Le Coin des Marmitons

I’m not an expert cook, so can you share a recipe a normal young person can cook. I looked up a few recipes”easy gourmet” recipes and I’m not ready or capable of tackling a recipe with 37 ingredients and 49 different steps.

I’m a 21-year old girl who wants to cook her amazing GF a really good chicken dish. Her mom overcooked all meats (that’s how her dad liked it lol). So her thoughts on chicken are “boring and dried out.”

Any delicious recipes that do not require me ordering speciality ingredients online and then eight hours of cooking?

Thank you in advance for your help.

PS - not a big fan of onions or super spicy things. Thanks.

I started gardening this year and sowed two zucchini seeds just to see what would happen. And now my fridge is filled with about 15 zucchini and I have another 4 currently growing with no signs of stopping yet. I don’t know why I did this because I can hardly think of making one thing with zucchini. I hardly ever eat it though I do like it.

So I’m hoping to hear all of your favourite ways to use zucchini in your cooking! Thanks in advance!

I cook rice and beans probably four times a week. Pasta with whatever vegetables are about to turn the other days. It works but everything ends up tasting the same and I got tired of it.

Recently started picking up random condiments when I spotted them cheap, grabbed gochujang, chili crisp, MSG, tahini, sesame oil from different sale events on tiktok over a few weeks. Most had a decent price cut and they're still half full months later because a little goes a long way.

So far what's been working for me:

Gochujang: chicken thighs in the oven with gochujang, soy sauce, bit of honey. Also mix a small spoon into cream cheese for bread when I'm too lazy to cook.

Chili crisp: fried egg topping every morning. Goes on buttered toast, instant noodles, leftover rice fried up with whatever is in the fridge.

MSG: tiny pinch in soup, pasta sauce, any stir fry. Makes everything taste like you tried harder than you did.

Tahini: thin it out with lemon juice and water, drizzle over roasted vegetables or use as a lazy salad dressing with a bit of mustard.

These completely changed how I feel about cooking the same cheap ingredients every week. What are yours? Looking for more stuff that punches above its price.

It's about a million degrees out so I thought I'd make some sherbet, but I'm definitely not using 2lbs of lemons for just that (there's only 2 of us in the house.) You smarties have any fun ideas for other lemony treats?

🩷

I’m talking the sound of the crunch sounds like it could cut something. Like 2010 KFC cut-the-roof-of-your-mouth thick crispy coating. I want it to sound like I’m eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cap’n Crunch.

What breading/batter & method? (I’m assuming deep fry)

When I was little my local Costco would sell bulk pre cooked quinoa bowls I believe the were the minsley brand. I loved it, I could eat it daily. however the Costco stopped supplying it a long while back and now any precooked quinoa bowls I can find at stores are sold per bowl and extremely expensive. however Dried quinoa is cheap and often sold in bulk so I figured I'd just by it Dried and cook it myself. I've followed instructions online, rinse it, roast slightly for a few minutes, boil in water, leave to simmer and absorb, and then let it sit and steam before fluffing. but the quinoa tastes so different compared to the bowls. and I'm wondering what I can do to make it taste the same. ​I've looked online at the precooked bowls I would eat and they dont have any extra additives listed in the ingredients other than a glucose based chemical which I imagine is a preservative. I really miss the taste of the quinoa and surely I can make it the same way I just dont know how. I've done dry tricolor quinoa, and dry white quinoa, the different quinoas doesnt seem to change the odd flavor profile. am I not rinsing well enough? I know it's not brand specific because I've caved and bought the single packaged precooked bowls, all from different brands, and they've all tasted as good as the bowls Costco used to supply. I dont know, if anyone has some advice please share.

I’m on the hunt for new-ish products (ingredients, tech, cookware) that has changed your cooking for the better — more efficient and/more delicious. Please share!