I can't even cook an egg or bacon properly.

[TboneToker]

I have been trying to eat better lately and I want to start cooking my own stuff which should help me save money too since I have exclusively been eating out...

The problem that I always forget is that when I try cooking anything it comes out terrible when I'm done. Underdone eggs, underdone bacon, overdone grilled cheese. I can't even get simple things done.

I have had success with apple pies, cherry pies, brownies and other baked goods but I have never once made an appetizing meal.

I even undercook frozen perogies often and one time I was feeding my older brother and I made perogies and they were underdone and I still feel bad about that sometimes.. Like I can't even feed my family properly... anywho.. hopefully someone has some advice..

It feels pretty horrible to always mess up when you're trying to change part of your life. I'm already underweight and undereating but it certainly discourages me when I can't even cook and all I can eat then, is fast food or eating out at a restaurant.

 

[CarolKing]

Do you like a Sunday Pot Roast? My mom would cook this on special days. It's very easy.

Something like a very lean pot roast is easy to cook. I suggest start a nice piece of meat maybe a few pounds. Try to find some lean meat a little fat. Just put a small amount of water like 1/2 cup in the a baking pan, use something with a lid. You need to have something you can bake in. Like something called a Dutch oven. Even a casserole dish with foil on top. It needs to b sealed. Be careful when lifting the lid or foil so you don't get burned from the steam.

Start cooking the meat for an hour on 350. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and add seasoning like Montreal Steak Seasong - add sliced onion, white rose potatoes or yellow Finish potatoes and carrots. You can add whatever root type vegetable.

Cook another 2 hours and your roast should be done. You can add cabbage or mushrooms the last half hour. Buy some rolls and you have a meal.

You can always use a microwave to finish runny scrabbled eggs. Just nuke for 20 seconds or a little less depending how runny. Boiled eggs are easy just boil for 10 min. Fried eggs are more difficult.

Look online for recipes and suggestions.

Edit
I agree pies are hard. Especially the crust. Cooking time is essential no matter what you are cooking. A good recipe online or a cookbook will help. Just follow the directions. It just takes a little practice.

 

[little maggie]

Pies are so much harder to make than meals! I started cooking with a simple cookbook and followed the directions exactly. That includes preheat and timing instructions. Unless you live someplace like Denver that would help you learn to cook better. Then you can begin to experiment. Or find a website with free simple recipes that sound appealing.

I think eggs can be difficult to make- I tend to over or undercook hard boiled eggs. I actually find baking eggs a bit more foolproof. You can use a muffin tin and line the cups with bacon and then add an egg. But I can't remember how long to bake it without looking it up somewhere. Or since you're good with pies even a simple quiche would probably be easy for you.

 

[Hippie]

Muggles (people that can't cook) are funny

Look up Delia Smith online m8
She actually boiled eggs on UK TV in the 70s on her show and taught the UK to cook again.
It's not quite fine dining, more like everyday recipes using simple techniques that she tests to destruction so they really are fool proof and you won't be phoning the take away or throwing money away come tea time.

 

[MyCollie]

Not all egg dishes are that easy. Nailing a "perfect" French Omelet? Probably not so easy - at least not for me.

Eggs are tricky...

Master Class: Thomas Keller on perfecting the egg

The real test of a chef doesn't come from elaborate dishes with luxury ingredients such as foie gras and caviar but from how well he uses the most humble foods in the pantry. Consider the egg. I'm fascinated by seemingly simple dishes like an omelet or a crème caramel because they not only showcase the quality of their ingredients, but, more important, they also demonstrate the skill of the cook who prepared them.

Indeed, it's only through repeatedly preparing these dishes — striving to do better each and every time — that a cook can begin to understand their complexity, and then master them.

The omelet is a perfect example. Granted, there are numerous ways to both prepare and enjoy an omelet, but what I consider to be a perfect omelet — a yellow, uniform exterior without browning or air pockets and a creamy, just-cooked interior — is a test of skill that requires an understanding of the fundamentals of cooking and a measure of patience, both in developing one's craft and in the act of cooking itself.

 

[2 Cycle]

Hey there chum, you gotta hang in there. Keep on cooking, you will be a master soon!

 

[howie105]

If you can't prepaid it in a microwave it takes too long, this was the mantra I had when I was totally buried in jobs awhile back. The honest truth is after awhile I started turning into a vegetarian again because that was even faster, cooking can be an art and I am a house painter.

 

[invertedisdead]

Alchemy is hard.

 

[turk]

....practice....practice....practice.

 

[macbill]

If you have absolutely no interest in learning to cook, it is absolutely ok. There are delivery services that will supply you the necessary ingredients to make a meal. Blue Apron is one that just went public, but there could be a few in your area, even based on food philosophy such as Vegan, lacto-ovo Vegetarian, etc. Google "meal delivery __location__"

 

[little maggie]

I think the things you're making are difficult. Grilled cheese? Much easier to put cheese between 2 pieces of toast.

 

[virtualpurple]

I'd love to hear an update here. @TboneToker have you had any successes at cooking?

If you would like I'm sure the crew here can come up with some simple recipes or shoot you some informative links that may be helpful.