On Feb 10, 2:21*pm, Madison2 > wrote:
> I am new to this group and I am a starving college student! *I
> never seem to have the time or patience to make good healthy meals.
> When I do, I still become impatient and burn EVERYTHING! *I end up
> eating junk food non-stop, NOT GOOD! *Does anyone have any suggestions
> or cookbooks I could get to help me out?!?!?
> THANKS!!

Madison, try checking out Rachael Ray's new magazine. It's got some
good recipes for beginners, and comes with shopping lists so you can
go to the store and stock up on what you'll need. I always found
homemade omelets fast (under 10 mins) and healthy, especially if you
only use egg whites. Just crack some eggs, take a pat of butter and
melt it in pan, dump in eggs (scramble in bowl first), add some
cheese, and if you like herbs or green peppers/onions, chop them up
and saute them first for a couple of minutes, then dump in the eggs,
and make your own omelet. They're cheap too. Think about buying pork
chops-they fry up quickly. Also, you can buy pre-made meatballs and
just grab a jar of sauce and boil up some noodles or spaghetti, and
you're off. I've never seen the Cooking for Dummies, as I love to
cook, and enjoy making things that take a few hours to prepare, but
start off slow and remember--progress, not perfection. Sure you're
going to burn a few things, including fingers. We've all been there,
and that's how you learn. One dish I also enjoy is a pasta primavera--
just chop up some fresh veggies, like carrots, garlic, onions, squash
(summer or zucchini), tomatoes, and saute them in olive oil. Then
make some pasta and mix in the veggies with another couple of
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or as Rachael Ray says, EVOO), and
then top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. It's really good
and nutritious and fast. You can fix and prepare in 15 minutes. And
if all else fails, Stouffers has some pretty good frozen lasagna that
my roommate and I used to eat back in the day). Good luck!