Three easy recipes that feel like self-love

Photo by Ella Olsson on Unsplash

Cooking is the best form of active meditation. In the age of YouTube tutorials, it’s easy to learn. And you’re actually creating something, which is fulfilling in itself.

I used to hate cooking. I used to Google even how to boil pasta (I couldn’t remember how many minutes it was supposed to be boiling!) I used to eat exclusively in restaurants or take-outs.

Now I love cooking. I love the whole process: going into the grocery shop, picking food I like, then coming back and arranging it all in my fridge. When the time comes, I would take it all out and cook something simple and tasty. Like guacamole. Or hummus. Or pasta. The key is to keep it simple.

Here are my three go-to recipes that anyone can cook. The whole process: from picking the right groceries to cooking to eating feels like self-love. (No wonder this food is called ‘comfort food’!)

1. Pasta.

Ingredients: spaghetti, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, basil, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, Maasdam cheese (the one with big holes)

Boil pasta for 7 minutes (al dente) in salted water. Rinse, pour out the water, and put the pasta back on low heat. Pour a generous gulp of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and basil. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and throw them in. Rub some Maasdam cheese (err…