5 Meals Anyone Can Cook, Even If You Have Never Cooked Before

You do not need talent or fancy equipment to feed yourself well. Master these five dishes and you will never be helpless in a kitchen again: scrambled eggs (breakfast in 5 minutes), pasta with garlic and olive oil (aglio e olio — four ingredients, ten minutes), stir-fried rice with vegetables (clears out the fridge), a simple soup (saute onion and garlic, add broth and whatever vegetables you have, simmer), and a basic salad with homemade dressing.

None of these require special skills. All of them are cheaper than takeout, faster than delivery, and healthier than most packaged food. Start with the one that sounds easiest. Once you can make it without thinking, move to the next. Within a month you will have a rotation that covers any night of the week.