9 Dishes You Should Know How To Make By The Time You Hit 30

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We’ve all been pretending to be grown ups for a few years now with sophisticated dinners and boozy brunches, despite still having no clue what a tracker mortgage is…

But, if you had to host a dinner party at the drop of a hat would you actually be able? Furthermore, can you actually feed yourself after work each evening, or do you end up relying on ready meals to stave the hunger?

You can thank us later – for now, though, get cookin’.

1. A ‘go-to’ cake

Birthday, break up or just purely because cake. You should be able to whip one of these up without having to consult a cookbook for the measurements. Choose your fave, be it sponge, cheesecake or brownies and own it – this lemon meringue pie is always a winner.

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2. Fried rice

Perfect the week before payday when you’re flat broke, but in need of something carby and delicious. Clear out your fridge and store cupboards, and fling them all into the pot for this nifty recipe.

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3. Soup

One of the most basic things you can make in the kitchen, but something that people seem to think is near impossible to master. 

The beauty of soup is that once you know how to make it you can fling in just about any ingredient. We’re big fans of this mega winter minestrone soup.

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4. A pasta dish that doesn’t involve sauce from a jar

It’s very easy to buy a packet of pasta with some pesto or tomato sauce. However, it’s even easier (and healthier) if you make the sauce yourself. 

This smoked salmon pasta dish has a garlic and lemon sauce that’s absolutely perfect.

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5. A good vegetarian dish

You needn’t freak out if one of your friends is coming to dinner but doesn’t eat meat. Veggie cooking is absolutely delicious, so you’re better off cooking veggie for everybody if there’s a vegetarian coming to dinner, including lots of chips, dips and crudités. 

Give this rainbow veggie quiche a whirl next time around.

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6. A decent stir-fry that doubles as lunch the next day

A stir-fry is easily the quickest dinner to whip up, and always tastes just as good (if not better) the next day. 

Like a lot of the dishes on this list, once you’ve mastered the basics you can go as elaborate as you like with the ingredients. This chicken and cashew nut recipe only has seven ingredients, so it’s a good one to get started with.

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7. Pancakes

Crucial because a) pancakes are delicious, and b) you might need to make someone breakfast in bed sometime. 

Depending on your preference you can make fluffy stacks, thin French-style crepes, gluten free buckwheat pancakes or even healthy ones made from banana.

We ourselves are extremely partial to these decadent Ferrero Rocher pancakes.

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8. A good roast

Chicken, lamb, beef or whatever you’re having yourself, being able to whip up a roast with some tasty sides is a skill we should all possess at this point. 

Try this simple roast lamb with baked potatoes for a nice variation on the traditional dish.

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9. Brunch-style eggs

If you leave your 20s without learning anything else, at least learn this. These eggs with avocado and tomato taste absolutely phenomenal, and will become your ‘go-to’ brekkie in no time.

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