Learning to cook...

[JK Ferret]

Anyone know a nice, easy meal that i can cook for my family?
Considering im only nearly 16?
On a tight budget?
(etc, etc!)

[Clingy]

Bangers & Mash

[Zak33]

spagetti bolognese?

[Hans Voralberg]

Fried rice with bacon and shrimp, beans. Dead easy. Not too expensive either.

[Lee H]

Spaghetti Bolognaise - simply and very cheap indeed.

[kushtibari]

Spaghetti Carbonara - quicker than bolognese and less chance of doing owt wrong.

[noah]

Spaghetti Carbonara - quicker than bolognese and less chance of doing owt wrong.

i dunno, i've had some flatmates in the past that would beg to differ!! they couldnt make the white/cheese sauce (thats if you use that method) just turned into glue! or scrambled eggs!

i vote spag bol or a chilli con carne, nice and easy

[pre]

Lasagne? Reasonable impressive and easy.

[mike_w]

I've made Spaghetti Bolognese before, it's fairly easy.

[Ferral]

Soup and Dumplings, dead easy to make and go down really well usually

[0iD]

Toad in the hole. Or a hotpot/stew.

[JK Ferret]

ok, i'll do spaghetti bolognese, as it gets lots of votes. now, for a recipe...

[Zak33]

You need:
1 packet of mince beef. Small one from Tesco/sainsbury (about £1.50) for 2 people,larger one for 4 people (£3). Its in the meat fridge section...not frozen. Doesnt have to be expensive...cheap stuff is ok.
Bag of spagetti...its dry, comes in the pasta section in a supermarket and is realy cheap. Buy the cheapest you can find....dont buy "quick cook", its dead easy to do right. I promise. DONT BUY BROWN>>>>>just cheapo normal spag. You wont use it all either and it is really cheap. We can use it next week for summit else normally in a packet..not a bow
Tin of chopped tomatoes (dead cheap, and if they aint chopped you can do it ya self in the tin with a knife) AVOID ONES WITH GARLIC...its horrible in a tin.
Tube of tomato puree....its cheap too.
lump of cheese cheddars fine if you like it...not a lot...justabit. Parmesan or pecorino if you feel posh. Its hard...

DONT USE THAT SH1T IN THE CARDBOARD TUB THAT SMELLS OF VOMIT OR I WILL BEAT YOU UP.....promise me...you wont use that crap. Cheddar is better than that old crap.
Little bit of oil or butter (prob already got)
& I LIKETO HAVE CHEAPO ITALIAN HERBS (they're in theherb rack, caled Mixed Italian herbs..but if not, dont fret)

I guess you have 2 pans.....use the smaller one for mince, the largest one for spagetti

Chop one onion....doesnt matter how good you are at chopping. Just skin it, and chop it into bits the size of your little finger nail.

Heat a small amount of oil in a pan (sunflower or vegetable oil is fine) and gently fry the onion....gently means it doesnt spit, it sizzles quietly... the onions go a "see through" colour

Whack the mince in once the onions are a kinda "see through"...and stir it and chop the mince up with your wooden spoon to help it break into little bits...be patient..no rush dude...

once the mince is browned allover but itsnotvcooked yet (about 5 mniutes) if it looks really oily in there...really fatty....put all the mince and onions to one side of the pan and gently drain sme oil off...

next open that tin of toms and whack half in, then a big squeeze of tomato puree, stir it all together, then leave on a low heat so it gently bubbles...putt he other half a tim of toms in to keep it moist and you can add a little water to iff needed...you decide if you want qite wet and loose or slightly drier.

After about 15 minutes the mince is done, and ytou can put a lid on, and leave it on really low heat to keep it hot. IFyou have herbs put a pinch in, stir and taste. Salt and pepper go in now too. Stir and taste...bit at a time.

Put a pan of water on to boil. Pour a tiny bit of oil in or a little knob of butter and a pinch of salt...let it boil properly and then according to the instructions on the spagetti (ie how long it says it takes to cook) put it in the water and boil vigourously.

NO LID>....open. The mince bolgnese is safe, just stir and check every now and then.

How much pasta....well thats a question. There is a rude way....I'll be more subtle. ut your thumb and first finger together in a O shape.....that's nearly enough for 2...not quite....so grab some spag with those finger and thumb and judge.

NOW BE CAREFULL....its not bendy yet...put the heat DOWN while the spag goes in the water, cos it'll overhang the sides and the flameswill burn it otherwise....after the spag is in for a bout aminute PUSH it into the water....gently...it'll bend.

Once its all in heat up again, and get it on a rolling boil (proper boiling)

Stir it, move it around, make sure nonesticks together

Once its done "al dente" (Italian - means "with bite"...cos its soft but you stil have to bite it cos the very centre is just firm) drain the water...but not all...leave a tad in there.

Now the nice bit....pour some oil (only a little spoon full) or a knob of butter into the spag and mix it up....the "liquor" at the bottom is part spag water and part oil...its gorgeously shiny and lovely.

Now serve the spag with 2 forks.....use them like tongs...to pull the spag out of the pan, leaving the liquor behind.

Then push the spag to the edges of the plate making a nest, and put the bolognes (mince toms herbs micture) in the centre

grate cheese over it.

So:
fry onion.
add mince
borwn it
add toms
add puree

stir a bit. add herbs and salt n pepper. Leave on low light with lid on (20 minutes in total for all that)

boil water (can do that whle making bolognese) add oil.butter and salt

put in spag ...bend it...make it fit.

cook moving it a bit

drain and add oil or butter

serve

good luck

[schmunk]

DONT BUY BROWN

What's wrong with wholewheat spaghetti, eh?

I find it adds a pleasing nuttiness to the affair.

[fondie]

n' crush half a medium garlic in there when you first add the tomatoes.

[JK Ferret]

family said it was very nice, all thanks to you peeps!
also i did chicken tikka masala, which was pretty spicy. no recipe here though.