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Beginner

Easy, Flavorful Recipes to Build Your Confidence

New to the kitchen? No problem! The Beginner Cooks category on Just Maika Cooking is designed to make cooking approachable, fun, and delicious.

With simple steps and easy-to-find ingredients, these recipes are perfect for novice home cooks who want to create impressive meals without stress.

Start with the Sage Chili Pumpkin Chicken Pasta, a creamy and cozy dish that’s packed with autumn-inspired flavors and comes together in no time.

For a hearty, hands-off meal, the Instant Pot Spicy Beef Barley Stew is a one-pot wonder that’s both comforting and filling. Or try the Quick Chickpea and Egg Skillet, a protein-packed dish that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Explore these beginner-friendly recipes and start your cooking journey today. Cooking doesn’t have to be intimidating—these recipes make it easy to build your skills while enjoying delicious, satisfying meals!

  • Spicy basa fish stew with potatoes, red peppers, and fresh watercress.
    Spicy Basa Fish Stew with Potatoes and Watercress
  • close up of homemade golden brown roasted chicken.
    Rosemary Garlic Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy
  • silicone pastry brush brushing the top of the cauliflower steaks on a sheet pan with parchment paper
    How to Make and Roast Cauliflower Steaks
  • Soy ginger chicken drumettes over jasmine rice with sliced scallions.
    Sticky Chicken Drumettes with Soy Ginger Sauce
  • close up of massaged kale salad with pickled vegetables on a fork.
    Massaged Kale Salad with Pickled Vegetables
  • Roasted harissa salmon with paprika potatoes and brussel sprouts with half a lemon on a round white plate with parsley sprinkled on top.
    Air Fryer Harissa Salmon with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts
  • chicken, green beans, onions, red bell peppers and mushrooms in a pan with hoisin sauce
    Chicken Stir-Fry with Mushrooms, Peppers, and Green Beans in Hoisin Sauce
  • Smoked sardines with harissa, spinach, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and boiled eggs in a skillet.
    Harissa Smoked Sardines with Spinach and Boiled Egg
  • Whipped garlic herbed cottage cheese in a small round glass bowl
    Easy Whipped Garlic Herb Cottage Cheese Spread
  • Easy Béchamel Sauce with Garlic and Onion
  • Grilled Steak with Spicy jalapeno Chimichurri sauce with a medley of roasted Baby Potatoes and Broccoli florets.
    Grilled Steak, Spicy Chimichurri, Baby Potatoes, and Broccoli
  • sliced jerk seasoned steak fajitas withs sliced tri color sweet bell peppers and onions in a steaming cast iron skillet.
    Jerk Fajita Trio: 3 Must-Try Recipes for a Spicy Weeknight Cook-Up
  • Mirepoix-Based Backbone Turkey Gravy with Haitian Spices in a resealable bag.
    Spatchcock Turkey Backbone Gravy (Mirepoix & Haitian Spices)
  • spit image top view of the Citrus Chili Sheet Pan Sauce showing before and after adding mayonnaise as a finishing sauce.
    Citrus Chili Sheet Pan Meal Sauce for Roasted Vegetables and Protein
  • Broiled haitian style shrimp mac and cheese in a lodge cast iron blackock skillet.
    Creamy Haitian-Style Shrimp Mac and Cheese with Gouda Cheese
  • grilled lemon close up.
    Grilled Lemon Oregano Dressing & Vinaigrette Recipe
  • Easy 15-Minute Marinade for Beef Kabobs
  • jalapeno chimichurri sauce in a glass mixing bowl with a silicone spoon.
    Spicy Jalapeño Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
  • Close-up of Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and sliced mushrooms.
    BBQ Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
  • Chinese pepper steak recipe with red wine, hoisin sauce, bell peppers, and mushrooms.
    Chinese Pepper Steak with Red Wine and Hoisin Sauce
  • Meatball Sandwich Wrap
    Turkey Meatball Wraps with Tzatziki and Feta in 15 Minutes
  • smoked paprika Calabrian Pepper marinated pan-seared Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce and jumbo asparagus on a round white plate being eaten with a fork and knife.
    Calabrian Pepper Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
  • lemon tahini dressing in a small stainless steel mixing bowl with the mini spatula being lifted out.
    Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing with Fresh Lemon Zest
  • Spicy Pesto Chicken Pasta in a round pasta bowl garnished with grated cheese and pistachios
    Spicy Pesto Chicken Pasta Homemade One-Pot-Meal
  • Healthy Spicy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Salad
  • top view of the Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tenders Salad in a wide rim salad bowl
    Sweet Chili Peanut Chicken Tender salad
  • top view of the potsticker pinwheel pan-fried with cabbage, cilantro and eggs, and drizzled with chili oil sauce.
    Easy Potsticker Egg Wing Recipe with Store-Bought Gyoza
  • top view of the Air Fryer Spicy Cilantro Lime Salmon Salad Rice Bowl dish
    Air Fryer Spicy Cilantro Lime Salmon Salad Rice Bowl
  • habanero tamarind glazed pork chop on a bed of deli-style coleslaw on a wide rim bowl.
    Grilled Pork Chops with Tamarind Habanero Glaze and Coleslaw
  • chef maika hand holding a bbq chicken slider.
    Easy BBQ Chicken Sliders with Coleslaw | Spicy & Sweet
  • instant ramen noodles with sliced vegetable and an egg
    Quick Korean Vegetable Ramen (Easy Veggie Noodle Bowl)
  • top view of the Spicy Honey Jalapeno Lime Chicken with Broccolini om a wide round bowl.
    Spicy Honey Jalapeno Lime Chicken with Broccolini
  • top view of the Calabrian Pepper Basil Baked Salmon and Broccolini in a wide round pasta bowl
    Calabrian Pepper Basil Baked Salmon and Broccolini
  • Baked Cheesy Spicy Tomato Basil Chicken and Broccolini on a wide rim bowl.
    Baked Cheesy Spicy Tomato Basil Chicken and Broccolini
  • close up of frozen pureed fresh banana popped up in an anytime freezer tray.
    Homemade Baby Food: How to Prep, Freeze & Build Easy Meals
  • air fried jerk shrimp fajitas in a large wide bowl.
    Air Fryer Jerk Shrimp Fajitas | Easy Caribbean in 20 Minutes
  • top view of Air Fryer Butternut Squash Spiced Chickpeas Chicken Soup in a round wide soup bowl on a wooden board
    Air Fryer Butternut Squash Spiced Chickpeas Chicken Soup
  • top view of the Creamy Cheesy Sage Chili Pumpkin Chicken Pasta in a round wide pasta bowl.
    Creamy Cheesy Sage Chili Pumpkin Chicken Pasta
  • solidified garlic confit in a glass container.
    Stovetop Garlic Confit (Easy Butter-Olive Oil Method)
  • close up of the cranberry ginger chutney in a small decorative pan.
    Fresh Cranberry Ginger Chutney | Quick and Easy
  • watermelon lemonade in a tall glass with a red straw and fresh sliced lemon wheel on the rim
    Frozen Watermelon Lemonade | Refreshing Summer Drink
  • Creamy Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese with cheddar and bacon.
    Bacon Jalapeño Mac and Cheese

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Welcome!

Chef Maika's profile photo in a chef coat and hand band with arms crossed smiling.

I’m Maika, a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, and culinary educator. For over a decade, I worked at major hotels, including the PGA National Resort, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Conrad Hilton, and W Hotel. As a lifelong passionate cook, my blog explores a world of flavors and experiments with recipes to create restaurant-quality dinners that will excite the food enthusiast's taste buds. Learn More →

Dietary Needs

Sliced Peach Piri Piri Chicken with Fonio Kale Salad on a plate.

Pollotarian

Caesar Salad with soft-boiled Egg, roasted campari Tomatoes and Chili-Infused Croutons garnished with freshly grated parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper in a wide rim bowl.

Vegetarian

Gluten-Free

Dairy-Free

Grilled Zhug Ras el Hanout Lamb Chops and Tomato, cucumber, onion Salad served with a lemon-oregano dressing served with a grilled lemon.

Grain-Free

grilled marinated tofu on top of a warm roasted vegetable couscous salad on spicy basil romesco sauce in a wide rim bowl topped with micro greens.

Egg-Free

top view of the the Easy Spicy Crispy Chicken Tacos with Cholula Sour Cream sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantr on a flat white round plate with shallow straight sides.

Nut-Free

top view and close up the Lemon Calabrian Chili Chicken Orzo Soup in a wide rim bowl .

Mediterranean

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