The most common answer I hear from people is that they don't know how. They don't know what ingredients to buy or what pans to use. They've watched other people struggle to put a simple meal on the table that ended up being tasteless and not worth eating. The lessons learned in "home living" or "home economics" classes have long been forgotten. I don’t even think they teach those classes in today’s high schools. Most people are clueless and they don’t know where to begin.
You begin with the desire to live a healthier lifestyle. You control the amounts of fat, sodium, carbohydrates, or any other additive. You can buy fruits and vegetables in season when they are at their best both flavor and nutritional value. Portion control is as easy as deciding how much food to put on your plate, eliminating the temptation to eat all those fries that came with your restaurant burger. You can probably shop at a farmers market and get fresh, locally grown produce. The produce from the farmers market is so fresh it will last longer in your refrigerator than the vegetables and fruits from the local mega store. Always choose the freshest ingredients. The less something is processed, the fresher it is. The best time to start avoiding heart disease and any number of other health issues is today. Start cooking for yourself today and you begin feeling healthier almost immediately.
It is less expensive to eat at home than to eat out. No matter what level dining you choose, you can produce two to three times as many meals if you bought the ingredients and cooked yourself. The starting point is to get key ingredients into your house. In order to know what key ingredients you should have on hand, start collecting recipes that you want to try. You can collect ingredients and pans as we go along.
It is less time consuming to eat at home. You don’t have to drive to the restaurant, wait to be seated, order food and wait for it to arrive. Instead you can quickly prepare your dish, while it cooks; you can read your mail, make phone calls, catch up on the day’s news or maybe do some laundry.
Cooking for yourself allows you more flexibility than using prepared foods or ordering at a restaurant. You don’t have to be a picky eater to know that sometimes you just don’t want your sandwich with everything on it. At home, if you don't like black olives in your pasta, don't use them. If you like extra basil, add it. You can use olive oil instead of butter or soy milk instead of dairy. The choices are limitless, and your meals are suited to your tastes, every time. What restaurant can do that for you?
Finally, it may all you need to add something special to your personal life. Dinner at home with friends or loved ones and you prepared the food.
Try the recipes you find here and discover the chef at home. Researchers have found that the Mediterranean diet promotes good health. Go shopping and buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil, cold pressed, dried basil, dried tarragon, dried parsley and kosher salt. You will always want to have these ingredients in your kitchen.
The first recipe is marinara. Go to the store and buy; 56 oz. Whole Peeled Tomatoes (if you do not have a blender buy crushed tomatoes),Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Chianti (Italian Red Table Wine), 1 Bunch Fresh Sweet Basil, 1 Bunch Fresh Tarragon, 3 medium Shallots, Salt & Black Pepper.
Instructions: Wash the basil and tarragon, and wrap them in a towel to dry. Purée the tomatoes in your blender. Canned tomatoes are fine, although if you have the patience it takes to peel fresh ones, your sauce will taste that much better. Peel and chop the shallots as finely as you want. Larger pieces, of course, mean chunkier sauce. Chop the basil and tarragon together, very finely, almost to a pulp.
Combine the shallots, basil, and tarragon in a large saucepan. Drizzle enough olive oil into the bottom of the pan to cover the vegetables, about 1/2 cup. Then sprinkle some salt and pepper on top, just to get started.
Sauté the mixture over a low flame for five minutes or so, until the shallots begin to brown around the edges. Then add 1 cup of red wine to the pan (use Merlot or Pinot Noir for a sweeter sauce, Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon for a heavier flavor). Stirring the mixture occasionally, allow it to simmer and reduce for about five minutes. Sprinkle in some more salt and pepper.
Add the tomato purée and stir. Keep the flame low — the more slowly this sauce cooks, the better it tastes. Cover the pan. After ten minutes, uncover and stir the sauce. Taste it, and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Avoid allowing it to boil, as this will make the olive oil separate. Cook the sauce for thirty more minutes, stirring and tasting it at least every ten. If you want a thicker sauce, leave the pan uncovered and stir more frequently, allowing steam to escape but keeping the heat evenly distributed (to prevent the oil from separating).
When the sauce is finished cooking, remove the pan from the flame and cover it (if you haven’t already). If you plan to keep any leftovers, you must let the sauce cool to room temperature before refrigerating it.
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