On Instagram, you might get intimidated by cooking and baking, but I’m here to tell you — both can actually be very simple.

Personally, I mostly just buy high-quality meats and cook them to my liking. I don’t care much for spices, seasonings, crunch, or the like. I eat foods plain, and I’m happy. I get all my macronutrients: fats, protein, carbs, and just heat things up to my liking, mostly skillet or boiling.

On special occasions, or when I feel like treating myself or others, I will make a recipe. But let me simplify making recipes.

Pasta sauce

Finely chop up onions and garlic (aromatics). In a skillet, heat up in low to medium heat a fat of choice (butter, ghee, oil—such as olive oil, avocado oil). Add diced bacon to the skillet, and the aromatics. Let it gently sauté in low-to-medium heat. Pour in a splash of chicken broth and cream to simmer. While this is occurring, you should be cooking the pasta (preferably in salty water). Drain the pasta, then add it directly into the skillet. Add a handful of grated cheese, and a splash of starchy pasta water. Bring it all together into a smooth, glossy coating.

Curry

This starts the same way as pasta sauces. Chop up the aromatics (onion, garlic, and ginger). In a skillet, heat up a fat (butter, oil, or ghee) in low-to-medium heat. Add the aromatics and gently sauté them. Stir in ground spices (curry powder, or a simple mi of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder) for 30 to 60 seconds so they toast in the warm fat. Add liquid base (canned crushed tomatoes, broth, or coconut milk), then add your protein and vegetables, and let it simmer until everything is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Serve with hot rice or warm flatbread.

Potato Gratin

To make a simple potato gratin, thinly slice your potatoes, give them a quick pass in a warm skillet with oil to lightly crisp the edges, and layer them into a baking dish before covering with heavy cream, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous amount of shredded cheese like Gruyère or Cheddar. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 45 to 55 minutes until the cream bubbles, the potatoes are fork-tender, and the cheese melts into a golden, bubbly crust.

Crockpot Dishes

A crockpot is the ultimate tool for effortless stews. This low-and-slow cooking method breaks down tough cuts of meat into rich, tender comfort food with almost no active work. For a classic St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage stew, place your corned beef brisket in the slow cooker with beef broth, quartered onions, carrots, baby gold potatoes, garlic, bay leaves, and a pickling spice blend (like mustard seed, coriander, and peppercorns). Cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours; then, simply tuck chopped cabbage leaves into the pot during the final 45 to 60 minutes so they become perfectly tender without turning mushy.

Breaded Chicken Cutlet

Buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Slice them horizontally into thin cutlets. Gently pound them to an even thickness. Set up a simple two-step dredging station: one is for the eggs and heavy cream (whisk the eggs). The other is for breadcrumbs with sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and any preferred seasonings in another. Dip each chicken piece first into the egg wash, then press it firmly into the seasoned breadcrumb and sesame mixture to coat both sides evenly. To cook, you can either pan-fry them in a skillet over medium heat using a high-smoke-point oil like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or light olive oil for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Alternatively, you can bake them on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through and crunchy.

Dipping Sauce

To make a dipping sauce, mix equal parts of non-fat greek yogurt and mayo, drizzle some honey, add a squeeze of lime, and a dash of garlic powder, cumin, or smoked paprika. Mix until smooth.

Bread

To make basic bread, knead together flour, warm water, salt, and yeast, let the dough rise, and bake until golden brown.

Tortillas

Corn tortilla

Masa Harina: 1 cup. Buy Masa Harina, which is corn flour treated with lime/nixtamalized corn.

Warm Water: 3/4 cup (plus an extra splash if needed)

Salt: 1/4 teaspoon

1. Mix the Dough: In a bowl or container, stir together the Masa Harina and salt. Pour in 3/4 cup of warm water. Mix with your hand or a spoon until a smooth dough forms. Texture check: It should feel like soft Play-Doh. If it feels crumbly or dry, add a tablespoon of warm water. If it’s sticky, add a pinch of Masa Harina.

2. Roll into Balls: Immediately divide the dough into 4 or 5 equal golf-ball-sized portions. (No waiting or resting required).

3. Press Flat (Without a Press): Take a plastic Ziplock bag or piece of parchment paper and cut it open so you have two flat plastic sheets. Place a dough ball between the plastic sheets, then press down firmly using a flat, heavy object (like a cutting board, heavy plate, or the bottom of your cast iron skillet) until it forms a thin round disk.

4. Sear Hot in Dry Cast Iron: Heat your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Keep the pan completely dry (no oil). Peel the tortilla off the plastic and drop it onto the hot skillet.

Cook for 50–60 seconds on the first side until the edges lift slightly.

Flip and cook for 50–60 seconds on the second side.

Flip back to the first side for 15–20 seconds—you will often see the tortilla puff up with steam in the middle, which means it’s fully cooked through.

5. Stack & Wrap: Immediately wrap cooked tortillas in a clean cloth towel or foil. Stacking them while hot traps the steam and keeps them soft and flexible for wrapping hot meats.

Flour tortilla

Flour: 1 cup. Use white or white whole wheat. 100% standard whole wheat is much denser, absorbs significantly more water due to the bran and germ, and lacks the gluten elasticity needed to roll out thin without tearing.

Salt: ½ teaspoon

Avocado oil: 1.5 tablespoons

Warm water: 1/3 cup (plus an extra splash if the dough is dry)

1. Rub Oil into Flour: Mix the flour and salt in a bowl or vessel. Pour in the avocado oil. Use your fingers to rub the oil into the flour until it resembles fine, sandy crumbs. This step guarantees maximum tenderness.

2. Add Warm Water and Mix: Pour in the warm water. Stir until a single cohesive ball of dough forms. If it feels tacky, add a light dusting of flour; if dry or flaky, add a teaspoon of warm water.

3. Knead briefly: Knead the dough on a clean surface or right in your bowl for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth.

4. Rest (Crucial Step): Divide the dough into 4 or 5 equal golf-ball-sized portions. Cover them loosely with a damp towel, paper towel, or overturned bowl and let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Why rest? Resting lets the flour fully hydrate and relaxes the gluten. If you try to roll un-rested dough, it will spring back like a rubber band instead of staying flat.


Cake

To bake a simple cake, cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and flour with a pinch of baking powder, then bake in a hot oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

It doesn’t need to be Michelin-rated Michelangelo!