple salad, macaroni salad.

Pick a website, choose something you are interested in, and go through those recipes. Find one that is within, or just beyond your skill level, and stay within budget. That is what I do, and I really have fun looking for something new and different. And I got some great recipes and the practice to make them by that way. I make my own cheesecake now, no need to pay a fortune for it at the store.

Easter is coming, find a menu and practice for that.

and whenever you can, watch the cooking shows on TV. PBS, Food network, sometimes their shows are beyond my capabilities, but boy do I learn! I watched Paula Deen make a caramel cake, and found the recipe on Food Network site and made it. And boy was it good!

Apple raisin breakfast bread pudding:

Ingredients

6 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 (16 ounce) loaf cinnamon bread with raisins, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, and sliced 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup melted butter 1 Granny Smith apple - peeled, cored, and diced

Directions

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk, cream, vanilla extract, and nutmeg until evenly blended. Fold in the bread cubes and set aside until the bread soaks up the egg mixture, about 5 minutes. Place the sliced apples into a mixing bowl and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter; toss to evenly coat. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and arrange the apple slices evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish; spoon the bread mixture over top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Sprinkle the diced apple over the bread pudding and cover again with the aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven until the bread is no longer soggy, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and set the oven to Broil; broil until golden brown on top, about 5 minutes. Remove and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving



Twice baked mashed potatoes:

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 cups mashed potatoes (prepared with milk and butter) 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a small skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture, mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, bacon, salt and pepper. Spoon into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Good luck!I wanna be a good cook?
I suggest you get a cook book and look through it for recipes that appeal to you and that use ingredients that you can easily obtain. If you don't want to get a cookbook, there are lots of websites available with recipes.



By the way, that thing you have at the end of a meal is a dessert, not the sand of the desert.I wanna be a good cook?
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Yields: 2 pounds



Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 cup

2 pounds white chocolate

Peppermint flavorings, optional



Place candy canes in a plastic bag %26amp; hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.)



Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper %26amp; place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from cookie sheet %26amp; break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)



By Paula Deen



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Hawaiian Skillet Chicken



4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Salt %26amp; pepper to taste

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola, corn, peanut)



Hawaiian Sauce



1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, with juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon flour



Remove tenderloin from chicken breast to allow it to cook evenly. Salt %26amp; pepper all of the chicken. Place flour on a plate %26amp; coat the chicken (including the tenderloins) on both sides with flour, pressing to make sure it adheres. Shake off excess flour.



In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces to the skillet, without crowding the pan, work in batches %26amp; add more oil if necessary. Saut茅 chicken for 4 minutes, without moving, it will become nicely brown. Adjust the heat--up or down if needed. Turn the cutlets %26amp; continue to saut茅 for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is evenly browned %26amp; cooked throughout, (tenderloin pieces take less time, 2 minutes per side)



Transfer the chicken to a plate %26amp; remove the skillet from the heat.



Sauce:



Add the pineapple with the juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, cloves, paprika %26amp; salt. Return the skillet to medium heat %26amp; stir for a minute. Add the tablespoon of flour %26amp; continue to heat the sauce, stirring to collect any remaining juices %26amp; brown bits from pan, %26amp; allowing it to thicken slightly (about 2 minutes).



Pour the sauce over the chicken %26amp; serve with white rice.



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Sizzling Chicken %26amp; Cheese

Yields: 4 servings



2 (4 ounce each) chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

陆 cup shredded white Chihuahua cheese *

2 slices American cheese

Mashed potatoes



Marinade



2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 ounces olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

pepper %26amp; onion medley

1 green pepper, julienne

1 red pepper, julienne

1 yellow onion, julienne



Pound chicken breasts to even thickness. Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken breasts in marinade %26amp; refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.



Slice peppers %26amp; onions %26amp; saut茅 in olive oil until al dente. Season with salt %26amp; pepper. Saut茅 chicken breasts in olive oil over medium heat; cook evenly on both sides to a golden brown color.



Heat cast iron skillet on burner over medium heat until very hot. Place mashed potatoes on top portion of skillet. Place cheeses on bottom portion of skillet %26amp; cover with pepper %26amp; onion medley. Add chicken to top of pepper %26amp; onion medley, resting on potatoes. Top with chopped parsley. Serve 鈥渟izzling.".



Note:



Asadero, chihuahua or oaxaca, cheese is a semi-soft, white, Mexican cheese made from cow's milk. This cheese has good melting properties %26amp; becomes softly stringy when heated. Asadero is used on sandwiches or melted on cooked foods, including pizza %26amp; nachos. Asadero, which means "roaster" or "broiler" is available in braids, balls or rounds. If you don't have access to any, try mozzerrella.



Based on TGI Fridays Recipe



=========================



Grilled Salmon with Teriyaki-style Glaze

Yields: 4 servings



This has to be the best Grilled Salmon Recipe. Not only is it delicious, but it is simplicity, itself, to prepare.



If you go the baked route, do so at a high heat (400掳 F / 200掳 C) for 5 - 10 minutes.



1 lb 4 oz / 600g salmon, cut into 4 fillet portions

2 tablespoons sake

录 cup soy sauce

录 cup mirin

2 tablespoons dark sugar

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed



You will need a greased baking sheet. Heat the grill to a high temperature. In a pot, mix together the sake, soy sauce, mirin %26amp; sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves %26amp; then simmer until the mixture thickens - about 3 - 5 minutes.



Brush this mixture over the salmon fillets. Sprinkle over the crushed coriander seeds. Grill the fillets for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill. Check the fillets after a few minutes %26amp; baste with any extra sauce.
Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce



Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 lime, juice of

1/2 cup peanut butter

freshly squeezed lime juice (a couple of tablespoons)

soy sauce, a splash of

red chili pepper flakes, 1-2 pinches of

1 teaspoon brown sugar

chicken broth or water

salt and pepper

bamboo skewers

lime, cut into wedges

Directions

1Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.

2Slice them into 4-inch pieces.

3In a bowl, combine the juice from one lime with a smashed clove of garlic.

4Add the chicken and let it marinate for 5 minutes.

5Meanwhile, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, red chile flakes, brown sugar, and enough chicken broth or water to make a smooth sauce.

6Adjust seasoning.

7Set aside most of the sauce for dipping and smear the rest on the chicken pieces with a little salt and pepper,

8Thread onto skewers and grill for 2 min on each side or until cooked through.

9Serve with the reserved peanut sauce and lime wedges.

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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

This would have to go into that "so easy it's not really a recipe" category.



1 cut up chicken or just your favorite pieces

2 cups barbecue sauce or a jar of your favorite store-bought



Put the chicken in the slow cooker (Crockpot鈩?is actually a brand name) and cover with the barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (Newer slow cookers will probably only take 4 hours as they cook much hotter than old ones.)

--------------------------------------鈥?br>
Chicken Adobo



1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup white or rice vinegar

1 cup water

1 Tbs chopped garlic

2 bay leaves

black pepper to taste

3-4 pounds of bone-in chicken pieces (1 cut up chicken or your favorite parts)

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, bay leaves and pepper in a pot large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer. Bring the liquid to a boil then add the chicken. Cover and reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook until done (about 30 minutes), turning the chicken partway through cooking.



If you're doing this in advance, refrigerate the chicken in the sauce. About 45 minutes to an hour before you want to eat, pull the chicken from the frig and skim the fat, then let the chicken come to room temperature.



Remove the bay leaves from the sauce and put the liquid in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it reduce to about 1 cup. This will take a while.



Start your grill and grill the chicken 5-10 minutes per side over a medium hot grill.

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Quick Beef and Rice



1 pound ground beef or turkey

2 cups rice

1 package onion soup mix

4 cups water

1 15 oz. can cream of mushroom soup



Brown the ground meat and drain if necessary. Add soup mix, rice, soup, and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, till rice is done.



Options: You can leave out the cream of soup if you don't have it or just make a simple white sauce. If you don't have any onion soup mix, saut茅 an onion and add 2 tsp. beef bouillon instead.

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Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil, and Onions

1/2 cup olive oil

2 pounds tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound mozzarella, cubed

basil to taste, chopped (start with 3/4 cup or so)

salt to taste

1 pound fettuccini, sea shell, or other pasta



Put the olive oil, tomatoes, onion, mozzarella, basil, and salt in a bowl and mix together. Let stand at room temperature an hour or so.



Cook the pasta and drain, then stir into the tomato mixture.



Variation: Use cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella. Add some chopped parsley and crushed red pepper. Omit the pasta, cut down on the cheese, and serve it as a tomato salad on the side!

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Pork Chops and Country Cream Gravy

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp each salt, pepper, marjoram, sage, and thyme

4 boneless pork chops, about 3/4" thick (or cook way less for the thin ones)

1 Tbs butter

1 1/2 cups milk



Mix the flour, salt, pepper, marjoram, sage, and thyme together in a shallow pie pan or other shallow dish.



Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, then melt the butter in it over medium high. Dredge both sides of the pork chops in the flour mixture. SAVE the leftover flour mixture. You'll use it for the gravy.



Brown the pork chops about 2-3 minutes on each side, then reduce the heat and cook another 5-6 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove the chops from the pan and keep warm.



Combine the leftover flour mix with the milk and whisk together, then add to the pan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 2 minutes, stirring, until thickened.

-----------------------------------

Oven Fried Potatoes

2 pounds potatoes, cut in strips or chunks

2-4 Tbs oil or melted butter

1/2 tsp salt



In a large bowl, toss t