I’d like to think that I’m a chef. It was one of my 2020 goals to become more comfortable in the kitchen. I started the year continuing my HelloFresh subscription and it was a huge catalyst in the development of my culinary skills. Don’t get me wrong, I am nowhere close to being proficient in the ways of the kitchen. But, it’s been a bright spot in the coronavirus madness to make delicious dishes each day. So, I hope that these very simple and customizable meals bring you as much joy as they bring me! Be sure to follow me on Instagram and check out my Instagram stories daily to find out what new recipes I’m cooking up daily. Let’s get to it. Scroll all the way to the end for easy to follow recipe cards!
Cooking in Quarantine: 16 Easy Meals & Snacks I Love To Make at Home
Breakfast
My “World Famous” Avocado Toast
You know how every restaurant and diner has at least one menu item with the clever “World Famous” tag line. Here’s my golden menu item. Now, this avocado toast is really basic and not at all World Famous. Nothing has topped the avocado toast I had at Good Thanks in the Lower East Side. But, sometimes simplicity is key. I had been eating this a lot at the start of the safer-at-home measures, but now I can’t seem to get my hands on an avocado {premium millennial first world problem}. The not-so-secret trick to mastering this dish is adding a healthy heaping of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning to your mashed avocado spread.
Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
These pancakes were made for those mornings in solitude that need to be brightened up a bit. If you have a small kitchen like many of us New Yorkers or really just don’t want to spend a lot of time on this, I recommend picking up a pre-made pancake mix. You can spice them up with a hint of vanilla and some chocolate chips. The bananas are truly a nutrient-packed addition to these chocolatey sweet breakfast pastries.
The Western-ish Omelet
I truthfully have no idea why this is called the Western omelet, but all the ingredients I add are always listed as the western omelet on diner menus. Sauté up some white button mushrooms and spinach before you add them to the beaten egg mixture. Salt and pep to taste and you’ll be saying “howdy” after the first bite.
AB&B Oatmeal
Almond butter and banana {AB&B} are some of my favorite add ons to my morning oatmeal. This one is so easy especially if I don’t want to mess up any pots in the morning. It’s a one-bowl medley of fruit, protein, and grains. The oats truly keep you full for hours. I highly recommend adding a bit of light brown sugar for an extra kick of sweetness.
Left Over Veggie & Egg Scramble
This is my go-to high protein-packed breakfast to fuel up before a high-intensity living room workout. It’s perfect for when you have a bunch of random veggies that you can’t use for meal prep, but don’t want to waste. Pepperjack or mozzarella cheese makes this a gooey masterpiece to add to your morning routine.
Snacks
AB&B Toast
Almond Butter and Banana on toast is one of my favorite snacks. It’s filling and cures any sweet and salty craving. I accidentally bought the TJ’s salted almond butter, but highly recommend picking up the unsalted version. I also love pairing apple slices and almond butter and apples have an incredible shelf life. They are perfect to stock up on for this quarantine period. Honeycrisp is my favorite type!
Granola Yogurt Bowl
A greek yogurt bowl with granola and fruit can double for an easy breakfast and a larger snack option. I prefer the Vanilla greek yogurt from TJ’s but I’ve been loving the vanilla Chobani greek yogurt as well. My favorite fruits to pair with the sweet and creamy yogurt are strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, Honeycrisp apples, and blueberries. I’m a huge fan of the Almond Butter granola from TJ’s, but it’s also on my list to make my own soon.
Chocolate Chip Banana Walnut Bread
The holy trinity of social distancing is comprised of learning Tik Tok dances, tie-dyeing sweatsuits, and making banana bread. This banana bread was an incredible decision and I will be keeping this recipe close to my chest for the future. Food waste is something that I’m really TRYING to cut down on and baking banana bread is a great way to cut banana waste. I added some chocolate chips and walnuts to spice it up and it was glorious.
Salty & Sweet Potato Bites
Sweet potato bites make for the best snack. They are super easy to make and two medium sweet potatoes will make a ton. I cut them into small 1.5 in cubes and season with cinnamon and a bit of sea salt. Bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees [flipping them halfway through].
Lunch & Dinner
Whatever-You-Want Wrap
My love of sweet potatoes doesn’t stop with my sweet potato bites. They make a great pairing with my favorite lunch option. I love wraps because you can pretty much just add meat, veggies, and a dressing. Barbeque and southwestern wraps are two of my favorite versions of this. Bonus: warm the tortilla up for 30 seconds in the microwave for extra crisp.
Southwestern Salad
For those days that I have a little more time for lunch, I love this southwestern salad concept. It features so many flavors that mix so well together. Sweet potato bits, black beans, cheese, avocado, grape tomatoes, corn, and ground turkey are the perfect toppings. I add on the Green Goddess Dressing or a creamy Caesar dressing for an extra kick.
One-Pot Creamy Pasta
Don’t we all need a warm bowl of creamy pasta to get over the biggest quarantine blues? I personally love my take on the one-pot pasta. Typically, I’m always the one to just buy alfredo sauce in the jar and call it a day. But, I love the rich freshness that comes from making this homemade sauce. All you have to do is boil pasta in a 2-to-1 mixture of heavy whipping cream and broth. Then, you can add separately sauteed veggies. My personal favorites are tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms.
Oven-Baked Salmon
Salmon and tilapia are both so easy to make for an easy and light dinner. Layer olive oil, garlic powder, and TJ’s 21 Seasoning Salute and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. I love pairing my choice of fish with steamed broccoli and basmati rice.
Cheesy Quesadilla
These last few recipes are honestly comfort food, but we all need it now and then. I would love to sit down at my favorite Mexican restaurant in my hometown with a margarita in hand. For now, I’m stuck with a homemade quesadilla. It’s a real good thing it still tastes divine. I pair some shredded chicken, cheese, and diced bell peppers for the filling. To give it a little extra flavor, the green goddess dressing makes a good substitute for a salsa.
Barbeque Chicken Grilled Cheese
I’ve recently tried making my own take on barbeque chicken. I use it for salads, wraps, and sandwiches, but it also makes a divine addition to grilled cheese. Melted pepper jack cheese complements the barbeque chicken nicely. The perfect comfort meal in my opinion.
Basic Buddha Bowl
I love a grain bowl because they are so customizable and leftover friendly. The equation is simple: grain + veggies + protein + dressing. Yummy, delicious, and healthy foods are so nice. Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, broccoli, beans, quinoa, and basmati or wild rice are all really nice additions.
Okay, so those are the recipes that I’ve been making while I’ve been practicing social distancing. Some of them are rather easy to make and just require prep and assembly. I’m leaving recipe cards for each dish below. Tag me on Instagram stories if you’re inspired to make any of them. I find cooking to be one of the most enjoyable ways to pass the time. Do you have any recipes that you love? Link them in the comments so I can try. I’m really looking for a soup, curry, or Asian dish to try next for something outside my normal cooking repertoire.
Keep on keepin’ on,
