Ugh! I can't cook!!!!!

[The Mystery Machine]

Thanks for all the tips!!!!!

My problem is that I TORCH all meat. I'm so afraid of making us sick, that I cook it until it is extremely dry.

Got it.

Get yourself some food thermometers. It will make you a better cook. And never turn up the heat, it makes for uneven cooking which can make you more prone to food born illness. That is a no-no.

Get a food thermometer tester. You do NOT cook with these, you stick it in, count to 10, read the temp, and then take it out.
This thermometer is not oven safe but it is handy for quick temps.
You can buy oven safe thermometers for roasts, whole turkeys, chicken, ham.

This is on my thermometer case ....

Poultry 180
Beef well, veal, pork, lamb 170
Beef medium ham 160
Smoked ham, beef rare 140

As a former food worker and temp taker for a food line this is the way to go.
You know you won't be poisoning them and also it will make you a better cook.

 

[slk537]

Boy Scout Stew

1 lb ground beef (cooked all the way! )
1 can Veg-al
1 can green beans
1 packet french onion soup
1 jar beef gravy

brown ground beef, drain. Add soup mix, gravy and stir. Drain cans of veggies, add to mix. Simmer until heated through.

Serve plain, over noodles or rice

My Grandpa used to make this many many years ago with his Scouts on camping trips over the fire. I prefer a skillet and stovetop. Add some Pillsbury rolls and you're all set.

 

[famofsix]

Ahh OP

embrace your crockpot or oven cooking bag,,,buy a meat thermometer and you'll turn your cooking disaster around with these fool-proof friends in your kitchen. Try the the outside grill checking it with the meat-thermometer too. Just marinate the meat overnight if you are unsure of how to season it.

 

[Robinrs]

Ivan's Crispy Chicken
(You can't screw this up, it's very easy.)

Spray a baking dish with PAM
Place one layer of chicken breasts or chicken tenders in the pan.
Sprinkle it with white wine (Holland House Cooking Wine works well, too.)
Sprinkle some garlic powder onto the chicken.
Slice an onion into thin strips and spread that over the chicken.
Cover the chicken with shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

The cheese will crisp up as the chicken cooks.

Serve this with some Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (90 seconds in the microwave) and a bag of frozen vegetables that you've microwaved.

The funny thing is that I found this recipe in the Atkins cookbook. My DS's name is Ivan and he absolutely hates this because it has cheese on it. He hates that this chicken is named after him. He hates cheese, so I usually put a piece of chicken into another baking dish and add everything except the cheese to his.

This sounds SOOOO good!!! I looooove cheese... which is why I did so good on Atkins!!

Keep the recipes COMING! I love these!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Thanks for all the tips!!!!!

My problem is that I TORCH all meat. I'm so afraid of making us sick, that I cook it until it is extremely dry.

Last night's dinner was a pork roast marinated in teriaki sauce. I started out cooking it at 350 for 45 minutes. When I cut it open it was bleeding, so I uped the heat to 450, cut it into four pieces, and cooked it for 20 more minutes. The result reminded my husband of the turkey on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I tried to get the kids to dip it in A-1 (that usually works for everything), but they just skipped it and had mostly bread for dinner.

Wow you sound like me I do not blame you for worrying about making sure the meat is cooked. I too do that. I LIKE my meat dry. I love roast beef that falls apart and I like crunchy pork chops. My family called the pork chops Pork Boards and Pebbles (pork chops and stove top stuffing).

 

[Praying Colonel]

Agreed with the recommendations of a thermometer and a crockpot. Although instant-read thermometers are good, and I have one, I prefer not to use them with meat because poking holes in the meat is a good way to lose juices, which will cause your meat to be drier and have less flavor. I prefer to use a cooking timer and thermometer like this one. You can insert the thermometer once and leave it in, and set it to alarm when the meat reaches the target temperature you want. But an instant-read thermometer is better than "using the force," which is tough for inexperienced meat cooks.

Crockpots are another good way of cooking meat and not drying it out. 2 of my favorite crock pot recipes:

Roast Beef
1 chuck roast, 2 to 3 lbs.
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1/2 cup red wine

Lay out mushrooms on bottom of crock pot. Put roast on top. mix onion soup mix and wine together, then pour over roast. Cook roast on low for 8 hours.

Doesn't get any easier, and it's a foolproof recipe for awesome pot roast.

And I made this crockpot bbq pork recipe a couple of weeks ago, and the family loved it. Great with cole slaw!

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Arg. I just had a big response typed up and lost it. I agree with Praying Colonel. Get yourself a probe thermometre. The best invention ever! You stick the probe into the meat. It's on a cord. The cord is connected to this small digital box. On the box, you just choose what type of meat you are cooking. When the meat is cooked, the alarm goes off. I think they are about 20 bucks.

Also, can I recommend the DIS Dinner Club? We cook from the same recipes and help each other out with advice. You can ask all the "dumb" questions you want there. The link's in my signature.

 

[minkydog]

Awww, I feel your pain. My kids tell people they know dinner is ready when they hear the smoke alarm.

I never became a fabulous cook, but I can do okay. I'm a firm believer in using recipes. And I really do keep a fire extiguisher in the kitchen.

 

[kristilew]

YES, get the probe thermometer. I also used to screw up pork tenderloin. My oven has a probe attachment, which has saved our dinners. The probe goes into the meat, then plugs into the oven itself. You set the temp. you want the meat to reach (which is always listed on the package, btw) and then the oven temp. The oven turns itself off when the meat reaches the desired temp. It always works great.

I think Williams Sonoma sells a similar system if your oven doesn't have this feature.

Also, consider brining your meats, esp. poultry, if you have a drying problem. This ensures moist, yummy, meat. I googled how to do it and use the brining bags also from Williams Sonoma.

Finally, I find Southern Living's recipes really easy to follow, full of useful tips, and always get rave reviews.

Good luck!

 

[disneymarie]

Something my mom made from the back of a cambells soup can was Indian stew.
1 lb ground meat
1 can tomato soup, can of water
Can of baked beans Can of corn, drain the juice.

Sautee the meat drain. Add all ingred's
The novalty of eating something that was possible for the Indians to make was tasty for we kids.
Di

 

[TruBlu]

Awww, I feel your pain. My kids tell people they know dinner is ready when they hear the smoke alarm.

I never became a fabulous cook, but I can do okay. I'm a firm believer in using recipes. And I really do keep a fire extiguisher in the kitchen.

Mine say that about me, too! Believe it or not, I once caught a pre-cooked Honey Baked Turkey on FIRE. When DH tried to take a picture of the flames I gave him a bird that wasn't a turkey.

 

[Accentuate+]

You could go to one of those places where they have dinners planned/veggies chopped/meat portioned/instructions included and pick up a week or months worth of meals. The ones around here are called Dream Dinners and they're pretty good. Follow the instructions and dinner is served. You'll pick up some skills/knowledge along the way.

Even the best cooks have their achilles heel. I have a friend who is a great cook, except for chicken. She shares your fear of undercooking it. Chicken jerky every time.

You could always become a vegetarian.
Everyone has to start somewhere, you'll get the hang of it. Best of luck.

 

[Nancyg56]

I also suggest looking at this thread...please feel free to join us!

Me too! Come on by and ask questions, or just lurk. For the most part the recipes are tried and true family favorites.

 

[DMickey28]

Thanks for all the tips!!!!!

My problem is that I TORCH all meat. I'm so afraid of making us sick, that I cook it until it is extremely dry.

Last night's dinner was a pork roast marinated in teriaki sauce. I started out cooking it at 350 for 45 minutes. When I cut it open it was bleeding, so I uped the heat to 450, cut it into four pieces, and cooked it for 20 more minutes. The result reminded my husband of the turkey on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I tried to get the kids to dip it in A-1 (that usually works for everything), but they just skipped it and had mostly bread for dinner.

One thing to remember about steaks and roast. The inside of the meat is "sterile". Unless the animal itself is carrying a virus or something the inside of the steak or meat will be "sterile". It never comes in contact with air or utensils so it can't get contaminated in processing. I learned this in culinary school, it makes sense but I can't find anything online to back it up. However, when I met DH he ate his meat welldone ... now this is a 250lbs football player. He is a meat and potatoes guy to the core. Once I told him that about red meat he start eating it med-rare and can't believe he ate it that way for so long!! maybe that will help ...

Pork is similar as red meat, not chicken. Good Pork can be eaten pink. chicken can not!! A good pork tenderlion is cooked medium and is yummy!!!

 

[lovesmurfs]

When DH tried to take a picture of the flames I gave him a bird that wasn't a turkey.

OT, but when my DH and I want to flip each other the bird in the presence of children, we just say "tweet tweet". We know what it means.....

I've had really good luck with the seasoned bags -- you buy tenderloin or chicken and add it (sometimes with veggies) in a bag and bake it. Don't remember if they're McCormick, but you can get them in with the stew and gravy packets.