You Can Cook Handbook

This kitchen handbook uses plain language and simple, nutritious recipes, tips and kitchen information. It is our way of helping people feel good about cooking and being able to have healthy meals

Corrections to the handbook

Please note, the Food Safety Info Line no longer exists.

1. Choose the sections you want from the Table of Contents below and download them one by one.

To go straight to the Table of Contents:
Part A: Kitchen Tips and Information (Click here).
Part B: Recipes (Click here).

2. Download the whole handbook at once.

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When you download You Can Cook, please consider making a donation to Nanaimo Community Kitchens. With your support, we can continue our work in the community. Send donations c/o Anita, Executive Director, Nanaimo Community Kitchens, 271 Pine Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R 2B7

Download the complete handbook.

PART A - Kitchen Tips and Information:

TABLE OF CONTENTS	View
Recipe photograph pages	View
Introduction	View
• History of Nanaimo Community Kitchens ...........................................	1
• Story of You Can Cook ......................................................................	2
• Partners of You Can Cook .................................................................	4
Kitchen Tools	View
• Knives ............................................................................................... • Cooking Tools You Will Need ............................................................. • Stove-top Pots .................................................................................. • Oven or Baking Pans You Will Need .................................................. • Useful Electric Tools .......................................................................... • Microwave Ovens ..............................................................................	7 8 11 12 14 15
Measuring Tips	View
• The Right Tools ................................................................................. • How to Measure................................................................................ • Ingredients That Need Different Ways of Measuring ..................................................................................... • Measuring Short Forms ..................................................................... • How to Work Measurements Out ...................................................... • Most Often Used Metric Measurements ............................................ • Weights and Measurements .............................................................	16 17 18 19 19 20 20
Oven Temperature Guide	View
Baking Tips	View
Cooking Ingredients What The Words Mean and How To Do It.	View 23
Slicing, Dicing and more	View
Shopping Tips To Save You Money	View
How to Read Nutrition Labels	View
Basic Foods To Have On Hand	View
Keeping Food Safe	View
• Best Before Date, Storage Times ...................................................... • Handling Fresh Fruits & Vegetables................................................... • Danger Zone ..................................................................................... • Safe Handling of Meats ..................................................................... • Wash Your Hands Often ...................................................................	35 36 37 38 39
Healthy Living	View
• Healthy Foods ................................................................................... • Ideas for Healthy Living .................................................................... • Tips for Feeding Infants and Toddlers............................................... • Canada's Food Guide.........................................................................	40 41 43 45
Seasonings	View
• Herbs and Spices............................................................................... • Garlic and Ginger...............................................................................	46 50
Fats	View
Substitutions (Instead of)	View
Where To Find Other Information & Recipes	View

PART B - Recipes:

How To Read Recipes (in this handbook)	View
Main Dish	View
• Cooking Meat, Poultry and Fish	59
• Cooking Rice	62
• Cooking Pasta	63
Beef	View
• Making a Pot Roast Beef Dinner and Gravy........................................ • Cooking a Tender Roast of Beef ....................................................... • Beef and Vegetable Chili ................................................................... • Beef Stew ......................................................................................... • Beef Stir Fry (Sukiyaki)....................................................................... • Cabbage Roll Casserole .................................................................... • Crusty Italian Casserole ................................................................... • Dan’s Stroganoff ............................................................................... • Goulash ............................................................................................ • Meat Loaf .......................................................................................... • Porcupines (Meatballs with Rice) ...................................................... • Quick Cheeseburger Bake ................................................................ • Tamale Pie ........................................................................................ • Tillicum Tacos .................................................................................... • Yorkshire Beef Casserole ..................................................................	65 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81
Fish	View
• Salmon Burgers ................................................................................ • Salmon Macaroni Supper .................................................................. • Salmon Pie ........................................................................................ • Tuna Casserole .................................................................................	83 84 85 86
Pork	View
• Country Pork Stew ............................................................................ • Ham and Potato Skillet Supper (Gorshki) .......................................... • Macaroni Dinner with Ham and Peas ................................................ • Oven Ribs .........................................................................................	88 89 90 91
Poultry	View
• Roasting Poultry and Gravy .............................................................. • Cooking Times For Whole Birds ........................................................ • Stuffing ............................................................................................. • Add What You Want Rice Dish .......................................................... • Chicken Macaroni Casserole ............................................................. • Curried Chicken ................................................................................ • Ginger Chicken Stir Fry ..................................................................... • Mexican Chicken ............................................................................... • Mid Eastern Chicken Stew ................................................................ • Skillet Italian Dinner ......................................................................... • Sweet and Sour Chicken .................................................................. • Turkey Tetrazzini ..............................................................................	93 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105
Vegetarian	View
• Barley, Green Pepper, and Tomato Casserole .................................. • Cauliflower and Cheese Pie .............................................................. • Cheesy Broccoli and Potato Casserole ............................................. • Curried Onion Pie .............................................................................. • Macaroni and Cheese ....................................................................... • Western Baked Beans ......................................................................	107 108 109 110 111 112
Slow Cooking with a Crock Pot	View
• Using a Crock Pot ............................................................................. • Chuckwagon Stew ............................................................................ • Vegetable Beef Soup ........................................................................	114 115 116
Soups	View
• Soup Stock ........................................................................................ • Celery Cream Soup ........................................................................... • Clam Chowder .................................................................................. • Hamburger Lentil Soup ..................................................................... • Minestrone Shell Soup ...................................................................... • Potato Leek Soup ............................................................................. • Split Pea Soup .................................................................................. • Yummy Bean Soup ............................................................................	118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125
Sauces	View
• Low Fat Alfredo Sauce ...................................................................... • Spaghetti Sauce ............................................................................... • White Sauce and Variations ..............................................................	127 128 129
Salads	View
• Bean Salad ....................................................................................... • Broccoli Salad ................................................................................... • Caesar Salad .................................................................................... • Carrot Broccoli Salad ........................................................................ • Coleslaw .......................................................................................... • Lentil and Rice Salad ........................................................................ • Macaroni Salad ................................................................................. • Marinated Tomatoes ........................................................................ • Pasta Salad ...................................................................................... • Pineapple Black Bean Salad ............................................................. • Potato Salad .................................................................................... • Tangy Italian Salad Dressing ............................................................ • Tossed Green Salad .........................................................................	131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143
Vegetables	View
• Cooking Fresh Vegetables ................................................................ • Cooking Potatoes: - Baked and Stuffed .......................................................................... - Boiled and Microwave ..................................................................... - Mashed .......................................................................................... - Scalloped ........................................................................................ - Oven Baked Fries ........................................................................... - Roasted Potatoes .......................................................................... • Potato Pancakes ............................................................................... • Roasted Vegetables ......................................................................... • Sesame Broccoli ................................................................................ • Turnips and Apples ...........................................................................	145 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157
Baked Goods and Desserts	View
• Baking Mix ......................................................................................... - Apple Coffee Cake .......................................................................... - Apple Oatmeal Muffins .................................................................... - Roll-Ups .......................................................................................... - Scones ........................................................................................... - White Cake .................................................................................... • Apple Pudding ................................................................................... • Baked Bannock ................................................................................. • Banana Bread ................................................................................... • Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins ........................................................ • Biscuits.............................................................................................. • Carrot Cake ...................................................................................... • Chocolate Cake ................................................................................ • Chocolate Chip Cookies .................................................................... • Cornbread ........................................................................................ • Crispy Rice Cereal Fruit Squares ....................................................... • Crumb Crust Pie ................................................................................ • Fruit Crisp ......................................................................................... • Hermits ............................................................................................. • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies ...................................................... • Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars ............................................................. • Oatmeal Date Cake .......................................................................... • Mocha Icing ....................................................................................... • Peanut Butter Cookies ...................................................................... • Peanut Butter Granola Bars .............................................................. • Pear Topped Gingerbread Cake ........................................................ • Vanilla Pudding .................................................................................	159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185
Extras	View
• Chicken Pita Pockets ......................................................................... • French Toast ..................................................................................... • Hummus ............................................................................................ • Pancakes .......................................................................................... • Smoothie .......................................................................................... • Tuna Melts ........................................................................................	187 188 189 190 191 192