Pasta ingredients graphic. Soleil de Zwart // AS Review
By Stella Harvey
Between daily Zoom calls, trying to ease anxiety caused by a global pandemic and only going outside [barely] once a day, meal-prep might be falling to the wayside as you try to maintain your mental health during this strange time.
As I try to sort through my calendar and check things off my to-do list, these are some of the quick meals I’m making to get by. What I love most about these recipes, as a 22 year old still learning how to prepare food for myself, is that most of them are pretty difficult to mess up. If you’re missing a few peripheral ingredients, your meal will probably still taste pretty good.
These meals are a welcome departure from the same old box mac n’ cheese and tuna salad rotation you might be experiencing. Some are plays on classic comfort foods, and others might make you think differently about the boring vegetables at the bottom of your fridge.
First up: Tomato, Cucumber and Avocado Salad by Green Valley Kitchen
After your fifth bag of white cheddar popcorn [my personal favorite], you might be looking for an easy way to sneak in a fresh snack. I know, I know. Suggesting a salad during a global pandemic might seem like a condescending maneuver. But you won’t regret making this 15-minute recipe.
This recipe only has a handful of ingredients, so this is an easy meal to make in between Zoom-classes or before a walk around the block.
Pro-tip: while you’re chopping up your vegetables, listen to a podcast, perhaps the AS Review’s podcast Tripping on Bricks, or your favorite album for a relaxing break from daily stress. The cucumber, avocado and tomato bring a nice acidity that balances the feta cheese.
If you don’t have red wine vinegar, try substituting balsamic vinegar like I did! I’ve added celery to my rendition of this recipe. I like the extra crunch it brings to the table, and I had some extra stalks I didn’t want to go to waste.
Next: New York Times Cooking’s Quintessential Chocolate Chip Cookie
Maybe six weeks of self-isolation is making you bold, you’re looking to venture outside of your comfort zone and try baking from scratch to soothe your sweet-tooth. This is the perfect recipe for you! Knowing how to make a delicious chocolate chip cookie from scratch [as in…not out of a tube or box from the grocery store] is a skill that will come in handy long after this pandemic has passed.
New York Times Cooking describes these cookies as “the cookies anyone who asks you to make chocolate chip cookies are asking for.” Sounds like the perfect cookie to make for your roommates when they get sick of you after two months of togetherness.
Now, this is a recipe where mess-ups or missing ingredients are going to hurt you. For this recipe, pay close attention to your measurements and make sure you have every ingredient. For a baking project, this recipe has relatively few ingredients, and it’s likely you already have a good amount of this stuff from the last time you made your best friend a birthday cake.
If you’re looking to make a vegan cookie, there are many baking substitutes for eggs and butter. Try substituting a mashed banana or applesauce or a number of other natural ingredients listed here.
I slightly overbaked my mid-day snack cookies, and they turned out just as delicious as a gooey cookie, just with a little more crunch.
Dinner time: Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta by Spend with Pennies
When things are rough, and I need a quick, filling meal on a budget, I often turn to the classic spaghetti pasta with red sauce and chicken. A classic comfort food that many of us grew up with, the nostalgic quality of the dish soothes me almost as much as the delicious food itself.
This recipe is a little different. While it’s not spaghetti, it still contains all the ingredients of a classic at-home pasta dish, pasta, tomato sauce and cheese. Basically, you dump everything into a pot and let it simmer, then pop it into the oven to let the pasta finish cooking and wait for the cheese to get all melty.
I don’t have a dutch oven or a large pot that can go in the oven. Instead, I transferred my ingredients to a large, shallow Pyrex dish when it was time to let the pasta bake in the oven. I also didn’t have oregano, and you know what, my pasta was still very enjoyable.
During this difficult time, it is important that we take time to nourish ourselves and take care of our bodies. After being at home for weeks on end, you might start to feel guilty about snacking or finding comfort in food. But we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and you look great no matter what! Cooking can be a distraction from the outside world, and it can also give you something to focus on when you feel worried or anxious.