Kraft Dinner is not enough

It may be pretty obvious but Kraft Dinner really is not enough. While it may be cheap and quick eating it everyday gets pretty boring. Eating out is also easy, but on a tight budget it can get expensive really fast. However if this is the first time that you are out on your own the idea of cooking edible meals may seem intimidating. Fortunately there are many websites and cookbooks that are designed to help you.

Websites

• The Food TV channel has it's own website. Here you can get recipes from your favorite TV show, and search the site to find a recipe for any taste. You can also save the recipes to your file and the website will provide you with a shopping guide for every meal that you've decided to prepare.
  www.foodtv.ca
  
• If you're worried that you won't be able to pick out a healthy recipe try www.healthyalberta.com/he_home.asp
  This site has a list of recipes that are guaranteed to be healthy.

Recommended Cookbooks

• any cookbook in the Betty Crocker line will have easy to follow recipes
• The Absolute Beginner's Cookbook: Or, How Long Do I Cook A 3-minute Egg?
• The Complete Vegan Cookbook: Over 200 Tantalizing Recipes Plus Plenty Of Kitchen Wisdom For Beginners And Experienced Cooks

Whatever cookbook or recipe you pick make sure that it's something that you can have fun with. Take turns cooking with your friends and roommates so the pressure isn't always on you.

Recipes

Chili may not sound that exotic, but it's easy to make and stores well so that you will have leftovers for those nights you don't feel like cooking.

Chili - Serves 8

Ingredients
· 12 mushrooms
· 1 tsp of olive oil
· 4 slices of bacon (optional)
· 1 lb (454 g) of lean ground beef
· 1 medium onion
· 1 cup of carrots
· 2 cloves of garlic
· 1 cup chopped celery
· 1 bay leaf
· 28 oz (800 ml) of red kidney beans
· 28 oz (800 ml) of diced/whole canned tomatoes
· 2 tbsp of tomato paste
· 2 tsp chili powder
· 2 tsp cumin (adjust to taste)
· ½ tsp coriander

Directions
1. Sauté mushrooms in olive oil, remove and set aside.
2. Chop bacon and fry until crisp, drain the bacon.
3. Brown hamburger in bacon drippings and remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, soften onions, crush the garlic and add to the pan, sauté for 30 sec. Add carrots and celery; sauté until soft, then add the bay leaf.
5. Return hamburger, bacon, and mushrooms to the pan, add kidney beans, tomatoes and tomato paste; bring to a boil.
6. Add the chili powder, cumin, and coriander.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.
8. Taste and adjust spices.
9. Serve in bowls with your choice of bread, and a side green salad.

If you'd like to submit your own favorite recipe add it in the comments section!