Easy Cooking

daveyj27 · 16 Jun 2006 at 14:37

Here's a quick, and very easy one:

Cubed smoked bacon.
Olive oil.
A couple of sliced garlic cloves (the OP can skip that, but it's a shame to).
Spaghetti.

Put the spaghetti in a pan of boiling water (with a little olive oil and salt) for ten minutes (or whatever the pasta bag dictates).

While the pasta is boiling fry the garlic and bacon cubes in a olive oil until almost crispy (you need to time it so that it coincided with the pasta being ready).

Drain the spaghetti and put it back in the (now dry) pan it was boiled in.
Tip the bacon and garlic in (including the oil it was cooked in) into the pasta and mix it up. Sprinkle plenty of parmesan cheese into it and then serve.
It's quick, easy and tastes great. It's a shame to do it without garlic, but the bacon should add plenty of flavour still.

Cybermyk · 16 Jun 2006 at 14:53

An omlette

Bar · 16 Jun 2006 at 14:53

Try this dish - its a chicken one that I have cooked many times and although it has onions in it you really do not taste them.

Unfortunately I do not have measurements as I always cook by eye.

Chicken Breasts
Oranges
Onion
Peppercorns
Butter
Chicken Stock

Chop the onions up finely and saute in the butter. Once softened add in the chicken breasts to brown them.

Meanwhile peel and finely chop the orange zest and then obtain the juice from the oranges.

Pour into the pan and add about half a pint of chicken stock. Chuck in a teaspoon of peppercorns and leave to cook. (Simmering gently)

Once the chicken is cooked remove from the pan and leave to rest briefly.

Chuck a knob of butter into the frying pan and whisk while melting. This should leave you with a nice velvety sauce. Pour the mix through a fine mesh sieve and pour over the chicken.

This can be served with anything but my personal preference would be boiled Jersey Royal potatoes, caramalised carrots and steamed brocolli served with flaked almonds.

Presentation wise it looks great due to the richness of the colours - just make sure you serve it on a white dish.

If she likes thai/chinese I have a load of great dishes but the avoidance of garlic is a bit hard as all my dishes have garlic, ginger and chilli as a base.

m00ch0 · 16 Jun 2006 at 14:54

daveyj27 said:
Here's a quick, and very easy one:

Cubed smoked bacon.
Olive oil.
A couple of sliced garlic cloves (the OP can skip that, but it's a shame to).
Spaghetti.

Put the spaghetti in a pan of boiling water (with a little olive oil and salt) for ten minutes (or whatever the pasta bag dictates).

While the pasta is boiling fry the garlic and bacon cubes in a olive oil until almost crispy (you need to time it so that it coincided with the pasta being ready).

Drain the spaghetti and put it back in the (now dry) pan it was boiled in.
Tip the bacon and garlic in (including the oil it was cooked in) into the pasta and mix it up. Sprinkle plenty of parmesan cheese into it and then serve.
It's quick, easy and tastes great. It's a shame to do it without garlic, but the bacon should add plenty of flavour still.

I'm liking that I may test that out

Rich_L · 16 Jun 2006 at 14:57

Mm that sounds tasty

I like chicken breasts with mozarella and green pesto - cook chicken breast till nearly done then just shove mozarella slices and a tbsp of pesto on top and let it all melt and turn into gooey niceness. Yummy.

I reckon someone should make an 'Official OcUK Recipe Thread', there's loads of culinary knowledge and it beats having to look in a recipe book yourself

m00ch0 · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:02

Bar said:
Try this dish - its a chicken one that I have cooked many times and although it has onions in it you really do not taste them.

Unfortunately I do not have measurements as I always cook by eye.

Chicken Breasts
Oranges
Onion
Peppercorns
Butter
Chicken Stock

Chop the onions up finely and saute in the butter. Once softened add in the chicken breasts to brown them.

at this point this should be in a frying pan i take it and waitin untill the chopped onions have softened (forgive my stupidness)

Bar said:
Meanwhile peel and finely chop the orange zest and then obtain the juice from the oranges.

Pour into the pan and add about half a pint of chicken stock. Chuck in a teaspoon of peppercorns and leave to cook. (Simmering gently)

Does chicken stock require abit of water as I've never used it before? I would guess it'll say on the pack!

Bar said:
Once the chicken is cooked remove from the pan and leave to rest briefly.

Chuck a knob of butter into the frying pan and whisk while melting. This should leave you with a nice velvety sauce. Pour the mix through a fine mesh sieve and pour over the chicken.

guess the butter is in the frying pan on its own but knowing me could be wrong so better to ask!

First timer sort of

m00ch0 · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:04

Rich_L said:
Mm that sounds tasty

I like chicken breasts with mozarella and green pesto - cook chicken breast till nearly done then just shove mozarella slices and a tbsp of pesto on top and let it all melt and turn into gooey niceness. Yummy.

I reckon someone should make an 'Official OcUK Recipe Thread', there's loads of culinary knowledge and it beats having to look in a recipe book yourself

That would be fantastic!

Third Opinion · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:07

Rich_L said:
I reckon someone should make an 'Official OcUK Recipe Thread', there's loads of culinary knowledge and it beats having to look in a recipe book yourself

I would be pleased to contribute my recipes. I have loads of BBQ ideas and Thai is my speciality

Cybermyk · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:08

Couple of recipes I put in the dieters thread

Recipe for Balti Chicken

Recipe for Veggie Lasagne

m00ch0 · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:12

Cybermyk said:
Couple of recipes I put in the dieters thread

Recipe for Balti Chicken

Recipe for Veggie Lasagne

damn you making me hungry!!!

Bar · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:18

at this point this should be in a frying pan i take it and waitin untill the chopped onions have softened (forgive my stupidness)

Yup should be in the pan..

Does chicken stock require abit of water as I've never used it before? I would guess it'll say on the pack!

If you want to be really fancy you can make your own stock but for ease just crumble a chicken stock cube or two into a pint of boiling water.

guess the butter is in the frying pan on its own but knowing me could be wrong so better to ask!

When you remove the chicken from the pan you should be left with the softened onions, peppercorns, onion zest and the reduced liqour (chicken stock and orange juice) To this you add the butter and stir. It will thicken the sauce and make it shiny.

Parsley · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:22

m00ch0 said:
Right I need something which me (who cant cook well at all) can have a go at cooking and it cant include much but can have some onions, peppers and garlic can you guys give me some ideas would be very helpful, so I can look things up for recipes!

Pasta! It's easy, if you dont want to put any effort in at all, buy a bag of it, cook it in boiling water (with a bit of salt) until its soft and then whack some Dolmio over it or something.

m00ch0 · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:47

Corran said:
Pasta! It's easy, if you dont want to put any effort in at all, buy a bag of it, cook it in boiling water (with a bit of salt) until its soft and then whack some Dolmio over it or something.

can do that and have done more but chicken seems like the way to go!

Skiddley · 16 Jun 2006 at 15:56

Fresh pasta\raveolli + sauce + black pepper. 5 mins, tastes good and quality food.

loopylou · 16 Jun 2006 at 16:14

1. Buy a huge Yorkshire Pud
2. Brown some mince, onions in a pan.
3. boil some water, peel some potatos, chop in to small chunks, chuck into water.
3. chuck in some beef oxo stock with the mince
4. Add some carrots and baked beans with the mince
5. Simmer the mince for a few mins, while this is simmering take the potatos off the heat, drain and mash (add some cream and milk to make it really creamy - make sure the milk is warm or mash will go lump)
6. Put the mince mixture into the yorkshire pud and then cover in the mash.
7. plonk in the oven (on an oven try)at 200 for 20 mins so the potato goes crispy.
8. take out and eat.

Pho · 16 Jun 2006 at 16:16

http://www.oxo.co.uk/recipes/recipe_view.php/16?search_keyword=&search_category=vegetable_cubes&

easy, and very nice

Nathan · 16 Jun 2006 at 16:31

I dont know what you like ben but...

chilli
bolognaise (sp)
countless different indians
steak + onion gravy

This hot weather we been having lately I been eating silly mounts of jacket potatoes, perfect evening food on a hot night! When are you heading back home outa chester? Should haev been out last nigth damn u !

m00ch0 · 16 Jun 2006 at 16:35

gonna have ago at some chicken

Cybermyk · 16 Jun 2006 at 16:46

Nathan said:
I been eating silly mounts of jacket potatoes, perfect evening food on a hot night!

My ex used to throw a can of Stagg Chilli Con Carne over a jacket potato and add salad. I still wouldn't make it myself but it was palateable

alexakasloth · 16 Jun 2006 at 19:29

"but can have some onions, peppers and garlic "
Put a pan on a low/medium heat, then heat up some olive oil .Chop up the onion finely, and the peppers (red is the best for this) into smallish cubes. Put in the peppers for a couple of minutes then add the onion's, let this cook for around 4-5 mins until the onions have softened. Whilst they're cooking, put on a pan of water and chop up some garlic and add that to the onions/peppers for a minute. Add in a tin of chopped tomatoes stir and let it simmer. Add the pasta when the water is boiling, give it a stir and let it cook until al dente ('with bounce'). Drain, mix and serve (with some parmasan cheese of course!)

I'll have a look around work tommorow for some quick recipes.