I can't cook.

I'm 16 and since forever, my mother has cooked for me. I can cook basic things.

Maybe this is partly my fault because I never asked her to teach me, but she never really forwarded the information so I just never learned.

Now I'm sitting here at 16, fat and she cooks us chips, fry-ups etc every. single. day. She doesn't buy in too much healthy stuff - she buys in fruit and soup grudgingly because I have a fit if she doesn't.

I need help in learning how to cook so I can make my own meals. Is there any websites which you know of which have simple, yet healthier recipes on there?!

Would be appreciated...

...I didn't see the recipe section :( Move it for me please mods?

Your mother sounds just like mine when I was growing up.  Fried everything and if it was boiled it had butter on it.

What kind of foods do you like?  Do you like fruits, vegetables, what meats, etc?

Hmmm...

I'd start with something simple. Do you have a crockpot? There are a few decent crock pot books and crock pots are both easy and forgiving :)

healthy-eating-made-easy.com/

Microwaving is great too and very simple.

http://busycooks.about.com/od/microwaveovens/ a/microwavemagic.htm

When I was young, I never wanted to learn how to cook, and now I wish I would have paid attention.  It just always looked so easy when Mom did it.  I've been married for 4 years now, and learned a little about how to cook things that don't come in a box.

A site I would recommend for the new cook is www.kraftfoods.com.  The ingredients are all easy to find, they have videos that show you how to do some basic things, and most of the recipes are very simple.  They also have a "healthy living" section.

oops, link didn't work  www.kraftfoods.com

Have a look at The World's Healthiest Foods

Choose your ingredients from that list.

I'd be happy to post or send you simple recipes to start with.

salome - I like quite a few fruits and vegetables - more vegetables though and meat wise... I'm not a great fan, my protein intake every day is usually below what it should be :/ But I do like roast beef and chicken aslong as there is literally NO fat on it, else I won't touch it.

And yeah, mothers like that just ... ugh.

Kellick - Crockpots? I don't even know what that is lol.

Claire - I would very much appreciate some recipes :D

And thank you for the websites! I'll bookmark them and keep going back to them :D

You can't go wrong with fruits and vegetables.  Especiall raw.  If you want to cook them you can microwave them with just a little water for moisture.  If you want to boil them with a little salt that would work too.  I bought "I Can't Believe It Aint Butter" spray to spray on them when I do them hot.

You can stir-fry almost any vegetables with chicken if you want with just a little olive oil in the pan.  I add a can of low sodium chicken broth to make it juicy.

Sandwiches and salads are always good too.   Bulk them up with lots of vegetables.

Eggs scrambles with just a couple drops of water mixed with lots of vegetables is great.  You can fry in a pan sprayed with a non-stick spray like PAM.

I really like Cooking for Engineers. They have a lot of nice recipes, and the directions are very clearly spelled out with nice pictures for nearly every steps. Every recipe I've tried from them has come out perfectly on my first try....I'm particularly fond of the from-scratch tuna noodle casserole and the new england clam chowder (not particularly healthy, but that can be worked on with a little practice).

Something I'm planning on starting - taking new recipes that looks tasty, and just trying one each week. Some things will turn out badly, and some things will just not be to your liking (but sometimes that can be fixed next time, like with spices or ingredient substitution).

I also read a lot of food blogs and save the recipes that look best (Fat Free Vegan has some great looking stuff, though I haven't tried it yet).

Feel free to contact me....I'm not a good chef (yet), but I'm not afraid of trying stuff, and could give you some recipes to try (my username above @ufl.edu).

k8iemay viola! a Crock pot. Put in food and water and turn it on. (Ok I never cook in one of these but hey I think thats how they work). Oh recipes for said crock pot/slow cooker.

Now my theory on cooking, if you can cook basic things you can (with reading) cook all things. (Though a certain number Three maybe could prove that wrong) You just need to be patient and attentive and willing to eat your mistakes. Edit: ghealach Thank you great link!

Ahhh thanks! I will try all those things - especially the stir fry/ies because I love them

You sound brave :D I like trying new things when my family aren't around to critisize and destroy my confidnce :P But yeah, I'll email you when I sign into hotmail. :)

Ah, yes my mum does have a crockpot, now that I know what it is.

And heh, I don't know - maybe I kind of surpass that theory because anything mildly further than fried foods and ready meals have all gone disasterously wrong =P I might need reading lessons =P

Thank you :D

Here's an easy one that your family might enjoy

Chicken Mexicana

The jalapeno peppers are optional.  You could also add sweet peppers and onions to this to provide more vegetables.

Oh my gosh! You sound just like me. I ddint realise it until I left home
But its ok. I'm teaching myself now, and I'm getting good! There are so many recipies out there!!!

Its not just WHAT you cook but how you cook it. My mum fries or deep fries everything!! Follow recipies but avoid adding oils and fats. I avoid cheesy meals too. So if I pan-fry lamb, i use stock or even vinager and cook it slower.

Also, learn to use the microwave - its so easy and often very healthy. You can steam veggies, cook mince meat (cook it in a micro-proof collander and watch the fat DRIP off. Rinse and continue to cook)

Go to your local shops and grab some recipe idea cards - they're often healthy.

My other trick when I return home is eat what she's cooking ( if i have to) but only have half as much becasue "i'm full from the salad i made" - make a huge bowl of salad to accompany the meal filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, mushrooms, onions, capsicums. It shouldnt be too expensive either.

I'll post a suggestion for an easy peasy dinner

Cooking mince/ground meat - lean version

Frying but healthy
Wash your hands.
Heat fry-pan/skillet and give a light spray with canola oil, or use a non-stick pan.
Toss bits of mince meat into the pan and stir, mashing it up slightly so it crumbles and instead of looking like worms, looks like mince.
When all the meat looks light brown (but not totally cooked) and oil is beginning to appear, take it off the heat, tipping it so the oil can drain. Tip the meat into a clean collander/strainer. Rinse out the pan well. Dry and return to heat.
Rinse the meat. Really. Put it under the tap, stir it around, get rid of that oil, shake it up/whatever.
Now you can add chopped onions or minced garlic to the pan and cook (without oil, cook in stock or light spray or bare) if you desire, until onions are beginning to go see-through . Return meat to the pan and continue to cook until brown. Keep mashing the mince until it looks right. Just keep turning it so it doesnt stick

At this stage you can add sauces or the meat is a bit bare. Try adding healthy pasta sauces (tomato)

Serve this with pita bread that has been cut into triangles and baked in a hot oven, or in tacos, or whereever you use mince.

Google for a microwave recipe but its the same, except when the meat starts to brown, take it out and do the rinse. Return it until cooked. Or in the microwave place it in a collander (micro-proof) in a bowl.

Chicken is also great to cook. Try to bake rather than fry.
Check out this recipe for somehting your family will love. Note the LIGHTLY spray.
OVEN "FRIED" CHICKEN

There's so many great recipies out there. Look up how to make steamed veggies in the microwave. You can eat them plain, and let your fam put butter on them. Or serve with a pasta sauce

Good luck.

You're angels :D When I get home from school I'm copying all these ideas into a Word Document for me to go back too :D

Thank you!!

hey there, I'm 18 and until about one or two years ago I never cooked either. Well, now I cook quite frequently, nothing super complicated though, just ordinary everyday cooking. No one ever taught me, I learned from recipes I guess. And from experience. And if I do have a question, I ask my mum and she gives me some tips.
I think you should just start with simple basic recipes and see how you do. Dunno, make pancakes! Steam some veggies (SUPER easy in the microwave!!), grill some chicken, add herbs or seasoning and voilà!
Maybe you'll burn your first pancake, so what, you'll do better with your second one.
Practise makes perfect :)

Hi K81emay- I don't know what to suggest about how your mom cooks- that's a definate struggle- but the one thing I want to reinforce that several people have already sort of mentioned is that cooking is basically following directions until you get comfortable enough to improvise. My best suggestion would be to go to a library and start looking at cookbooks.  You will find that some of them are really easy to understand and some of them read like a foreign language.  There are lots of resources on the web as well, so if you have a little time to plan ahead, you can look up unfamiliar terms or instructions.   You don't have to cook complicated things-  the suggestions about microwaving  and steaming veggies great suggestions. I like to cook but  I'm not a gormet chef or anything like that, but if you need any help, feel free to ask!