When it comes to weeknight dinners, it’s so easy to be tempted to order a pizza, or to fill your shopping cart with pre-made meals. It seems like we’re either overworked, or don’t know how to cook for ourselves — sometimes a mix of the two.
The problem with a lot of recipes is that they use too many specific ingredients. Expensive ingredients that are exotic to the everyday person and end up sitting unused in your pantry or fridge, wasting you money. Writing down a list of ten ingredients to make a burger, then realizing you haven’t even started on checking out the components for the side dishes? It’s overwhelming to your mind AND your wallet.
Now You’re Cookin’ focuses on teaching you basic cooking techniques, how to pair ingredients, what to use instead of some fancy-schmancy one-time use ingredient to stretch your dollar, and versatile staple recipes that you’ll love.
The truth is, with some pantry staples and a few tips, it’s simple to put together a healthful meal in just a little bit of time. You don’t always need fancy, expensive ingredients or an entire day to cook. Sometimes the best meals are made of simple, basic ingredients, and can be put together in no time at all.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Melissa, and I’m a food blogger and graphic and web designer living in Los Angeles. I grew up watching Food Network. This, combined with my mother’s influence, made me fall in love with baking and develop a terrible sweet tooth.
At age 16 I became a vegetarian. As the only vegetarian in my family, I started making separate meals for myself, but this consisted mostly of processed convenience-style foods.
At 18, I moved to Southern California. While living on campus and eating in the dorms for a year and a half, I was introduced to foods I had never heard of growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania. It ignited my passion for cooking and being inspired by food.
I wasn’t finally able to start cooking until I moved into my first apartment in college. It was then that I started trying out new recipes I had found online or saw on TV for my boyfriend and I.
Since then it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. To know exactly what is in your food and to be able to confidently serve your friends and family is a feeling like no other.
After college, I began working at Hungry Girl. I started to learn more about what was in the food I was eating and the importance of using whole, minimally processed ingredients. I learned that calories are less important than the actual composition of the food.
I’m no longer a vegetarian, but I often cook meatless meals because they’re quicker and cheaper. I get so frustrated when I buy meat at the beginning of the week and things come up and I’m not able to use it before it goes bad.
Disclaimer: I am not a physician, registered dietitian, or nutritionist. I am just someone with a passion in nutrition and food. Please speak to your doctor before making any major changes in your diet to determine if it is a good path for you.