How to cook independently

I’ve always been a baker; Brownies, Cookies, Cake…you name it, I loved to cook it. Unfortunately once you move out you can’t, or shouldn’t, live off of this. So in preparation for going to University I combined some of my favourite recipes with some homemade recipes and started to learn. 

Everything I’ve included below is super easy and doesn’t take up more than half an hour out of a busy day. So, let’s begin! You will all be chefs in no time. 

Starters (Or Quick Fixes)

Leek & Potato Soup

• 2 large leeks
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 medium onions
• 1.5pt chicken stock
• 0.5pt milk
• 2oz butter
• 2tbsp. cream
• Salt & Black Pepper

1. Remove the tops and roots from the leeks, discarding the outer layers and split them in half lengthways. Splice up the leeks into small pieces before washing in to or three changes of water.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter before adding the leeks, potatoes and onions and stir them around so they are coated in the sauce.
3. Season with salt and pepper before covering and letting stew for 15 minutes on a very low heat.
4. Now add the stock and milk and recover.
5. Simmer for 20 minutes before blending all contents and serving.

Glasgow Caesar Salad

• 4 thick slcies of white bread, crusts removed.
• 6tbsp. olive oil
• 2cos lettuce hearts
• 2oz Parmesan Cheese
• Cherry Tomatoes
• 2tbsp capers
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon, squeezed.
• 6tbsp single cream
• 1/4tsp. Dijon mustard 
• Salt & Black Pepper

1. Cut the bread into 1cm cubes, roughly.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and then fry the bread cubes for 8 minutes until golden. 
3. Tear the lettuce leaves and place in a salad bowl.
4. Cut up the tomatoes, shave half the cheese into curls and grate the rest.

Now make the dressing:

1. Chop the capers and peel & chop the garlic
2. Set the pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, capers, lemons, garlic, cream, mustard and grated Parmesan. 
3. Whisk until well blended
4. Toss and Serve. 

Quiche:

• Short Crust pastry
• 3oz margarine
• 3oz plain flour
• 1pt milk
• 2 eggs
• 6oz grated cheese
• 8oz grilled bacon

1. Line a Swiss Roll tin with short crust pastry.
2. Melt the margarine, then stir the flour in to create a smooth, thick paste.
3. Gradually add the milk and bring to the boil, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick.
4. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes before removing from the heat and stirring in the beaten eggs, grated cheese and bacon.
5. Pour this mixture over the pastry and bake for 40 minutes at 175 degrees.

Omelette

• 1lb waxy potatos
• Salt & Black pepper
• 1 Red Onion
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 3.5oz frozen peas
• 6 Large eggs
• 4oz Cheddar 

1. Peel and cube the potatoes. Cook in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes or until tender and then drain.
2. Peel and chop the onions and crush the garlic. Deseed and chop the pepper.
3. Heat half the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 3 minutes before adding garlic, red peppers and peas.
4. Fry for 3 minutes and then transfer to a plate.
5. Heat the remaining pan oil and add the potatoes to cook for 8 minutes.
6. Beat the eggs and add the cheese. 
7. Reduce the heat, to avoid the eggs cooking, and pour eggs evenly over the mixture.
8. Cook for 10 minutes on a low heat and serve hot or cold. 

Baked potato

• Big potato: Wash, dry, poke holes and wrap in kitchen roll. Microwave on high for 10 minutes.  Take out, wrap in foil, put in oven on a high heat (180) for 15 minutes. Poke and check cooked. 
• Small potato: Same technique completely in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. 
• Serve with whatever desired

Mains
Salmon Pasta

• Small packet of smoked salmon
• Chopped chives
• Small tub crème fraiche (1/2 fat)
• Salt & Pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Maple Syrup
• Pasta

1. Line baking tray with foil and put oven on to 160 degrees. Put salmon slice on foil and cover with maple syrup. Place in the oven when hot and cook for 8 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix salt, pepper, crème fraiche and maple syrup to desired taste.
3. Remove salmon from oven and allow to cool
4. Cook pasta according to instructions on packet and drain.
5. Add flaked salmon from tray to crème fraiche mix and stir.
6. Heat through and add to drained pasta
7. Serve

Any Leftovers? Put in a sealed tub, label it with contents & date and freeze/consume within 2 days. 


Turkey Mince Stir Fry

• Small pack of turkey mince
• 2 spring onions
• juice of lime (try using ½)
• soy sauce
• oyster sauce
• maple syrup

1. In a hot, dry frying pan stir fry the mince until all cooked through and browned. It should all separate as you stir it round
2. Add chopped spring onions and cook for another few minutes until soft.
3. In a bowl mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, lime juice, grated zest and maple syrup. Taste to make sure it’s correct balance.
4. Add to mince in the pan and stir through to heat up
5. Cook noodles according to packet instructions and drain
6. Serve noodles with mince on top. 

Sweet and Sour (Mix with any meat/vegetable desired)

• 4 desert spoons sugar
• 3 desrt spoons vinegar
• tobasco splashes
• Desert spoon chutney
• Desert spoon branson pickle
• Tomato sauce
• Cornflour

1. Measuring jug: Half a pint of boiling water. Add sugar and dissolve. Add vinegar, tobasco, chutney, tomato sauce and Branson.
2. Stir
3. Add to saucepan
4. Turn heat on 
5. In a cup, small drop of water and a desert spoon of cornflour. Mix till smooth. Stir into sauce. 
6. Bring to boil (not cloudy anymore).

Spag Bol

1. Top and tail carrot and slice. Chop up onion.
2. Pan with spot of oil. Add onion, soften it (5 mins). Add carrots and soften. Take out and put on plate. 
3. Turn heat up on stove till hot. Add beef mince (no oil). Cook until brown. 
4. Once brown add carrot, onion, tin of chopped tomatoes, tomatoe puree, tomato sauce, salt, pepper (few grinds), few drops of tobasco, few drops of woscester sauce, desert spoon of sugar. Mix together.
5. In a cup, put a drop of water. Put 3 tea spoons of bisto. Mix together. Add to pan. 
6. Stir through boil. Give it half an hour on low heat. 
7. Cook pasta as instructed.

To become lasagna, make cheese sauce

• ½ pint milk 
• - salt, pepper, bit of butter

1. Melt butter in pan.
2. In a cup add a small drop of milk. Add 2 tea spoons of cornflour. Mix until smooth. Add to pan with milk and butter. Bring to boil, stir for a few minutes. 
3. Turn down heat. Grate cheese and add to sauce. Mix together. 
4. Check seasoning and thickness. Too thick – add more milk. Too thin – add more cornflour. (If adding more cornflour bring to boil again)
5. Traybake dish: Put layer of mince on bottom, then pasta sheets, then some cheese sauce and repeat until filled. 
6. Put in oven for 30-45 minutes. 

Chicken and leek carbonara 

• 2 chicken breasts cut into chunks 
• Leek (take root off. Cut length wise and then wash)
• ½ fat crème fraiche
• salt
• pepper
• 1 lemon
• Stock
• maple syrup
• Pasta 

1. Hot frying pan put in chicken chunks until browned. Put salt and pepper in. 
2. Add leek and continuing stirring till softened. Maybe add oil depending on cooker to avoid sticking. Turn down heat. 
3. In a bowl, mix ½ lemon juice, crème fraiche, glog of maple syrup and mix together. Adjust to necessary taste.
4. In a mug, take a stock cube and boiling water to dissolve. 
5. Put pan back on heat. Add bowl mix and stock and mix together. Add stock to thin it down. 
6. Bubble through, drain pasta and add sauce/chicken to pasta. 

Sticky Sausages

• Packet of sausages 
• 1 pepper ( cut open, remove seeds and slice)
• Small onion (chopped)
• Few mushrooms (washed and sliced) 
• Maple syrup 
• Honey 
• Salt and pepper

1. In a pan brown the sausages and then remove and drain oil/grease in kitchen roll
2. Non stick baking tray: Put down onions, peppers, mushrooms. Put sausages on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and maple syrup. Drizzle with honey. 
3. Put in oven at 160 for half an hour. 
4. Remove and check sausages are cooked through 

Cheat’s Chicken Rissotto

• Rice 
• Tin of CREAM OF chicken or mushroom soup 
• Half pint chicken stock
• Sweetcorn
• Cooked chicken or leftover chicken 
• Onion (chopped)

1. Cook rice according to instructions and drain
2. In a frying pan, spot of oil, fry onions until soft (5 mins). Add cooked chicken. Add tin of soup. 
3. Mix together and add stock. Leave for 15 minutes on low heat. 
4. Add sweetcorn. Add rice. 
5. Mix together
6. Give another 5 – 10 minutes on a low heat. 

Chicken Stir Fry (Alternate meat or eliminate for Veg. Stir Fry)

• Raw chicken breast (never wash it)
• Noodles
• Sweetcorn
• Soy sauce 
• Tomato Sauce 
• Oyster sauce
• Maple syrup 

1. In a bowl, mix oyster sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce and tomato sauce. Mix together until taste. 
2. Frying pan: High heat, dry, brown chunks of chicken and turn over. 
3. Turn heat down and cook for max 10 minutes. Take thickest chicken and cut in half to check cooked SHOULD BE WHITE RIGHT THROUGH 
4. Turn right down. Cook noodles according to packet instructions. Drain noodles. 
5. Add sauce to cooked chicken and stir all through on low heat. 
6. Add together and serve. 

Tomato Sauce (Can be added to many dishes)

• Pepper
• Onion
• Salt and pepper
• Stock
• Tomato sauce
• Chopped tomatoes 

1. Saucepan: Spot of oil, fry chopped onions until softened. 
2. Add sliced pepper, soften. 
3. Add tomatoes and some tomato sauce, salt, pepper, drop of sugar and ½ pint of stock. 
4. Stir and taste to make sure its not too bitter. Splashes of tobasco or Worcester Sauce 
5. Mash up 
6. If too thin, thicken with cornflour. Drop of water in mug, couple of teaspoons and add to pan and bring to boil. 

Spaghetti meatballs

• Packet of mince
• Salt pepper

Onion

• Egg
• Breadcrumbs (maybe)

1. In a bowl mix all ingredients with hands. 
2. Roll into balls on a plate 
3. Heat a frying pan. Put a drop of oil in bottom and place meatballs clockwise. 
4. Keep turning over until browned 
5. Once brown, put on kitchen roll to drain oil. 
6. Ovenproof dish: Put foil in bottom, sit meatballs on and seal each meatball
7. Put in oven for 20-25 minutes

Tuna Pasta Bake

• 2 tins of tuna
• Packet of tuna pasta bake mix
• Pasta 
• Drained sweetcorn 
• Crushed crisps

1. Drain tuna and corn. Put pasta on to cook as per instructions on packet.  
2. In another pan, follow packet instructions for pasta bake mix. Whisk and bring through boil. 
3. Once boiled add tuna, corn. 
4. Drain pasta and put tuna pasta mix in. Mix. 
5. Put into pasta baking tray. Sprinkle with crushed crisp. 
6. Put in oven for 20-25 minutes

Mac & Cheese

• 1 large tin of tomatoes
• 12 oz. grated cheese
• 1 Large Onion
• 1.5oz butter
• 2 separated eggs
• 8oz. Macaroni

1. Cook macaroni in salted water as per packet instructions.
2. Grease the frying pan with butter and fry onions.
3. Add in flour and milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
4. Add seasoning, 9oz of cheese and the beaten egg yolks.
5. Add in macaroni pasta and fold in egg whites.
6. Place tomatoes in base of dish, add mixture and sprinkle with left over grated cheese.

Saturday Chicken

• ½ pot of single cream
• 4-6 chicken fillets
• Campbell’s condensed mushroom soup
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• Paprika

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and arrange chicken in shallow baking dish.
2. Place sliced mushrooms on top.
3. Smoothly blend the cream ino the soup
4. Add garlic, salt and pepper to this mixture before pouring over chicken.
5. Dust the chicken covered in mixture with paprika.
6. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes

Texas Chilli

• 2lbs braising steak
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5tsp. salt
• 1tsp oregano
• 3/8 cup chilli powder

1. Brown the meat with onion, garlic and seasonings
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and simmer for at least one hour.

Finally, here are some top tips:
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-Don’t be afraid to experiment
-Ask for help
-Research, research, research
-Always be cautious and careful of expiry dates, allergy information and anything you could hurt yourself on.
-It’ll take practice and that’s okay - don’t get disheartened if you burn your first baked potato, we’ve all been there.
-Cooking together can make it more fun. Design a rota for you and your flatmates and make it enjoyable.

​Anonymous