Have any simple, fast, delicious recepies for a BEGINNER??

[SouthernSleever 236]

Hi Friends,

I was sleeved November 29,2010 and am still on my clear liquid phase. I am 20 and have never ever cooked anything other than something out of a box with directions on the back. While I was growing up my mother was always a working woman and I was never taught how to cook anything! I am married and we have been married for over a year now... we have basically been buying really expensive tv dinners and eating out constantly (before my surgery). Now that I am sitting home during my healing process I keep thinking about how wonderful it would be if I knew how to cook! Grilling, Sauting, Roasting, Baking.... everything! I could learn how to cook and make healthy healthy meals for my husband and I. We have no kids and both work full time (at the same company too!) We are together most of the time and usually by the time we leave work we are both tired and do not want to cook. Mc Donalds is just so close and we can smell it walking to the car!

Now that I have had my surgery and am really struggling to get in all my liquids (just not hungry) I keep thinking about how fun it would be to prepare food. Maybe it isn't ... I really don't know. But maybe that can be my new thing instead of over eating. I think I will ask him to go buy us a small indoor grill so I can make shrimp and veggie Shesh Kabobs. (Not that I know how to cook that but it would be great.

After my healing is done I will be back working full time along side my hubby and we will come home to our 2 children (cat and pet snake); excercise and relax.

Sorry for my rambling, I just wanted to fully explain my situation.

If you have any quick, great tasting recepies, tips, advice .... PLEASE share it. I am a beginner starting at square 1.

Thanks,

Madeline

Like Tiff said, crockpot is your friend. ALLRECIPES.COM is even more of a friend. When they say "fold the cheese in" and you are like "What exactly does that mean?" They have videos and tips on how to cook. Here are a couple easy things you can start out making.

In your crockpot put 3-4 breast of chicken. Cover in chicken broth. Put in low for 6 hours or high for 3. Once the chicken breaks apart with your fork seperate the chicken in two bowls. Pour BBQ Sauce over one and you have pulled pork (but it's chicken). You can do the same thing with pork or beef, chicken just sits easier with me. In the other bowl you can put the fixings of your favorite chicken salad (find a recipe on allrecipes) or simmer (cook on med/high) equal parts butter and hot sauce. You want it to the point were it is bubbling just a little not a lot. Once that has simmered for 2 minutes pour it over chicken and then dip it in ranch or bluecheese. Taste just like chicken wings.

[sylvia 0]

Hi I'm from England and if you can't cook I think the best thing to do is buy a blank book and write down a recipie that you would like to cook when you have perfected it write it in the book and method of how you did it and any tips. My book is full of all yummy recipies from the last 20 years. Get your Granny round to your house and get her to show you some simple stuff to cook, maybe you could join a beginners class to learn to do some basic stuff.

I would learn firsrt to cook Pasta and just throw in your favourits stuff and bake it in the oven soooooooooooooo easy then learn to cook rice, then bake potatoes and throw all sorts on one of those, when you have mastered that then add stuff chicken or steak you will suprise yourself how easy it gets. Or ask people at work maybe invite them round to show you how to cook their fav meal.

[Susanne 32]

I would learn firsrt to cook Pasta and just throw in your favourits stuff and bake it in the oven soooooooooooooo easy then learn to cook rice, then bake potatoes and throw all sorts on one of those, when you have mastered that then add stuff chicken or steak you will suprise yourself how easy it gets.

I am not sure this is the best way to start cooking for someone with VSG. It probably works if you are a "normal" person, but what's the sense in cooking with Pasta, rice and potatoes if that's exactly the stuff you shouldn't really be eating in the early phases?

I do like your other suggestion - invite people who you know cook well and ask them to cook with you and show you. It's the easiest to learn by watching someone, much easier than from a cook book and if you have questions, they will answer while a cook book is just sitting there ignoring you, LOL

[BrittanyAnn1 2]

THEY EMAILED THIS OUT AT WORK AND I WAS JUST SITTING HERE MAKING A GROCERY LIST FOR IT WHILE I WAS READING! ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Serve this Tex-Mex Soup with homemade half-whole-wheat flour tortillas, shredded reduced-fat Cheddar or Jack cheese, and a dollop of fat-free sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt, if desired. Make this meatless by using a tofu or soy product in place of the ground sirloin.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground sirloin (around 6%-9% fat), or ground turkey with around 6% fat

1 cup chopped onions

1 16-ounce can pinto Beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can red kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

8 ounces canned Tomato sauce

2 cups Water

2 14.5-ounce cans peeled and diced tomatoes

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies (buy mild, if you prefer)

1 ounce packet taco seasoning mix

1 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt

Preparation:

1. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef or turkey over medium heat until browned. Drain, and set aside.

2. Place the ground meat, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, Water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers, and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

3. Ladle into individual serving bowls, and top each with 1/8 cup shredded cheese and a tablespoon of fat-free sour cream. Serve with homemade flour tortillas.

Yield:

8 servings

Nutritional Information:

Per serving: 288 calories, 20 g Protein, 37 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 2.7 g saturated fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 10 g Fiber, 730 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 22%.

Source: WebMD