15 delicious meals you should know how to cook by the time you’re 30

The way not only to a man’s heart, but that of all of humanity, is through the stomach. That’s why we’ve put together 15 means which you ought to know how to make to expert level. If just one of them becomes your speciality, then the gratitude of your friends and family is guaranteed. Bon appétit!

Macaroni and cheese

Boil the pasta as normal. For the sauce, melt some butter (1/2 pack), add 4 tablespoons of flour and whisk together. Then add 2.5 cups of milk or cream and beat again. Add some spice, 2 whisked egg yokes, and grated soft cheese to the sauce. Heat the sauce on medium heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the sauce on to the pasta and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until the edges turn a golden colour. When ready, sprinkle with more grated cheese.

Savoury bacon kale frittata

Heat up the oven. Put 8 eggs, 1/4 cup of milk, salt and pepper in a bowl and beat it all together. Now leave it to one side for the time being. Now slice up some bacon and fry it up.
Add in some chopped up onion, a cup of cherry tomatoes, and a handful of hand-torn kale or chard leaves, and add them into the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring a bit, and then pour the egg mixture into the pan, over the other ingredients. Sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese. Stick into a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes, till the edges begin to brown and pull away slightly from the pan. Enjoy!

The best roast chicken of all time

To roast the best chicken you’ve ever eaten, you need just three ingredients: salt, pepper and some chicken. First, let your chicken come to room temperature before you roast it. Don’t rinse the chicken — this just spreads gross raw chicken germs all over your sink. If you cook the meat to the proper temperature (165 degrees), any dangerous germs or bacteria will be killed anyway. Preheat the oven to 230°C. Dry your chicken really well on both the outside and inside with a piece of tissue paper. Next, sprinkle kosher salt and pepper inside the chicken cavity. Truss the chicken. Season the outside of your chicken with lots of salt and some pepper. Place the chicken breast side up on a rack over a roasting pan. Put it in the oven for 50–60 minutes. When it’s done, let your chicken sit on a cutting board for 15 minutes before removing the twine and carving.

Roasted Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. In a large bowl, toss all the vegetables together with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Divide the vegetables among two jelly roll pans. Roast vegetables for 35-40 minutes, removing the vegetables from the oven every 15 minutes to stir around.

Grilled cheese sandwich

Take two slices of bread, two small pieces of butter, two slices of cheese, and some salt. Melt 1 piece of butter in a pan over a low heat. Toast the bread on one side, moving it around the frying pan. Take the bread out, add the cheese to the toasted side, and close the sandwich, with the toasted side facing inwards. Melt the second piece of butter over a low heat and toast the sandwich on both sides.

Cocoa brownie

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Mix together ten table spoons (140 g) of butter, 250 g of sugar, 3/4 cups and two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the ingredients until the butter is melted. Take the bowl out and set it aside until the mixture cools off a bit. Add the vanilla and two large eggs into the mixture, stirring vigorously. Once the mixture becomes smooth and uniform, add flour and stir again, then beat it with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, let it cool down completely, and then cut the brownie into 16 or 25 squares. You can serve it with fresh berries.

The perfect steak

Take the steak out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Season the meat with salt and pepper and let the meat sit out at room temperature for another 45 minutes. Put a cast-iron frying pan on a high heat. Dry the steak with dry towels again. Add two tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan. Place your steak in the pan, and let it cook for two minutes without touching it. After two minutes, flip your steak and start to brown the other side. In the next eight minutes (for a thick piece of meat) or six minutes (for a thin piece), keep flipping the meat from side to side every two minutes until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 65-70°C. Then add three tablespoons of butter to the pan. When it’s almost melted, add five sprigs of thyme. Spoon the melted butter over the steak top, flip it over, and repeat. Take your steak out of the pan and let it coll for 10 minutes, slice it, and serve it.

Guacamole

Put five to six tomatillos and green tomatoes into the blender, add 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, one large clove of garlic chopped into large pieces, 1/4 of white onion, two chilli peppers, one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Blend the ingredients. Add avocado flesh to the mixture and blend until smooth. Add a little water if necessary, and serve.

Pasta with tomato sauce

Prepare the tomatoes (fresh or canned ones): skin them and cut in coarse pieces. Put them into a pan, add 5 tablespoon of butter, 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half, and salt. Cook at a very slow, but steady simmer for 45 minutes or until it is thickened, stirring the sauce from time to time. Mix the sauce through the cooked pasta to coat it thoroughly and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Sautéed greens

Choose your greens and wash them thoroughly. You can use kale, mustard leaves and Swiss chard. Preheat the sauté pan, add some cooking oil, chopped onion, minced garlic and cook until the onion gets soft. Start adding the greens, speeding the process up by adding some water. When the greens are ready, add some nuts, sprinkle the dish with lemon juice and serve.

Fluffy pancakes

First, beat three eggs and carefully separate the egg-whites from the yolks. Stir the whites, adding a pinch of salt. Use cold eggs for easier stirring. Mix the yolks with cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and baking soda, whisk them and gradually add two cups of 10% cream and two cups of flour. The batter should be well-blended. Carefully add the whites to the batter.
Spoon the batter into the middle of a well-heated pan, allowing it to spread until it’s about 10-12 cm in diameter. Fry the pancake on both sides. Serve with honey, maple syrup or jam.

Mashed potatoes

Cook about eight small potatoes over a low heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of salt, some pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of grated cheese and 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in a bowl of an electric mixer. Add the potatoes into the bowl and mix on medium speed until mostly smooth. Serve the dish.

Baked salmon with garlic and mustard

Preheat the oven to 230°C. In a small bowl mix two tablespoons of chopped parsley, two to three garlic cloves, 1/2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1/8 cup of olive oil and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Lay four cuts of salmon onto a lined baking dish, generously brush them with the sauce and place fresh slices of lemon on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Beef stew

Mix 1/4 cup of flour, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Trim off the excess fat and sinews from the meat and into cubes. Place the meat in the flour mixture, toss it, and set aside. Melt some butter in a pan with thick sides. Clean the meat of any excess flour and add it to the pan. Fry for four to five minutes. Combine some onion, pepper, salt, tomato paste in a pan and cook it for two minutes. Add some flour and keep cooking for one more minute, stirring the mixture from time to time. Add red dry wine and cook until it’s thickened, for about three minutes. Then place the meat in the saucepan, add the broth, bay leaves and thyme, and stir. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour. Chop some carrots, celery and potatoes, add them to the pan and simmer until the vegetables go soft, and don’t forget to stir from time to time. Stir in a cup of peas, and serve.