Ready to take a culinary step up from boiling Ramen noodles? These starter recipes are ideal for beginner cooks with limited kitchen skills, few tools and tight budgets. Clean-up is easy—you won’t need more than two pans for any of these meals. Cooking for just one or two? Simply cut the amounts in half.
Pasta primavera
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
PASTA PRIMAVERA
SERVES 4
1 12- or 16-ounce box of pasta (your favorite)
12 stalks asparagus, cut in 2-inch pieces, hard ends discarded (or 2 cups broccoli florets)
½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3–4 green onions (white and green parts), sliced in ½-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (or ½–1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic)
¾ cup canned chicken broth
½ cup water left over from cooking pasta
4–5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Juice from 1 lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
In a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Add asparagus and peas to the pot for the final 2 minutes of cooking time. Before draining pasta, scoop out ½ cup of the cooking liquid, and set it aside to use for the sauce. Drain pasta and vegetables in a colander. Take pot off heat, and return pasta and vegetables to pot. Cover to keep warm.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil, and saute green onions and carrots 1–2 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low, add chicken broth and reserved pasta water, and simmer 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in half of the basil and all the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste. Combine the vegetable and broth mixture with the pot of cooked pasta, and toss to mix thoroughly. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and remaining basil.
EASY LOADED NACHOS
Easy loaded nachos
Photo by William P. Edwards
SERVES 4
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ large onion, peeled and chopped
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 15-ounce can black beans, with juices
Tortilla chips
2–3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
2 avocados, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
Jalapeno slices, jarred or fresh
Salsa
Sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, and saute onion until translucent. Add ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces, and cook until brown. Drain off liquid. Add chili powder, cumin, pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, tomatoes and beans. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer about 20 minutes, until mixture has thickened and all juices have evaporated.
On an oven-proof baking dish, arrange a layer of chips, and spoon some of meat mixture and cheese on top, repeating as many layers as you like. Bake 10–12 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from oven. Top with avocado, tomatoes and jalapeno. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
LEMON-THYME CHICKEN PACKETS
Lemon-thyme chicken packets
Photo by Michael Phillips
SERVES 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
All-purpose seasoning
Olive oil
1 pound red potatoes, washed, unpeeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 red onion, peeled and sliced thinly
½ pound fresh green beans
Package of fresh thyme
Lemon slices
Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle chicken breasts with all-purpose seasoning and oil on both sides. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown chicken 2–3 minutes on each side. Set aside.
Cut four large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. On each, make a layer of potatoes, then top with a layer of onion slices. Layer green beans along sides. Top vegetables with a chicken breast and 2–3 lemon slices. Break off four sprigs of fresh thyme, and place one on top of lemon in each packet. Fold the foil closed, completely sealing the packet. Place packets on a shallow baking pan, and bake 35–40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil. Unfold and open packets, creating a foil bowl, and broil 3–5 minutes, until lemon slices are browned. Remove from oven, and let rest 5–10 minutes before serving in packets.
SPICY CHICKEN STIR-FRY
Spicy chicken stir-fry
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
2 bell peppers, assorted colors, cut in ¼-inch strips
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, peeled and cut in ¼-inch strips
2 cups snow peas
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (or 1–1½ teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
Crushed red pepper flakes
Stir together soy sauce, cornstarch and 1/3 cup water in a cup.
Cut chicken breasts crosswise into ¼-inch strips, and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Stir-fry half of chicken until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and repeat with remaining chicken, adding another tablespoon of oil. Transfer to bowl.
Add remaining oil to skillet, and stir-fry bell peppers and onion until onion is golden, 4–5 minutes. Add snow peas and garlic, and cook an additional minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons water, and cook, covered, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Return chicken to skillet, and add pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
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BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”