Simple dinner recipes anyone?

[No_Go]

I want to cook something to make me look I'm not a complete novice and at least semi-capable of crafting a dish

 

Anything in terms of ingredients that is not too rare will do. No restrictions! I have AllClad cookware, just ..... not too experienced in using it, and when I'm by myself my regular dinners are teen-like (pint of icecream or some pizza usually keeps me alive - I am glad that I still have high metabolism and low blood sugar )

 

But yeah - if anyone can share a simple dinner that will be enjoyed by a big man (not girl appetizers and alike ) I'd be very very grateful and it will save me half-a-day of browsing and ton of money on random grocery purchases just in case I need them

[alphamale]

Meatloaf:

1-1/2 pounds Ground Beef

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 egg

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

Topping:

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

 

Cooking:

Heat oven to 350°F. Measure 1/4 cup tomato sauce; combine with topping ingredients. Set aside.

 

Combine remaining tomato sauce with remaining meatloaf ingredients in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

 

Shape beef mixture into 8 x 4-1/2-inch loaf on rack in broiler pan. Spread topping over meatloaf. Bake in 350°F oven 1 hour, until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160°F.

 

Cook's Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed Ground Beef

 

Color is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into slices. Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.

[FilterCoffee]

Hey No_Go,

 

Already starting to change for him are we? I thought you wanted to take things slow Just make him a sandwich. I don't know a guy who doesn't like one!

[No_Go]

@FilterCoffee- ouch am I that transparent ? I'll take some time to master so it still accounts as slow, right ?

 

@alphamale - yes! That is in the realm of what I want to do! Just need to train myself not to overroast it!

[Eternal Sunshine]

My go to for this kind of thing is lasagna and tiramisu cake. Google "extra easy lasagna recipe". Tiramisu is also deceivingly easy to make.

 

Always seemed well received

[No_Go]

My go to for this kind of thing is lasagna and tiramisu cake. Google "extra easy lasagna recipe". Tiramisu is also deceivingly easy to make.

 

Always seemed well received

 

Ooh love tiramisu!! My restraints are so bad when it comes to it

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

My go to very easy dinner is to cook boneless skinnless chicken thighs in a deep pan with just Italian salad dressing on it. My kids reall like this, and they claim I make the best noodles in the world, so we usually have it with just plain old buttered/salted egg noodles, and a veggie. Or maybe a baked potato. (Last night I made this and we had mashed potatoes)

 

Another super easy one is "fiesta soup." Equal parts of canned black beans (rinsed/drained), diced tomatoes, and corn. Throw it all in a pot, using the juice from the tomatoes and corn as the "broth." You can cook this for as short or long as you want and can add ground turkey or beef too. I top with shredded cheddar and sour cream.

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

Oh sorry, I only skimmed the original post and didn't realize what exactly you were asking! I thought you were asking for quick and easy meals for some reason.

 

Going to get more coffee....

[GorillaTheater]

Do you think he'd like gumbo? I have an authentic, killer recipe, but it takes a while to put together. Also, the proportions are big enough to feed an infantry platoon, so you'd have to account for that.

[RecentChange]

Oh I LOVE cooking, and could give you an endless list of suggestions.

 

BUT, your biggest hurdle is going to be lack of technique. Cooking is an art, you have to know not to stir that gumbo too much or the rice will get starchy, not to over handle ground beef, which causes it to become tough and less flavorful, to not rinse the lasagna noodles, as you loose the starch that helps the sauce stick.

 

My first recommendation - Buy Ye a copy of the Joy of Cooking.

 

Its an oldie, but a goodie - and the best part is that its not just a book of recipes, it teaches TECHNIQUE. Once you understand HOW to cook, you really do not need recipes at all, you can make your own creations. So, any way, I highly recommend reading, and watching videos on technique.

 

That said, you want to feed a man? What about a proper steak?

 

First, choose the cut. I like a rib eye or Porterhouse / T-Bone. These cuts are have more marbling (fat) hence more flavor and tenderness. Bones (like a T-Bone) also impart more flavor (keep that in mind when choosing other cuts, like chicken etc). T-Bones (or their oversized cousins porterhouse) steak have a portion of rib meat like the ribeye, and a portion of New York Steak (which is leaner, and a bit more tough).

 

Okay, now you have picked your cut - be sure to choose a steak that is not cut too thin, you want it to be about inch thick.

 

Now... you have your meat! Time to prep. To cook a great steak, it is important to bring it to room temperature first. This will allow it to cook more evenly. Get your steaks, rinse them, pat dry with paper towels, cover with clean paper towels and let sit out while you prep the rest of your meal.*Pre-heat over to super blazing* (like 450 - 500).

 

*tip* if you want to make your steaks more flavorful and tender, cover well with salt. This will cause the excess water in the meat to be pulled out, and draws in some of the salt. You don't want excess moisture on the meat, as it will cause it to steam, steaming = tough. You don't want that. So - optional tip. Right before cooking, rinse the steaks again to remove the excess salt, and pat dry

 

Okay, now you have your room temp, salted, rinsed and patted dry steaks ready to cook. Rub them with a little olive oil on each side. Add some fresh cracked pepper. Maybe rub them with finely minced garlic if you like.

 

Now... get a pan big enough so that both steaks can fit without any crowding (or use two separate pans - more ideal) - and get it HOT on the stove top (high heat). You are going to use this to SEAR your steaks. This locks in juiciness.

 

So, pans nice and blazing hot - add steak. The goal is to sear one side to a nice brown - DO NOT flip over or mess with too much. Minimal turning over is important. Just take a little peak under a corner when needed. Once one side is nice and seared, flip. Get the other side off to a good sear - and then toss the pan (the oven safe pan! I like cast iron) into your hot oven. This is where the steaks will finish cooking. They will cook quick, I can tell done-ness by the firmness of the meat (poking with finger). You may want to use a meat thermometer (130 for medium). Once "done" remove from oven, place on cutting board, and put a tent of foil over it to rest for 5 mins before serving (resting meat is important!).

 

Now... side dishes! Its a STEAK. It can go with so many things.

 

A sheet pan of roasted vegis might be good. Quarter up some peeled beets, half some Brussels spouts, maybe some carrots, even cauliflower, whatever sounds good. Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs if you like. Place on sheet pan, and roast in a 400+ degree oven. You can do asparagus the same way (drizzled with balsamic is also good).

 

Or easy ol' baked potato, or baked sweet potato. Around here I like a steamed artichoke as a side dish to steak.... pair with a green salad, you have a good dinner!

[basil67]

@FilterCoffee- ouch am I that transparent ? I'll take some time to master so it still accounts as slow, right ?

 

@alphamale - yes! That is in the realm of what I want to do! Just need to train myself not to overroast it!

 

No apologies No_Go. Having a repertoire of easy, filling meals is a life skill which you will never regret learning.

[d0nnivain]

Buy a vertical roaster https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Run-5667-Vertical-Non-Stick/dp/B000I1X4RC/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1520370185&sr=8-7&keywords=vertical+roaster & a whole chicken. Remove the innards from the chicken, put salt & pepper inside & outside of the chicken. Impale the bird on the roaster & stand up in your oven on a cookie sheet. You may have to remove a rack to give it enough room. Cook for about 2 hours at 350F until the plastic timer pops out; you may have to cover the top with tin foil to prevent burning. CAREFULLY remove the pan from the oven because it will be filled with boiling hot grease. Let the chicken rest. Remove from stand & carve. If you don't know how to carve watch a YouTube video. It's how I learned.

 

 

Make some potatoes & a vegetable.

 

 

Viola -- a great filling meal.

[preraph]

This one is super easy, no sauteing, and it looks beautiful and is really juicy and delicious.

 

Oven 450F

 

6 small chicken breasts (I ask meat counter to find 6 small ones)

2 large lemons

spices: paprika, thyme and/or rosemary (dried is fine)

Olive oil

salt and pepper

vegetables of choice(see below)

 

Use baking sheet that has sides on it, cover with foil for no cleaning.

 

Preheat oven to 450.

salt, pepper and put thyme and/or rosemary on breasts. Then sprinkle paprika on breast.

 

Slice lemons into 6 slices each.

 

Put a slice of lemon down on the pan for each breast on one half of the pan. Place the breast on top the lemon. Place the other lemon slices on top the breasts.

 

On other end of pan, arrange vegetables. Some notes: If you use aspargus, let the chicken cook 15 minutes before adding it to the pan. I have used green beans (full time), sliced carrots (full time) and brocolli and/or cauliflower (full time). You could use squash (add 15 minutes later).

 

Sprinkle the vegs with salt and pepper and just lightly with the thyme and/or rosemary (not paprika).

 

Pour olive oil over all to moisten

 

Put in preheated oven for 45 minutes, drain the vegetables (there will be lots of juice).

 

Hardly any pan washing, so easy and quick to put together. It's really delicious and I'm not usually a chicken person that much.

[basil67]

When it comes to easy, I'm a big fan of 'set and forget'.

 

Lamb and Chick Pea Casserole

 

1kg diced lamb. (Leg will do, but shoulder is better. French trimmed lamb shanks also work)

1 tsp ground sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

50g oil

2 large onions, sliced

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 cans tomatoes

2 tsp sugar

1 can chick peas, drained

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tblsp chopped flat leaf parsley

 

Combine lamb, paprika and cumin in a bowl. Refrigerate several hours or overnight (you can skip this step if you don't have time)

 

Heat oil in pan, add lamb mixture and onions, cook, strirring until onions are soft. Stir in turmeric.

 

Add undrained crushed tomatoes and sugar. Simmer uncovered about 40 mins or until lamb is just tender. (cook longer and slower for shoulder or shank)

 

Add chick peas and herbs, simmer uncovered for about 10 mins until lamb is tender and sauce has thickened slightly.

 

Serves 4-6

 

Serve with couscous and greek yoghurt.

 

Freezes well.

[basil67]

No_Go, do you have an oven? The recipe I gave will cook well if you start it on the hob and do the slow cooking in an oven. I have many more oven recipes too. If you can find an affordable casserole dish like Le Creuset make, it will transform your cooking.

Edited March 6, 2018 by basil67

[GorillaTheater]

Do you think he'd like gumbo? I have an authentic, killer recipe, but it takes a while to put together. Also, the proportions are big enough to feed an infantry platoon, so you'd have to account for that.

 

 

I don't know if you want it or not, but I finally had time to type it out (portions are a little vague, I admit):

 

 

Start with the roux, melting either lard or bacon grease in a pan, then adding flour and stirring continuously (it tends to burn) until it's golden brown (or maybe a little darker) with a not-quite-pudding-like consistency.

 

Next, add a bunch (a couple of cups each, maybe) of diced celery, diced green pepper, and diced onions. Also 3 or 4 minced garlic cloves. Cook for 10 minutes or so. Dump the mess in the crock pot. Add chicken broth and/or beef broth.

 

Add a pound or so of andouille sausage or homemade deer sausage. Cook a pound or so of chicken in the pan you just vacated and add it (you don't necessarily have to cook it first, but I do). Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and tabasco sauce to taste.

 

Cook all damn day. About an hour before it's time to eat, crank up the heat and add a pound or so of sliced okra. About a half-hour before, add a pound of shrimp (make sure your pot isboiling at this point), a teaspoon or so of file powder, and parsley.

 

Serve over rice, and cry because it's so good.

[alphamale]

a teaspoon or so of file powder,

 

what is file powder?? is that like black powder? is that what gives it the bang?

[alphamale]

Impale the bird on the roaster...

 

:lmao:

[GorillaTheater]

what is file powder?? is that like black powder? is that what gives it the bang?

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil%C3%A9_powder

 

 

It's a flavoring, but not the bang. That comes from cayenne or tabasco or even crushed red peppers.

[alphamale]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil%C3%A9_powder

 

 

It's a flavoring, but not the bang. That comes from cayenne or tabasco or even crushed red peppers.

 

I've never heard of that before

[todreaminblue]

hey i feel this is pretty simple and its yums the recipe is from off the internet except for my mustard herb reduction.... i have hundreds of cookbooks i have read them all i don't really follow recipes anymore i adjust them to suit my own family palates.....

 

menu for a main and dessert with left overs for a couple more meals could be frozen....(sorry i find it hard to just cook for two)

 

the best slow roasted pork belly with crispy crackle

(meat and three veggie main)

 

1 TABLESPOON EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

2 TABLESPOONS SEA SALT FLAKES

1 X 2KG PIECE BONELESS PORK BELLY, SKIN SCORED AT 1CM INTERVALS (ask butcher to do this for you)

 

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Rub the oil and salt into the pork skin. Place the pork, skin-side down, on a baking tray and roast for 1 hour. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F), turn the pork and roast for a further 1 hour 20 minutes or until the skin is golden and crunchy.

 

whole roasted head of cauliflower

 

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 large head cauliflower, leaves trimmed

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Mix butter, dill, garlic, lemon zest, cumin, salt, and ground black pepper in a bowl.

Cut cauliflower stem flush with the rest of the head so it can stay upright in a casserole dish. Spread butter mixture evenly over the top and sides of cauliflower, place in a casserole dish, and cover with foil.

Roast in the preheated oven until tender and cooked through, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer to a platter and spoon any liquid in the casserole dish over the cauliflower.

 

roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts

 

3-4 large red skinned potatoes

2 cups brussels sprouts

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash potatoes (do not peel) and dice into 1/2″ cubes. Wash brussels sprouts and cut in half (or quarters if they’re extra large).

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and place in a single layer on a parchment lined pan.

Roast 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

 

 

debs mustard herb reduction.

....my sauce has been trial and error and to suit my family who love it...

 

one litre beef stock

600 mls thickened cream

1 and 1/2 cups parsley finely chopped

two tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1/2 jar wholegrain mustard

salt and pepper to taste

two tables spoons sour cream to finish

 

bring beef stock to boil....reduce by half at boiling point in a deep saucepan ...place wooden stirring spoon over saucepan while reducing stock (stops it boiling over )

 

when stock is halved transfer to a frying pan add cream....stir till thick and creamy at simmering point.....approx 25 minutes....add mustard, parsley worcestershire sauce, continue stirring until a burnt caramel colour is achieved....add salt and pepper if needed and to taste..... finish with sour cream stirred in........(my adult kids eat this reduction like soup).....

 

 

dessert ....

tres leche cake

 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 

the cake

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Pierce cake several times with a fork.

 

the cake bath and whipped topping

 

2 cups whole milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

 

 

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 

Combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.

Whip whipping cream, the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Be sure and keep cake refrigerated

 

 

this tres leche is pretty simple and well worth the effort you can win hearts with this cake ....and will have left overs for your besties and family....

 

i dont know if you will like my menu but its a winner dinner....if you organise and prep the ingredients have them lined up on your bench ...its pretty simple...oven temps are pretty close so no real adjusting needs to be done between dishes

 

i hope with whatever you decide to cook from the awesome suggestions on this thread you have a winner dinner..and thoroughly enjoyed......:0).....good luck...chef....smilin...deb

[salparadise]

Here is one that's both easy and delicious. I used to cook a lot for my gf, but this was her favorite. Easy-peasy. Takes about an hour total.

 

You're going to need your All Clad 6 quart sauté pan for this. BTW, I think it's hilarious that you have All Clad cookware and haven't learned to cook. I'd probably marry you for that cookware

 

2-3 large chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on

1 large can (28 oz) of Hunts diced tomatoes

1 large yellow onion diced

1 cup Uncle Ben's white rice

2 cups chicken broth (or water)

 

Salt and pepper the breasts and brown well on both sides (medium high, 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil). Remove breasts and make a fond with the brown stuff from the chicken and a bit of the broth. Add the diced onions and sauté a couple of minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Add the cup of rice stir in for a minute and reduce heat to medium low. Return the breasts to pan, season with thyme, salt and pepper and cover. Cook 20 minutes until rice is cooked and broth is all absorbed. Check the breasts with an instant read thermometer to make sure it's 165F at the thickest part.

 

Serve with another vegetable or some cornbread, whatever you like.

 

You really need to learn to make great cornbread, and it's super easy. Do you have a cast iron skillet?

[todreaminblue]

Here is one that's both easy and delicious. I used to cook a lot for my gf, but this was her favorite. Easy-peasy. Takes about an hour total.

 

You're going to need your All Clad 6 quart sauté pan for this. BTW, I think it's hilarious that you have All Clad cookware and haven't learned to cook. I'd probably marry you for that cookware

 

2-3 large chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on

1 large can (28 oz) of Hunts diced tomatoes

1 large yellow onion diced

1 cup Uncle Ben's white rice

2 cups chicken broth (or water)

 

Salt and pepper the breasts and brown well on both sides (medium high, 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil). Remove breasts and make a fond with the brown stuff from the chicken and a bit of the broth. Add the diced onions and sauté a couple of minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Add the cup of rice stir in for a minute and reduce heat to medium low. Return the breasts to pan, season with thyme, salt and pepper and cover. Cook 20 minutes until rice is cooked and broth is all absorbed. Check the breasts with an instant read thermometer to make sure it's 165F at the thickest part.

 

Serve with another vegetable or some cornbread, whatever you like.

 

You really need to learn to make great cornbread, and it's super easy. Do you have a cast iron skillet?

 

mmmm corn bread...with a chunky chili con carne with sour cream and chunky avo red onion and tomato salsa...heaven

 

your recipe sounds cool sal..easy too......deb

[salparadise]

Here's the cornbread recipe. Not that it's any secret or anything but if you're going to cook for a man this should be an important part of the repertoire.

 

You'll need a 10" cast iron skillet, well seasoned of course.*

 

2 cups self-rising white corn meal, medium or coarse ground (buy from a local mill if possible)

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

3 tbsp Crisco shortening

 

Preheat oven to 450F. Place the skillet in the oven so it heats up along with the oven. Mix the corn meal, buttermilk and eggs in a medium size mixing bowl (old yellow ware preferred). Don't over mix, let sit five minutes at least.

As the oven reaches temperature put the crisco in the skillet and return to the oven. Pour the hot melted shortening into the batter and mix, then quickly pour batter into the skillet and pop it into the oven. Bake 25-30 minutes until nice and golden brown on top. Remove and let sit five minutes before cutting.

 

This is real cornbread. Do not use recipes that include flour or sugar or crap like that. They turn out sweet and soft like cake, not real cornbread.

 

*Don't buy a new cast iron skillet. They don't mak'em like they used to. Pick one up at an estate sale, antique store or ebay. Just make sure there are no cracks, rust or warping. It should sit solid on a flat surface. If its a Griswold or Erie it's a find. Mine was handed down through my family. My grandmother used it, my mother used it, and my daughter is looking forward to my demise to get her hands on it. I bought her a Griswold for graduation to pacify her in the meantime.

[todreaminblue]

Here's the cornbread recipe. Not that it's any secret or anything but if you're going to cook for a man this should be an important part of the repertoire.

 

You'll need a 10" cast iron skillet, well seasoned of course.*

 

2 cups self-rising white corn meal, medium or coarse ground (buy from a local mill if possible)

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

3 tbsp Crisco shortening

 

Preheat oven to 450F. Place the skillet in the oven so it heats up along with the oven. Mix the corn meal, buttermilk and eggs in a medium size mixing bowl (old yellow ware preferred). Don't over mix, let sit five minutes at least.

As the oven reaches temperature put the crisco in the skillet and return to the oven. Pour the hot melted shortening into the batter and mix, then quickly pour batter into the skillet and pop it into the oven. Bake 25-30 minutes until nice and golden brown on top. Remove and let sit five minutes before cutting.

 

This is real cornbread. Do not use recipes that include flour or sugar or crap like that. They turn out sweet and soft like cake, not real cornbread.

 

*Don't buy a new cast iron skillet. They don't mak'em like they used to. Pick one up at an estate sale, antique store or ebay. Just make sure there are no cracks, rust or warping. It should sit solid on a flat surface. If its a Griswold or Erie it's a find. Mine was handed down through my family. My grandmother used it, my mother used it, and my daughter is looking forward to my demise to get her hands on it. I bought her a Griswold for graduation to pacify her in the meantime.

 

 

saliva forming...lol...deb