IntroductionCooking can be a time consuming process and because of this, it’s something many people don’t look forward to. However, with the right recipes, it’s easy to create delicious home cooked meals without spending hours in the kitchen.

Soul Magazine's Easy Home Cooked Recipes Cookbook will show you how to prepare 10 simple home cooked dishes that can be served up for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack.

Each recipe comes with:

• A list of the ingredients you’ll need• Text instructions that explain each step of the recipe preparation• Supporting food photographs for each step of the recipe

So, read on and make cooking at home something you look forward to with these easyhome cooked recipes!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Pizza and barbecues are what picnics and summers are made of, and everything ismuch better when you combine these two all-time favorites together. Whether it may befor a hearty dinner, or for game night, this BBQ chicken pizza is always a grand slam.

What You Will Need:

1 medium sized frozen or homemade pizza crust 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce 1.5 cups cooked grilled or roasted chicken, homemade or from the deli, sliced into

cubes 1.5 cups shredded smoked mozzarella or regular mozzarella 1 large red onion, cut into rings or half rings

Let's Make Some Mean BBQ Chicken Pizza!

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and gather everything you need.

2. Mix up the sliced chicken with the BBQ sauce.

3. To help the pizza crust not get soggy, bake it in the oven by itself for 5 minutes untilit is just starting to be lightly browned.

4. Place the chicken and sauce mixture over the baked pizza crust, making sure tospread everything as evenly as you can.

5. Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top of the chicken and sauce mixture.

6. Load up the red onions.

7. Top with the rest of the cheese.

8. Bake for 10 minutes or until the pizza has browned and the cheese has fully melted.

9. This recipe can easily serve 2-3 people as a full meal. Enjoy.

Breakfast Pizza

Ever craved pizza for breakfast? Yes you probably have, but this recipe is far from just eating the leftover pizza you may have managed to save from last night’s dinner or movie night. This breakfast pizza is a full breakfast in pizza form. Laden with cheese, bacon, eggs, hash browns and sun dried tomato on a tortilla crust to save on time, this creative breakfast idea will make you get out of bed as soon as you wake up.

What You Will Need:

5 raw eggs (quail or chicken just use the smallest eggs you can find) 10-12 inch flour tortilla (in this recipe we used the whole wheat variety) 2 ounces of shredded cheese (cheddar is a good option, as is

mozzarella) 3 pieces sun dried tomatoes preserved in oil, chopped 2 slices of regular bacon (or 1 round of Canadian bacon), chopped 1-2 hash brown patties

Let’s Make Some Pizza!

1. Prepare all your needed ingredients and preheat oven to 175C.

2. On your baking tray, lay down the flour tortilla and spread the cheese and baconover it.

3. Follow it up with the sun dried tomatoes and the hash brown. Crumble the hashbrown patties or break them up into pieces to distribute them evenly.

4. Crack the quail eggs over the uncooked pizza. If you are using a chicken egg, youmay want to leave the center of the pizza without toppings to form a well you cancrack the egg over.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the toppings are cooked, the cheese is fully melted andthe tortilla crust has crisped up.

6. Take out of the oven and serve up! This makes for a hearty breakfast for one or canbe shared with someone. Enjoy!

Caprese Pizza with Tortilla Crust

Ever craved pizza while on a diet? If you are watching your caloric intake or just want a new way to enjoy pizza and tortillas, this caprese pizza with whole wheat tortilla crust will save the day. It can be put together in minutes and tastes delicious.

What You Will Need:

1/3 to ½ cup marinara sauce or tomato sauce (can use tomato puree) 1 10-12 inch whole wheat flour tortilla (may use regular tortilla) ½ teaspoon dried oregano (1 teaspoon if using fresh leaves) Some basil leaves 3-4 ounces of mozzarella cheese Ground black pepper (to taste) Dried red chili flakes (optional)

Pizza Time!

1. Bring all the ingredients together. Preheat the oven to 180C for at least 15 minutes.

2. Make your own no-cook pizza sauce by combining the marinara, tomato sauce,tomato puree, ground black pepper, red chili flakes and oregano leaves together.

3. Spread the sauce over the top of the whole wheat tortilla. Layer in some basilleaves and crumble/shred the mozzarella on top.

4. Bake for about 5-10 minutes or until the tortilla’s edges have crisped up and thecheese has melted.

5. You may drizzle in some olive oil if you want, but this pizza with a twist is good as itis.

6. Enjoy this simplified pizza!

Homemade Frappe/Iced Mocha Latte

This iced coffee recipe is a great dessert or snack option that’s thick, creamy and so delicious. The best part is you can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home and it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.

What You Will Need:

Whipped cream ½ oz coffee beans (for each serving) 1 cup of ice (for each serving) 1 cup of water (for each serving) ¼ cup of condensed milk (for each serving) 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup (for each

serving)

Let’s Make This Frappe Happen!

1. Check that you have all your ingredients. You will also need a blender for this recipeplus a tall glass and straw for better presentation when serving the beverage.

2. Grind the coffee beans.

3. Brew the coffee with the coffee grounds and water.

4. Prepare your assembly line, especially if making the frappe for several people.

5. In a blender, combine 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup, ¾ cup of ice, 1 cup cooledbrewed coffee and ¼ cup of condensed milk per serving. Blend thoroughly.

6. Prepare your serving glasses by placing the ¼ cup of ice in each glass and drizzlingthe sides with 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup.

7. Pour the blended coffee into each glass and top with some whipped cream.

8. Drizzle with some extra chocolate syrup and add a straw for extra flair!

9. Enjoy your tall glass of home-made frappe!

Pasta Soup

If you love lasagna, then you’ll love this hearty meal that’s perfect for the colder months. It’s a soup, a casserole, and your good ‘ole lasagne all rolled in 1 easy dish that takes only a single pot to make! You can make it as ‘soupy’ or as dry as you want and it all comes together in 30 minutes or less!

What You’ll Need:

1 pound of minced beef (ground beef) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped up 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped Half a tablespoon of dried basil (use 1 heaped tablespoon if using the fresh herb) 1 teaspoon oregano (use twice the amount if using fresh herbs) Half a cup tomato paste Half a pound farfalle pasta (also called bowtie pasta) Half a pound fresh mozzarella cheese 4 cups beef stock (you may use more if you want it saucier or more like soup) Salt and pepper to taste

***you can adjust the amount of herbs you use based on your personal preference

Let’s Make Some Delicious Lasagna Soup!

1. Start by cooking your beef with the olive oil in a deep pan over medium high heat.Once the beef is cooked, add in the onion and saute until the onion becomesslightly translucent.

2. Add the garlic and herbs, then turn the heat to medium, frequently stirring themixture until you can smell the garlic.

3. Add the tomato paste and saute until the oil starts turning a bit red from the tomato.This step is crucial to give the dish a deeper flavor, like it’s been cooking for half theday.

4. Add the beef broth and pasta. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil,then simmer and cover for 10 minutes.

5. You may need to check on it or add a little more broth if you want the dish to bemore like soup instead of a casserole consistency. Check if the pasta is alreadytender.

6. Once the pasta is already al dente, you may further adjust the sauciness of the dishby adding more broth, or if you are already happy with how the dish is, simplyseason with salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the fresh mozzarella on top and turnthe heat to very low. Cover for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese turns gooey.

7. Once the cheese has melted, it’s ready!

8. Serve in individual bowls or eat family style! This recipe easily serves 4 people.

Glazed Pork

If you love pork, you’ll surely love this recipe for glazed pork. This succulent pork in a sweet and tangy fresh-tasting sauce is in a league of its own. It’s like having your favorite pork barbecue only better. Serve this with rice or noodles and you’ll surely be everyone’s best friend.

What You’ll Need:

2 pounds pork with the bone left in (best cuts to use are shoulder or pork legs) 1 ounce piece of fresh ginger root, sliced thinly ½ cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon cooking oil ½ cup vinegar (cane vinegar or white wine vinegar works well) 2/3 cup water 1/3 cup brown sugar 2-3 pieces star anise

Let’s Cook Up Some Juicy Glazed Pork!

1. Wash the pork pieces and place in an unheated heavy bottom pan with 1tablespoon of cooking oil. Turn up the heat to medium-high and sear the porkpieces until some parts are fully browned. This technique gives the finished dish somuch flavor!

2. Once the pork has been seared, add in the ginger slices and allow the ginger toinfuse with the oil for about a minute.

3. Then add the soy sauce.

4. Followed by the water.

5. And then the vinegar. Cover and cook on medium heat until only about half a cup ofthe liquid remains.

6. Add in the sugar and star anise. Make sure the sugar gets dissolved in the sauce.Coat the pork pieces with this mixture and then cover. Simmer for about 2 to 3minutes until you can really smell the aromatic flavor of the star anise.

7. The finished dish will be glossy, delicious, and oh-so-tempting!

8. Serve with plenty of rice. This dish is good for 4 to 6 generous servings.

Easy Oven Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken comes in many forms and flavors. However, not all of these are created equal. If you want some tasty, juicy, smoky and flavor packed oven roasted chicken that only takes minimal effort to make, then you will love this perfectly seasoned oven roasted chicken recipe.

What You Will Need:

1 kilo of assorted chicken cuts (a little over 2 lbs). Use thigh, wings and drumsticksfor best flavor.

Brine solution: 2 cups water, 1 heaped tablespoon rock salt, 1/3 cup brown sugar Roast rub: 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 3 tablespoons paprika, 1/3 cup

brown sugar, 1/4 cup bacon drippings or plain olive oil, 1 tablespoon dried oreganoand 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes for extra heat.

Time to Roast Some Chicken in the Oven!

1. Prepare the chicken and the ingredients for the brine mixture first.

2. Combine brine solution ingredients and mix thoroughly until all the sugar and saltare dissolved. Pour over the washed up and cut chicken pieces, and let stand in therefrigerator for an hour up to overnight.

3. Once the chicken has spent some time in the brine solution and you are ready toroast it, gather the ingredients for the roast rub.

4. Drain the chicken and place it in a big bowl or container. Pour the roast rubingredients into this bowl or container.

5. Massage the roast rub mix unto the chicken until all pieces are coated. Transfer to aroasting dish or pan, taking care to place the chicken pieces skin side down.

6. Pour the extra roast rub mixture over the chicken and roast in a preheated oven at200C for 12-15 minutes. You may use a broiler too, but you need to adjust thecooking time to 10 minutes for this phase.

7. Take out of the oven and flip the chicken pieces so that the skin side is now up.Return to the oven for another 10 minutes or 7-8 minutes if using a broiler.

8. Perfectly roasted! Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

9. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, a salad, or just on its own! This dish is evenbetter the following day. Just make sure to save the drippings for gravy orsomething to coat the chicken with if reheating. This recipe is good for 5-6 people.

Pot Stickers

Pot stickers, otherwise known as pan-fried dumplings has long been a popular Asian dish that’s part of every China town menu. But do you know that it is so easy to make them at home too? You’ll only need a few ingredients and a new cooking trick to come up with perfectly fried dumplings right in your very own kitchen!

What You’ll Need:

1 pound lean pork mince 1 small head cabbage shredded or cut into slaw-size pieces (about 2 cups) 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional) Dumpling wrappers (about 30-36 pieces, exactly 1 packet from the store) 1 cup green onion, cut into very small pieces 1 teaspoon salt Pepper to taste (just a pinch to be on the safe side) Half a cup of water per cooking batch 1 teaspoon oil per cooking batch

Let’s Make Some Delicious Pan Fried Dumplings!

1. Prepare all your ingredients. Like with many other Asian dishes, ingredientpreparation takes the most time.

2. In a bowl, combine the pork mince, napa cabbage, salt, pepper, sesame oil, andgreen onions.

3. Mix everything together thoroughly until you can make balls out of the mixture andthe balls stay formed. Let the mixture rest for about half an hour.

4. When you’re ready to make dumplings, place about a tablespoon of the mixture inthe center of a dumpling wrapper.

5. Wet the edges with a bit of water and fold over to seal the edges together.

6. To create the dumpling shape, press the dumpling’s rounded side down.

7. Repeat until you’ve gone through all your mixture and dumpling wrappers (you willbe able to make about 30-36 dumplings).

8. To cook, choose a flat-bottom nonstick pan. Arrange the dumplings (you can fit 8-12dumplings at a time) in the pan, then add half a cup of water and a teaspoon of oil.Cook covered over medium high heat. The steam will cook the dumplingsthoroughly.

9. After about 10 minutes, take off the cover. The water will dry up and the bottoms ofthe dumplings will start to fry from the rendered pork fat and the oil. Perfectly crispdumpling bottoms!

10.Repeat steps 8 and 9 to cook the rest. You can also freeze the uncooked dumplingson a tray until frozen and then transfer into separate ziplock bags for ‘instant’ pan-fried dumplings when you feel like having them.

11. 3-6 dumplings makes 1 serving but it’s difficult to stop eating just 6!

Sticky Orange Pork Ribs

No pork dish is complete without a recipe for the best and tastiest ribs. Whether it’s a saucy one like this recipe for sticky orange pork ribs or a smoky barbecue recipe, succulent pork ribs are a must! In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make a year-round favorite.

What You’ll Need:

1 pound boiled pork ribs (in short rib pieces or long cuts are fine) Peel of 1 orange (it is okay to leave the white part for this recipe) 1 tablespoon sliced ginger 1 piece star anise 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup brown sugar ½ cup water Sesame seeds or orange zest for garnish

Let’s Cook Some Sticky Pork Ribs!

1. Begin by gathering everything you’ll need. This recipe is so easy and fast to make,it will be a lot better to have what you need available before you start cooking.

2. In a lightly oiled heavy bottom pan over high heat, sear the already cooked ribpieces to brown them a little. This gives the dish a smoky flavor.

3. Pour in the water and add the sliced ginger.

4. Follow it up with the soy sauce, orange peel, brown sugar, and star anise. Cookover high heat until almost all the sauce is absorbed, stirring occasionally. This parttakes less than 5 minutes.

5. The sauce should be reduced to only a few tablespoons and will stick to the ribs,making the ribs sticky and yummy!

6. Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds or perhaps orange zest!

7. This recipe serves up to 4 people and is best eaten with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs

Almost everyone loves sweet and sour. Be it fish, chicken, pork, or this not so commonly version – pork meatballs. Find out below how to easily make it at home, starting with the sauce of course.

What You’ll Need:

1 lb ground pork (pork mince) ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Cooking oil for frying the meat 3 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2/3 cup water 1 teaspoon cornstarch 3 tablespoons vinegar 3 tablespoons brown sugar (can use white sugar) 1 medium carrot, diced up (or half a large one) 1 medium red bell pepper, diced up 1 medium green bell pepper, diced up 1 red onion, diced up

Let’s Make Some Awesome Sweet and Sour Meatballs!

1. Get all your ingredients ready.

2. Season the meat with the salt and pepper and form into balls. The balls can bewhatever size you prefer.

3. Fry the meatballs in hot oil until well browned and drain the excess oil in kitchentowels.

4. To make the sauce, combine water, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, and soy sauce.

5. Pour the uncooked sauce into a saucepan (or the same pan you used for frying)over medium-high heat and allow to boil.

6. Once it boils, add the carrots, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and onions. After aminute, add in the cornstarch dissolved in about a tablespoon of water and turn theheat to low-medium. Stir and cook until the sauce thickens.

7. Add in the meatballs and let simmer for 1-2 minutes to give the meatballs sometime to also absorb some of the sauce.

8. Serve over hot rice! Sauce is good for half a pound to a pound of meat and serves2-4 people. Best eaten with steamed rice! Enjoy!