Cooking Doesn't Have to Be Complicated

If you think the first thing I'm going to tell you is to make sure you measure everything accurately, you're wrong. My first suggestion will seem nuts, but it works when cooking something from scratch. Throw out your measuring cups and spoons. (I don't mean this literally. If you buy box meals, then I suggest you be accurate in your measurements.) Measurements for recipes made from scratch are just a guess to begin with, so there is no need to be perfectly accurate.

I had a girlfriend who used to get angry because I never used measuring cups or spoons. I'd grab a coffee cup out of the cupboard or a spoon out of the drawer and guess at the measurement. If the recipe called for a quarter of a cup, then I'd guess at a quarter of a cup. If it called for a teaspoon of salt, I'd pour salt into the palm of my hand until it looked like a teaspoonful. (Of course, you have to keep your guess within the ballpark. Don't fill a coffee cup three-quarters full if the recipe calls for a quarter cup.) What really ticked her off, because she was so picky about exact measurements, was everything I cooked came out tasting quite good.

Learn the inconsistencies of your stove top (burners) and the oven. My stove cooks hot. If a recipe calls for something to be cook at medium-high, I cook it at medium. If you're constantly burning things, this may be why. If you are constantly undercooking things, then your stove may be cooking at a lower temperature. Try turning the heat up. Also, different types of ovens cook differently. I have a microwave/convection combination oven. (For those who don't know, a convection oven is an oven with a fan to circulate hot air around the food.) A convection oven cooks faster than a conventional oven, therefore you need to turn the heat down or cook your food less time than the recipe calls for. (A convection setting on a convection/microwave oven uses no microwaves unless it is set to "combination cook" which uses heat and microwave to cook.)

Don't be afraid to experiment. If you think mushrooms will taste good in a recipe, don't say to yourself, the recipe doesn't call for them , so I can't use them. Go right ahead and use mushrooms. Go ahead and sprinkle a little bit of grated orange or lemon peel or both into your French toast mix. Use any ingredient you think will improve a recipe. But don't go wild. Don't put in so many mushrooms all you taste is mushrooms. Don't pour half the container of peel into you French toast mix. If it doesn't improve the recipe, you'll know better next time. But don't give up.

Here are some things I have done. I have added a half of a four ounce can of mushrooms to condensed chicken noodle soup. Also, I only add half a can of liquid, instead a full can, to condensed soups. (Notice I said liquid. I sometimes use milk instead of water; yes-in chicken noodle soup and tomato soup.) Half a can of liquid makes a hardier soup.

In a white cake mix, I have added a small can of crushed pineapple (juice and all) instead of water. (If the mix is too thick then add enough water to bring it to the right consistency. If it's too thin, add flour.)

Here's a homemade soup I made when I was struggling financially. I had all the ingredients in the cupboard. Pour into a big pot (8 qt.) one regular can (14 to 15 oz.) (undrained) of each: corn, peas, and green beans. Add a can of chili with beans. Now add a can of condensed tomato soup and a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Add a small can of mushrooms (liquid and all). Add taco seasoning mix (don't add the whole packet, add a little and taste the soup-if you want more, then add more.) Throw in a handful of uncooked noodles. Cook at medium-low until the noodles are cooked. Check after ten minutes and ever two to three minutes thereafter. Also, stir it occasionally. You can use cooked noodles, but if you do, just heat until hot. If you feel you don't have enough liquid, you can always add water. You can mix up a biscuit mix from scratch and put enough spoonfuls in the soup to cover it, then you'll have dumplings. If I didn't have the condensed soups, chili and taco mix, I just use the cans of vegetables.

The beauty of this soup is if you don't like an ingredient, then don't use it. If you think something will make the soup taste better (like a can of kidney beans), then add it. I added a small can of sliced black olives (drained) one time. Since the soup has a Mexican flavor (from the chili and taco seasoning mix), the olives just added to the flavor. Also, when you buy vegetables in a can, most of the vitamins and nutrition are in the liquid. This way you're getting these vitamins and nutrition rather than dumping them down the drain. This soup lasted me for a week. Yes, I was tired of eating soup every night for a week, but it was better than going hungry and better than another thing I did to get by. I would take a can of vegetables (any vegetable), heat them up and pour them over a slice of bread.

Here's my French toast recipe. I grab a casserole dish (or any bowl that is wide but not too high). Fill it between one-eighth and a quarter full of milk. Throw in anywhere from two to four eggs. (This depends on the size of the eggs or my mood for eggs on that particular morning.) A cap full of vanilla (use the cap off the vanilla container; if you're sloppy and overflow the cap, don't worry about it), a sprinkle of each: salt, grated lemon and orange peel, nutmeg. Then two to five sprinkles of cinnamon (again, my mood). This will make about eight pieces of toast. If you have some left over, don't throw it out. You can use it the next time you make French toast if you use it within about four days (refrigerate). Also, it can be used in your pancake mix. Instead of water, put in your leftover French toast mix. If you still need more liquid, add water. Instead of syrup, try jam or applesauce or fruit on your French toast or pancakes. Also, try peanut butter instead of butter or even both. (I like warm applesauce or cold peaches.)

Okay, now you're probably wondering where I learned to cook. Obviously, not a gourmet cooking school. Here's how I learned. And I suggest if you have any kids of about the same age, you do the same. When I was about eleven or twelve, I was told I could cook anything I wanted to, but whatever I cooked I had to eat. You're probably thinking I ate a lot of stuff the dog wouldn't even smell, but I didn't. Knowing I had to eat it kept me from mixing something like peanut butter, mustard, soy sauce and whipped cream together. I won't say everything came out great, but I certainly learned how to cook.

So get creative and have a happy time cooking!