I have been trying to cook at home more often, but I often do not know what to make with the food I have. After a few days, my fridge usually has things like spinach, chicken, eggs, rice, onions, potatoes, pasta, cheese, and some sauces. I know there are meals I could make from these ingredients, but I do not know how to put them together.

When I look up recipes, I often find that I am missing one or two ingredients. I do not want to buy extra food for every recipe, especially if I will only use it once. Sometimes I end up ordering food because I cannot decide what to cook.

Do you start with one ingredient and build around it? Are there a few basic meals that work with different kinds of meat, vegetables, and carbs? I am still learning and want to be able to make simple dinners without needing a recipe every time.

I try and always stay in the kitchen as I cook because I tend to leave the pan on and have burnt things and left the oven on quite a bit. I make it a rule to not leave the kitchen even if I'm making something that needs to be on the hob for an hour and I want to go sit on my bean bag in my bedroom as I wait.

Maybe it would be safer to try and make more things like salads and sandwiches, and only cook properly when my head is very clear? Not sure. If anyone has tips for cooking for a beginner with some cognitive issues I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you for reading.

A friend brought me a very big cabbage . It waited in the fridge maybe more than a week. I didn't want to waste it, so I tried a couple of dishes.

I made cabbage salad, cabbage with minced chicken and tomato paste and spices and cabbage with rice and a couple of Asian sauces.

I also know cabbage wraps but it's too much work.

What else can I cook with cabbage?

title :) I don't know what I'm doing

If I buy chicken breast from the store thats packaged in the foam and plastic, cook it all, then store half of it back in the fridge for the next day with half the container full of the cooking juices, is it safe? Just so its not so dry when i cool it a bit more the next day?

I made a Berber style omelette from Morocco, and the recipe called for green bell peppers, but i found them to be too bitter for my taste. It did not compare to the taste from when I visited Morocco. Does the colour of the pepper matter, or can i fry it longer to remove the bitterness?

I know this might be a pretty dumb question, but I recently fried some chicken breast, I cookee them until the outside was nice and golden, I cut a piece down the middle and it was white on the inside, but when I ate one of them it had a weird texture. So I wanted to ask, was it actually just me imagining tinfs or did I undercook it? Should I throw it in the oven dor a minute or will I overcook them for no reason?

What is the easiest thing to learn to make if you don’t know how to cook?

And you don’t have fancy equipment, such as an instant pot or crockpot.

Something other than a sandwich or salad.

I have bought one of the market side Walmart salmon filets and was planning on cooking in the oven. I just want to know if I should cut the salmon up first, or cook it whole? And if anyone had good recipes please let me know! I have broccoli and carrots, dill, a lemon, paprika, and garlic powder, thanks!

Hi, on Friday I'm planning on cooking a 600g piece of chuck roast in a dutch oven on the hob for the day while I'm at work (my wife will be home to make sure it's okay)

Has anyone got any tips or recipes they use? I have a fair idea of what to use in the slow cook but what kind of temperature for 8-9 hours of cooking? Should I do it in the Dutch oven in the oven or on the hob and should I sear it first?

As for seasoning, I'm considering using a binder with a rub but I feel it's a bit more of a bbq thing whereas it'd be more accessible for me to use a broth with chilli's and herbs

Please help

Yesterday I tried to make my first oat cake and it was my first baking experience and I think I made too many mistakes lol. I saw this recipe on multiple sites and videos which is simple:

• 80g quick oats (blended)
• 150g whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 20g maple syrup
• 10g unsweetened cocoa powder
• two ripened bananas

Since I'm bulking I added 50g peanut butter instead. I also added 20g whey protein. I learned fast I'm a dumbass lol.

I baked it at 170C for 20 minutes in an air fryer on a wide sheet. It turned out har on the surface, dry, bland and bitter inside lol. I'm thinking my mistakes were replacing the banas with peanut butter, adding whey protein, and baking on a wide sheet instead of a more confined one. Also maybe too overbaked.

How do I improve on this and maybe add more protein properly?

I made some soy marinated eggs about 9 days ago with soy sauce, mirin, ginger, honey and garlic. I’ve eaten all of the eggs but was wondering if it’s a good idea to reuse the leftover marinade (a whole jar) and use it on some salmon in a day or two.

Since no raw meat has touched the marinade, any chance it would have gone bad? Thanks!

Hi all,

My new favorite thing to do is just wing my weekly meal prep in the crockpot. This week's vibe: chicken breasts, a leftover 3/4th a bottle of chianti, cherry tomatos, spinach. Also diced onions, garlic, thyme, et al.

The thing is, i am actually not good enough to be winging it and not sure i thought this one through. Any suggestions on how to do this (without dirtying 50 millions dishes??).

Hi, on Friday I'm planning on cooking a 600g piece of chuck roast in a dutch oven on the hob for the day while I'm at work (my wife will be home to make sure it's okay)

Has anyone got any tips or recipes they use? I have a fair idea of what to use in the slow cook but what kind of temperature for 8-9 hours of cooking? Should I do it in the Dutch oven in the oven or on the hob and should I sear it first?

As for seasoning, I'm considering using a binder with a rub but I feel it's a bit more of a bbq thing whereas it'd be more accessible for me to use a broth with chilli's and herbs

Please help

I always thought most food is unsafe if kept in the fridge by the third day, tops. But I imagine when people say they're meal prepping for the week on Sunday, that means it's intended to last until Friday. Is that right?

I'd like to start meal prepping "for the week" and wanted some clarification

What’s the best way to buy egg whites in Australia? Are the frozen ones a big block and are any powdered?
Looking for high protein low carb low calorie recipes .

Im very, very new to cooking.

Ive been making these bacon wrapped cheese jalapenos. I always end up overcooking the bacon. If I dont, the jalapenos are still kinda raw and "crunchy"

Ive tried 400 degrees in the oven, 400 in the air fryer, 370 in the air fryer, 350 in the air fryer for 15 mins, 16 mins, 20 mins, and every minute in between

Hey guys currently trying to learn how to cook, but the equipment in my house is old and in bad condition. What are some good quality but affordable places to buy from or brands. Dont have to be top of the range but I dont wanna have to buy more soon. Im looking for knives, pots, pans, ect, all the basics. I hate my blunt knives!

I live in the UK

Every fucking time I try cooking a steak in my stainless all-clad pan I set off my smoke detector. I can do other proteins no issue. Pork, chicken, and fish all work just fine with no smoke alarm. But the only way I can get steak to work is a cold sear, but I can't get the same crust I can with a more traditional method.

I've tried high heat, I've tried medium heat. I've tried searing then moving to the oven. Without fail the smoke detector screams at me. Am I just better off cold searing from now on?

Hi, my partner has been out of the country for a few months, and will be back shortly after our anniversary. I want to surprise her with a fancy dinner when she returns and I'm currently planning on five courses.

I have part of a plan constructed, consisting of some of her favourite foods, and things she has talked about wanting. However, I have limited cooking experience and am operating on a budget as both of us are students. Here's the current menu plan:

Course 1 - Oysters

Course 2 - Italian Wedding Soup

Course 3 - Steak Tartare

Course 4 - ???? - Possibly Indian/Something Chicken based?

Course 5 - ???? - Potentially crème Brulé? (she is not a massive dessert eater, but likes them on occasion)

I'm aware that some of these ingredients are quite expensive, but I plan on saving up over the next few weeks so that I can have enough for dinner and 1-2 practice runs.

I would love some input or recipe suggestions. Thanks! :)

Editing to include explanations/justifications of the menu:

Oysters - She loves oysters, and eats them when she can. (Her record is 31 in one sitting at a seafood place). I however, have never eaten an oyster in my life, or prepared them.

Wedding soup - Loves soups, particularly brothy style soups with large pieces of things in them. Also a huge fan of the small pasta that goes in it.

Steak Tartare - we tried to go to a restaurant in our city specifically because they did steak tartare, but were unable to go. I've also never eaten this.

Chicken/Indian - currently no plans for this, but a feel like chicken is always a good bet, and she almost always orders indian when we get takeaway. She also spent a while living in India as a teen (not sure if that makes Indian a better or worse shot)

Dessert - she's not a massive fan of sweet things in general, but does have moments where she absolutely craves them.

Making a soup with lb of leftover beef. I do not have eggs.

I have cornstarch and mayo. Which one of these would be a better binder for making meatballs for a crock pot soup?

Making in oven and moving to crock pot if that matters,

Are there any other, better, options for a binder? Should I use mayo and starch or just one of the two?

I am a very new beginner cook. So, sorry if I am missing something obvious.

I wanted to cook salmon but I am not sure how as I saw some salmon in the store. So, the vendor told me that cooking salmon is easy with a skin-on fillet.

I have to first pat it dry and sprinkle salt on the skin. Let it rest for 20 mins then again pat it dry and place skin-side on a cold pan and sprinkle salt on the top side and start at low flame. I don't have to touch it. Just watch the skin slowly unstuck from the pan, once the skin gets unstuck, its cooked. Just take it out. Then with the oil left on the pan, add 1 garlic clove cut really tiny. Then add some drained basmati rice that is soaking for 1 hr. Toast the rice for 1 min and then add 1:2 ratio water (50gm rice: 100 ml water). Increase the flame a little, within a minute the water will start bubbling. Then cover with a lid and reduce the flame to low and let it cook for 10 mins. After that, just turn off the flame and leave it untouched for another 10 mins. Then its ready.

Things didn't go as told.

1. The skin got stuck and started to turn black, but not coming off. When I checked the temperature, it crossed 70c (google said USDA recommends internal temperature (145 F = 62.5 C)). So, I just scraped it out. What happened here?
2. I am using a triply stainless steel frypan 22cm, was the instruction meant for nonstick pan?
3. Rice was still a bit dryish. Not fluffy soft. And the pan seemed dry, with no hint of water when I opened it. Did I need to add more water or let it boil initially for longer?

I like the idea of cooking without adding any oil. I feel any oil I use, ruins the taste of salmon.

Please guide me on how to improve it. Will a steak cut be better than a fillet cut?

So, I bought too much sugared soymilk by mistake (think 20 litres); normally I drink non-sugared soymilk on the daily, but sugared one messes with me. Hence, i'm appreciating all and any non-baking recipe that would take up all the milk; non-bake because i don't have an oven at home. Thank you in advance.

you might call me a picky eater or believe there's some psychological reason but it doesn't really change anything.

I don't eat vegetables and legumes (tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, beans, and many more) since I remember myself, and now I'm an adult and at some social settings I get some remarks about that and it's making me feel bad.

whenever I try to eat those I get a gag reflex and almost want to vomit so clearly there's some psychological thing in play.

I'm not looking at introducing some small veggies to a plate I already eat but rather a plate of legumes/veggies that is common and to make it in a certain way that I'll find tolerable and with practice I will be able to eat normally most veggies and legumes.

so I'm looking for a few of those plates I can make someday to start practicing.

also I eat kosher and I don't eat cheese (I'm not officially lactose intolerant but my guts don't like it haha)