Quarantine Cooking
Been having a tough time finding items off your regular grocery list? Had to cut back on your normally planned trips to your favorite store? Tightened your budget a little? It’s a time we are all acclimating to an unprecedented new normal and it’s causing kitchen stress across the globe. There’s a (slight) silver lining: creativity in meal prep doesn’t have to be limited—you can use basic and inexpensive items you already have in your pantry to whip up healthy and delicious recipes. I’m talking cookies, energy bites, 2-ingredient slushies and even easy entrées. Read on for some quarantine cooking inspiration.
Quarantine Cooking
Been having a tough time finding items off your regular grocery list? Had to cut back on your normally planned trips to your favorite store? Tightened your budget a little? It’s a time we are all acclimating to an unprecedented new normal and it’s causing kitchen stress across the globe. There’s a (slight) silver lining: creativity in meal prep doesn’t have to be limited—you can use basic and inexpensive items you already have in your pantry to whip up healthy and delicious recipes. I’m talking cookies, dark chocolate almonds, 2-ingredient slushies and even easy entrées. Read on for some quarantine cooking inspiration.
Quarantine Cooking: 2-Minute Mug Omelet
Enjoy a hot egg breakfast in a flash: Mix one whole egg with three egg whites in mug, add some chopped veggies and cheese (I’m currently loving onions, bell peppers, spinach and feta, but you can substitute whatever options you have on hand). Stick it in the microwave for 45, stir and microwave for another 45 seconds. Stir again, then microwave one last time for 30 seconds, stopping to stir at the 15-second-mark. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy. Again, feel free to personalize based on your tastes—add whatever veggies you have on hand, use your preferred cheese and top with the seasonings you like. Make the mug your own!
Quarantine Cooking: Cold Sesame Noodles
This is a super simple dish that requires just a handful of everyday ingredients. You can use whatever noodles you like best or have in your pantry, including whole grain, chickpea, soba…you get the idea. Cook them up and then top them with a smooth and indulgent 4-ingredient peanut butter sauce. (And talk about easy: one of those 4 ingredients is water.) Bonus: The recipe makes plenty of extra sauce, which will keep in the fridge for up to a week. It tastes delicious spread on toast and rice cakes and works great as a dipper for crunchy veggies, too.
Quarantine Cooking: 2-Ingredient Slushy
I’ve loved slushies ever since I was a little kid—cold, refreshing and fun, they remind me of summer days spent at the beach. Since finding a healthy way to make them over with no added sugar or junky dyes or flavorings, I’ve been enjoying them all over again. The best part: It takes just two ingredients to whip them up: frozen fruit (I often use berries, like blueberries and/or raspberries) and flavored sparkling water. Blend, pour, then sit back and savor. Depending on the fruit you use, you’ll get either a slightly sweet or a refreshingly tart bevvy. It’s like a sip down memory lane.
Quarantine Cooking: One Sheet Roasted Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
One Sheet Roasted Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
Never a fan of clean up, I’m constantly looking to take advantage of one-pot or one-sheet meals. This one was a no-brainer—chicken, first coated in a tasty marinade made with pantry staples (oil, vinegar and seasonings), then partnered with hearty Brussels sprouts and roasted to perfection. If you’re not a lover of Brussels sprouts or don’t have them on hand, feel free to swap in any veggie, such as broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, red onions—the sky is the limit.
Quarantine Cooking: Slow Cooker Chicken and Black Bean Chili
Slow Cooker Chicken and Black Bean Chili
My slow cooker gets a ton of use, and that’s true even now while I’m spending all my time in the kitchen. It doesn’t get any easier than dumping all your ingredients into the handy gadget, turning it on and letting the delicious flavors meld together all day long, which allows you to use that free time to work, help the kids with school lessons or focus on home projects like organizing the kitchen or cleaning out your closet. This version of chili requires kitchen staples like canned beans and tomatoes, dried spices, frozen corn and chicken breasts. It’s so easy you may feel just a little guilty when the compliments start rolling in!
Quarantine Cooking: Chocolate Chip Chamomile Cookies
Chocolate Chip Chamomile Cookies (AKA “Calming Cookies”)
Who’s been enjoying some sweet treats during the quarantine? I’m raising my hand here! If baking is your outlet, whip up a batch of these flourless gems, which may offer some tension-taming relief thanks to the chickpeas and chamomile. If you’re missing a few ingredients, no worries. You can easily swap canned white beans or black beans in place of chickpeas, any nut or seed butter in place of almond butter, and if you don’t have chamomile tea, simply omit it. Try a tasty batch tonight.
Quarantine Cooking: Dark Chocolate Almonds
Almonds on their own are a super snack, but you can take them up a notch—in terms of flavor, crunch and nutrition—by sprinkling on some cocoa powder. This recipe calls for just a few basic ingredients: an egg white, vanilla extract, sugar, salt and cocoa powder. These are incredibly addictive and healthy, too, so you can feel good snacking on them. And because the recipe is a snap, you can whip them together whenever you’re craving them. Go nuts!
