suggestions please - no recipe required

raewyn64, Mar 6, 8:37am
Hi
I want to increase my cooking skills. I have been bought up with meat, potato, 2 vege boiled till they are limp :)
I want to cook some indian or mexican foods - light on spice for heat but with spice for good flavouring. Also dishes that are easy to prepare to start with anyway. We do like our meat so would like meat dishes.
Any suggestions would be welcome - you don't have to post recipes here - I am happy to google them or follow any links to websites you might have.
Thanks very much in advance.

subo, Mar 6, 8:52am
You will find so much here without having to search beyond TM Recipes. Go to the message board search at the top left, where it says keyword or member and put in indian or mexican and select anytime in the little drop down where it says date posted. Hope that will help you to get started.

cookessentials, Mar 17, 8:16am
x1
Thai chicken curry is a nice easy dish to prepare using coconut milk, various spice, s chicken pieces, julienne carrots, peas etc.

lythande1, Mar 18, 12:24am
Indian is going totally to the other extreme, they are highly spiced. I'd start with something less spiced if going from plain.
Asian, Italian, plenty to google.

missmalice, Mar 18, 12:37am
Oooh my current faves:

Pork Chops - Marinade in ginger beer & soy sauce then grill 10 - 15 mins each side

Chicken - Marinade in 1 tsp Mustard, 1 tsp Honey, 2 Tbs Olive Oil, pan fry then serve on salad

Lamb Leg Steaks - Marinade in Soy Sauce, Olive Oil, little sesame oil, pan fry and serve on anything...

NOM NOM NOM!

winnie231, Mar 18, 1:37am
Indian food doesn't mean spicy ... butter chicken is a good example of this.
Here's a link to lots of versions of this kiwi fav:

http://trademecooks.net.nz/viewtopic. php? f=11&t=253

lythande1, Mar 18, 2:42am
Spicy does not equal hot.
Spicy equals a whole load of different spices. Which all Indian food has, Butter Chicken included. Which is what I meant.

shelley39, Mar 18, 3:53am
heaps you can do with mince. Meat loaf, rissolls, curry mince. stirfry, quich, pies, pizza,

jimminette, Mar 18, 6:27pm
Try using a pumpkin instead of a Cassarole dishThere was a supermarket leaftlet once with a recipe and you used watties tinned Butter Chicken with it so anything goes with pumpkin and it looks good. While you have the oven on do some roasted veges. That will take away that meat and two limp vege looks.

red2, Mar 18, 9:04pm
Have a look at your local library and find some recipe books for the type of food you like and with ingrediants that you would normally buy -

sandra22, Mar 25, 5:14am
You so have to cook up this Butter Chicken recipe, it's not hot or really spicy and it's so easy to make and tastes fantastic. All the spices come in a packet and are nothing like the supermarket rubbish, these are all natural with no additives or nasty stuff. Have a look here www.butterchicken.co.nz - its the best.

poppy62, Mar 25, 9:26pm
You need to go out and buy yourself lots of herbs and spices for a start! Trying using them in different ways when you cook ie: if you want to cook a stew/casserole, add some smoked paprika, cumin and corriander and a tin of flavoured tomatoes - my favorite one is morrocan. Then start to experiment a bit more each time. By the way - I do alot of curries etc and I think one of best products to buy is curry paste and I always go for the red ones - they have the right mix of chillie etc in them but you can still add other spices to give it your personal signature. Garam Massala, Tumeric... . . Dont be afraid to experiment a little.

mvo, Mar 26, 8:11am
Try Mexican Potato Casserole

Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 500g beef mince
• 2-3 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
• 1 green capsicum - chopped
• 1 yellow capsicum - chopped
• 8 spring onions (2 bunches) sliced(or one ordinary onion, finely sliced)
• 3-4 medium tomatoes – chopped
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (or a lot less, according to taste)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3-5 large baking potatoes, sliced thin
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C – aerobake.
2. In a large pan, heat the oil, add the mince, garlic, capsicums and spring onions.
3. Cook, stirring as needed, until the mince is browned and the vegetables are softened.
4. Add tomatoes, spices and salt, cook, stirring as needed until the flavours are blended, about five minutes.
5. Arrange layers of the potatoes and beef mixture in the baking dish.
6. Cover with foil and bake 30-40 minutes (may take longer depending on the type of potatoes).
7. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.
8. Bake until the potatoes are cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes longer.
9. Serve with a green mixed salad.
Notes
Source: Allrecipes.com
Cooking time may vary – it depends on the type of potato used
May need a heaped tablespoon of cumin seeds – some batches are more flavourful than others.

mvo, Mar 26, 8:16am
You might also like
Spicy chicken, by Julie Biuso from Taste Magazine, May 2009, page 68
http://recipefinder. msn.co.nz/article. aspx? id=829458

It has Indian flavours and spices...

motorbo, Dec 6, 3:42pm
try one new recipe a week and make it something with flavours u like, and maybe something healthy, cheap etc , i usually try new things on a sat when i have time, good luck! ! !