When it comes to cooking for yourself – nothing quite comes to home cooking and your mum’s roast
dinner. There’s only so much of takeaways and plain pasta that you can take, right? It’s easier than
you think to jazz your cooking up and with simple budgeting you can cook up a stir in no time.
1. Salt and pepper – seasoning can make any food taste good so this is a must. It’s a
fundamental starting point to adding to food.
2. Herbs and spices – when you make pasta, add some oregano or basil (you can buy cheap
herbs at the market) to take your dish to the next level. Fresh herbs are better and more
flavoursome but dried are also just as good.
3. Sauces and condiments can add instant flavour to your dishes – whether that be tomato
sauce, mustard or soy sauce. Condiments are small investments that will last a while and will
give you instant flavour – and everyone needs tomato sauce in their bacon sandwiches, right?
4. Cheese. Adding cheese to pasta dishes makes it that extra bit tasty. Try different cheeses to
see which ones you like but if not cheddar is great.
5. Buying yourself something different, or something that you wouldn’t normally make as it will
be a treat for you. Try cooking different meats or vegetables, as there’s not a lot of room for
error. Why not organise a steak night with your housemates – this cuts down the price and
gives you an excuse to eat something a little different to normal.
6. Wine or alcohol in your food. Red wine in gravy can add a rich flavour to your meal and if you
want some for yourself you can always drink some with your meal!
7. Oil and butter. Not exactly the healthiest but oil and butter adds flavour to your food
8. Packet seasoning – they can transform your dishes. If you add some packet seasoning to
your chicken you’ll almost have a Nandos! It is worth investing in some packets of these, as
they can change your ordinary chicken breast or meats into different flavoured meals.
9. Buy a recipe book. When you are bored of the same meals and you have free time, you can
always try something new from the book. You’ll also be developing your cooking skills at the
same time.
10. Cook for others – cooking as a house is a fun and social activity – and it’s actually cheaper
than going out for food or a night out – and probably healthier!
