how to learn to cook-vegan?

Question

I suck at cooking. Suck.

When i say i suck i don't mean "i dont like to cook", i mean my food comes out inedible.

It takes forever, nothing is cooked the right amount of time, i do not understand in any way how to tell which spices or flavors compliment each other or how much to use, i can't whip things up out of nothing because i'm not creative at all, don't know how to cut anything right, etc.

How do people know exactly how high to put the heat or whether or not the food should be covered or how long it takes for each food item to cook?

I know practice makes perfect but a) groceries are too expensive to destroy while practicing and b) my girlfriend is a twig and constantly hungry and if she can't eat then she will starve and drop weight like crazy. I can't afford to come out of the kitchen without anything edible.

We rely on mostly prepackaged and bagged foodstuffs and vegan luxuries but i just took a large paycut and i'm trying to learn to cook from scratch with the cheapest essentials i can. But i suck fat woowoos in front of a stove. I've never met another girl who sucks at cooking as bad as me.

Any help? Most of the time recipes seem to call for one-time use items and i have to buy multiple ingredients for one meal 21 times over for each week and i just can't afford that.

Answer 1

I've become an expert in low-budget veggie cooking; here are some suggestions:



Buy cans of beans, baking potatoes, olive oil, veggies of your choice, rice, pasta, tomato sauce, bread, peanut butter, jam, a vegan butter like spread, rice, almond or soy milk (for cereal or baking), lentils, hot cereal grains, mushrooms and any items you love.



Bake a potato for an hour+ in a 400F oven (wrapped in foil) then open it up and top with green onions, mushrooms, olive oil, pepper etc (or spiced canned beans or vegan canned chili)



sandwiches - toast bread and make an avocado tomato, lettuce sandwich, or other veggies, or make a pbJ.



soup - cook up a mirepoix (equal parts chopped onion, carrot and celery with a bit of olive oil (a few tablespoons) till slightly browned) then add veg broth, grains (rice, barley etc) (and/or lentils or beans) and any veggies you have around for a nice soup (simmer till the harder veggies are cooked through) (pepper, herbs and salt can enhance flavors)



cooked pasta and sauce is always a great choice



Stir-fry - Cut up veggies (onions, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes etc) and saute them (a light fry with a little oil, just slowly add the harder veggies first followed by the softer ones in the heat till cooked), add a little soy sauce or bottled stir-fry sauce and serve over cooked rice (invest in a rice cooker... it is a necessity in any kitchen)



cook hot cereal on the stove or in your rice-cooker for an awesome breakfast (don't forget to add a little salt and pepper to taste and perhaps a little olive oil if desired)



roast - Cut up chunks of your favorite veggies and bake at 350-400F till cooked through (about 30 min to 1hr) with a bit of seasoning and olive oil for a nice veggie roast. (best if cooked covered to keep in moisture.)



Marinate some mushrooms (and/or other veggies) in your favorite sauce (for 20-30 min) then cook on a grill if you have one till soft. Serve by themselves or over a bed of rice or pasta.



Notes: ultimately I find that the key to cooking is practice and attention to cooked foods. Over time you will learn when items are done by their taste, color and texture. Just as pasta is known to be done by tasting the noodles as they cook, keep a fork or spoon by the stove and don't be afraid to poke at the food you are cooking to see if it's done yet. If it feels or tastes undone... cook it longer. but if the fork effortlessly sinks into a piece of potato, carrot or other veggie, it is likely ready to eat. As for seasoning; the key is to not over-season as salt and pepper, spices and herbs can always be added but not removed. invest in a Mrs. Dash or other similar seasoning blend instead of a bunch of different herbs and spices. If you are comfortable with adding a few teaspoons of spice to a dish before hand... go for it, otherwise, put a Mrs. Dash salt free spice addition (plus a salt shaker) to the dinner table and let those eating add it themselves.

Answer 2

Be patient with yourself and build your skills over time. Remember that every meal doesn't have to be a gourmet treat, if they fill you up with healthy ingredients that's good enough. Start out REALLY simple (even a google search of "simple vegan recipes" will come up with thousands of results). Watch a few youtube videos, there are heaps of cooking ones there and it's amazing what information you can pick up and how your confidence will increase simply by seeing someone else do something - when you try it yourself at least it will be vaguely familiar. A good place to start would be making a simple chickpea curry. Curries are very forgiving in that you can use any ingredients and adjust the spices as you go along. Buy lots of seasonal fresh produce, and get a pantry going with things like dried beans, lentils, brown rice, nuts, spices, tinned tomatoes, wholegrain pasta. Buy in bulk where possible.



Try this for great vegetarian and vegan Indian food - good videos, straightforward recipes http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/

Answer 3

I know this was posted a couple of years ago!

But if you are still seeking help in the vegan cooking department..



I am a holistic practicioner and vibrational healer.. and i offer my services long distance via skype to help people with their 'conscious cuisine' endeavors with vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and raw cooking classes!

The classes will be completly tailored to your desires..



for more information you can check out my website..



www.adhyaluna.com



or for the direct link to the cooking classes:



http://www.adhyaluna.com/cooking-workshops.html