Now that we’re a month into 2024, sticking to intentions and goals, whether ambitious or more realistic, can start to become challenging. Developing goals that actually help you improve your quality of life is important, so that you can be further motivated to stick to them. This is exactly why I am urging you to add cooking to your resolution list. The bar is not as high as you think it is. I am not suggesting you become Star Baker overnight. The point is to enjoy your own dishes and do something for yourself and those you love. A great way to start cooking when you haven’t really tried it before is looking up recipes. One of my favorite websites for this is NYT Cooking.
I have written about NYT Cooking before, and I probably will again; the website gives you so many options to find recipes. Recently, I have been looking for what to cook based on ingredients I already have, which is NYT really helpful for (I encourage you to try this as a first option). However, if you want to do some impressive cooking and baking without having too much experience, I have some pretty rad recommendations that will make you proud and impress your friends and family.
1. Biscuits
This came as a recommendation from a friend. She had just recently had biscuits and we spoke of how many great recipes can come from biscuits. You can make sweet or savory dishes with them, customize them to be vegan, gluten free, no seed oils. Whatever your preference is, biscuits can fit the mold. The reason these are so impressive is because there is a huge range of ways to make them, based on your level of expertise. If you want a simple recipe that doesn’t require a lot of work, this is the one for you. If you want a more intricate version, here is your recipe. If you want a new spin on biscuits, try this recipe. Lastly, if you’d like to know what to do with these biscuits, here is a great gravy recipe and here are lemon blackberry biscuits for those with a sweeter tooth.
2. Sweet Potatoes
Another great recommendation for something that can be easy yet elevated based on your own preferences is sweet potatoes. These can be put into practically anything, and are delicious because of their sweet nature while still holding lots of essential nutrients. You may not think “sweet potato” immediately when thinking of cooking or breakfast, but this is the perfect addition to your repertoire. Although they are sweet on their own, there are ways to make these savory too, including adding an egg in the middle or even this great recipe with tahini butter. A great sweet option that might not be too common is a sweet potato tea cake. This recipe is more complicated but offers a fun way to use sweet potatoes.
3. Curry
Curry is versatile and delicious, as well as good for you. I have recently been making coconut curry and found this recipe when I was looking for a highly-rated one, and I absolutely adored it. Changing some of the measurements of the ingredients is a great way to make it your spice level and to fit your taste. There are many different ways to make curry; for example, this is a highly-rated recipe for a red curry which has a different taste and spice level than green curry.
Overall, cooking is a great habit, whether you are a beginner or a returner. These are suggestions that I would recommend to anyone looking to try some new recipes. Have fun cooking, and don’t forget to share your creations with your friends and family!