You eat, I eat; it’s a pretty standard fact that most living people like food, and now that school is officially out, non-essential workplaces are closed, and social events are for now a distant memory-it can be easy to just give up on our health and hibernate through these next few months. Even though it’s extremely tempting to do just that, it’s now more than ever that we need to take care of ourselves and push through this trying time, and for a lot of us, that starts with what we eat. So, here are seven goof-proof recipes to eat well in quarantine that no one can mess up.
Snacks
Homemade Chips and Guacamole:
One of the easiest snacks to make, chips and guac is a munchie essential, and you only need a few ingredients to make it. Simply tear 6 corn tortillas into quarters. Heat up olive oil in a medium pan on medium-high heat, and fry the tortilla quarters, 6 at a time to desired crispiness. Put fried pieces on a paper towel to dry, and when finished with all pieces, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Afterward, chop half an onion and an avocado in half and mix in a large bowl. Then, add in 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, and as much salt, pepper, and lime juice as you want. Eat guacamole with your chips and enjoy!
DIY Snack Mix:
If your nearest store is all out of Chex mix, simply mix together mini pretzels, popcorn, and nuts of your choice. Sprinkle the mixture with any dip mix and a smidge of olive oil. You just saved yourself a trip to the store.
Breakfast
Apple Cinnamon Muffins:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, while the oven is heating up, mix 1/2 cup coconut oil, 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup honey together in a large bowl. Then, add in 2 cups of flour (can also use gluten free as a substitute), 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Stir until smooth. Then, add in 1 cup of sweetened applesauce and 2 eggs and whisk again. Pour the mixture into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and they’re ready to eat!
Lunch
Mini Pizzas
Spoiler alert: this is really easy to make, but my mom would make these all the time when my brother and I were little, and they were super quick to make. All you have to do is preheat oven to 425 degrees, halve an english muffin, spoon on as much pizza sauce, shredded cheese of your choice, and any other toppings, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are slightly crispy. Instant nostalgia.
Tomato Basil Bruschetta
Simply toast half of a small baguette, lightly drizzle on 1 tsp of olive oil. In a separate bowl, mix sliced tomato, 1/4 cup chopped basil, 1 tsp minced garlic, a little salt and pepper, and 1/2 tsp olive oil. Mix together and put it on the toasted baguette half for an easy-peasy lunch that takes less than 10 minutes.
Dinner
Cajun Shrimp
This is my go-to for my dad and brother when I make dinner, it takes 20 minutes and it’s pretty healthy. Get 1 pound of frozen pre cooked shrimp, put half in a gallon ziploc bag, with 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1 clove crushed garlic, dash of lemon juice, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt and pepper, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. Zip the bag shake until shrimp is completely coated. Leave the zipped bag in the sink with warm water for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, microwave instant rice of choice. After 15 minutes, heat some oil in a large pan on medium heat, since the shrimp is precooked, you’re just warming it up to eat, and then you serve with rice for an simple dinner that no one will know took 20 minutes. Sprinkle with some parsley if you’re feeling fancy.
Desert
Mango Raspberry Coconut Sorbet
I’m going to pretend some of you didn’t scroll to the bottom for desert only but if you did, this sorbet recipe is well worth it. It takes a hot second to make but it’s delicious and pretty easy. Simply put 5 cups of frozen mango, a 14 oz can of coconut milk, 1/4 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp lemon juice, pinch of salt, 3/4 cup of sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 cup of frozen raspberries in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour mixture into a baking dish and freeze for about 5 hours, then scoop out and enjoy!
Even if you’re a complete novice, cooking is not only a hobby that you can learn with this new free time, but also an excellent way to keep yourself healthy. Now is as good a time as any to pick up something new, so it might as well taste good, right?
