Basic cooking skills? These recipes will blow your guests away - Cooking may be annoying or complicated for many people, but these dishes are here to proof deliciousness can be achieved with minimum effort. Not only are they easy to prepare, these recipes will make you look like a rock star in front of all your family and friends!

© iStock

Buttery mashed potato - According to Bon Appétit, it's extremely important to leave the potatoes to dry in the saucepan after boiling them, as this means they'll absorb more flavor. Melt butter in a pan with milk and herbs, such as thyme. Then mash this into the warm potatoes and serve!

© iStock

Perfectly cooked eggs - According to Kitchn, one of the best ways to boil an egg is to put it in a pan of cold water, bring it to the boil, and then take it off the heat so that the egg finishes cooking in hot water. If you want a softer yolk, just take it out of the hot water sooner.

© iStock

French toast - The secret is to mix milk and cream, according to Bon Appétit. This will mean the toast is much creamier on the inside! If you don't have cream, then just milk is fine.

© iStock

Caesar salad - Bon Appétit states that the secret to this salad is in the dressing. Egg yolk and anchovies will guarantee the rich and salty taste you need.

© iStock

Roast tomato soup - Roasting tomatoes brings out their sweetness, according to Bon Appétit, whether they are fresh or tinned. Squash the tomatoes and cover them with garlic, oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them in the oven until they are soft, and then blend them all together. In a pan, gently heat more oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook chopped onion until it is soft. Once this is done, add tomato pulp and cook through for two minutes, then lower the temperature and add the roasted mixture. Stir occasionally until the flavors have fully blended, for about 10 to 20 minutes.

© iStock

Make a nacho bowl - Creativity is key here. Put the nachos in the oven for about 20 minutes, with meat, beans and cheese. Then add jalapeno peppers, onion and cilantro. You can add more ingredients as you wish.

© iStock

French omelette - Kitchn states that a good omelette should be golden yellow and served hot straight from the stove. Cook the omelette until it looks almost ready using preferably a nonstick pan. The top should be moist and the bottom firm. Cooking time should be no more than two minutes.

© iStock

Balsamic dressing - According to Kitchn, knowing how to make a good balsamic dressing is an important skill for any cook. The basic recipe involves mixing three parts of oil with one part of vinegar, but these quantities can be adjusted according to your preferences. To the oil and balsamic vinegar add crushed black pepper and salt. You can mix things up a bit by including mustard powder, chopped onion and even honey!

© iStock

Brownies - Bon Appétit says this is the easiest brownie recipe ever! Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and spray it with nonstick oil. For the brownies, melt butter in a pan over a low heat. Combine sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl, then add in the butter and eggs, one by one, while stirring. Next add the flour and mix until lightly combined. Pour the mixture into the tray and bake it in the oven. Delicious!

© iStock

Roast salmon with herbs and lemon - Salmon is not just good for your health, it's also super easy to cook. Kitchn recommends cooking the fish on a low heat so that it doesn't lose its proteins and stays soft. Placing a pan of water inside the oven will also keep the fish moist and tender, and adding herbs to it will improve the flavor and texture. Lemon peel adds a great flavor to the fish, without also 'cooking' it, like lemon juice does.

© iStock

Perfect pan rice - Rice is one of the most popular side dishes around, so mastering how to cook it is essential if you want to get great basic cooking skills. It might seem simple, but Bon Appétit gives some handy tips: ideally, rice should be cooked for about 18 minutes in a pan with the lid on. After this you should take off the lid and cover the saucepan with a towel for a further 15 minutes, to avoid drops of water falling onto the rice.

© iStock

Making any type of vegetable soup - A hearty, warming soup is just what you need on a cold day. And Kitchn says that making some needs no recipe - all you need is vegetables and stock. You can use all sorts of vegetables, but the cooking time for those will vary. Chop them as small as you like and cook them until they soften and release flavor. Then add the stock and boil it all up!

© iStock

Hummus - To make this delicious savory snack, simply blend together chickpeas and garlic with oil, tahini and lemon juice. Kitchn states this Middle Eastern dish only needs five ingredients, but that you can also add spices such as sumac, paprika or cumin.

© iStock

Gorgeous guacamole - Kitchn recommends using ripe avocados, and adding tomato only if you're making large quantities of guacamole, otherwise it will go watery. It's safer to add small quantities of lime juice, onion, salt, pepper and coriander at the beginning, so that you can slowly add more depending on your taste. Eventually you'll know exactly how much of each you like!

© iStock

Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce - Marcella Hazan is a popular recipe book writer who has heavily influenced how Americans cook Italian food. Her tomato sauce is likely her most popular recipe, and Kitchn outlines how to prepare it: cook peeled tomatoes (from a tin), with an onion (in halves) and five tablespoons of butter. Simmer gently, add a pinch of salt, and then take out the onion. The sauce should be light and velvety.

© iStock

Whipped cream - Even if you aren't mad about whipped cream, knowing how to make it delicious is a great skill. As you whisk the milk, the fat molecules join together forming air bubbles, which gradually turn into a more solid structure, aka Chantilly. It can be made with milk or cream, according to Kitchn.

© iStock

Fried rice with prawns - Bon Appétit says that the prawns should be seasoned with salt and cooked for about three minutes. Then put them aside on a plate and cook the oil, onions, garlic and ginger in a pan. Once that is cooked, add the rice and cook until it is crunchy, then move it to the side and add in the eggs. Mix everything until it is cooked through, about two minutes, then add edamame beans, peas, soy sauce, vinegar and the prawns.

© iStock

Mussels - Cooking this dish will win you brownie points at any dinner! Bon Appétit's recipe is extremely simple, and states that the secret is to add Dijon mustard to the cooked liquid.

© iStock

Grilling great burgers - This is an easy task, but it can also go wrong quickly. According to Kitchn, there are two tips to guarantee success: don't turn the burgers over on the grill just once, and never flatten them with the spatula.

© iStock

Mushroom and asparagus frittata - Kitchn's recipe starts off with softening onion, mushrooms, and asparagus in a pan. Next, mix the eggs and cheese, and add them to the pan. If it's not nonstick, then add oil before.

© iStock

The perfect pesto - This zingy sauce is the perfect pasta topping. Kitchn states that traditional pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and oil. However, if you want to mix things up a bit you can swap basil for other green leaves or herbs, and Parmesan for Pecorino or Asiago.

© iStock

Poached eggs - For many people, poached eggs are one of the simple pleasures in life. They are the perfect dish to prepare when you don't want to make something complicated, according to Delish.

© iStock

Roast chicken - Roast chicken is a great family meal, and preparing one requires confidence, patience, and skill. The perfect bird should come out soft and succulent, with a light seasoning of salt and herbs. Kitchn says the secret to the perfect roast chicken lies in the seasoning and finding something to do while it is cooking!

© iStock

Ceviche - Ceviche is a fancy yet simple dish which will win you praise at your next dinner party. According to Delish, you just have to get the freshest fish you can find, and marinate it in lime juice with tomato, garlic, onion, and herbs.

© iStock