4 Simple Recipes for Home Cooking During Quarantine

Has cooking never been your kind of thing? Did the lockdown limit your access to your favorite dishes? Here are some effortless recipes with things that you have at home.

The elusive and fast-spreading COVID virus has forced us to stay indoors indefinitely. Running errands to the nearby shops or restaurants, going for morning walks, or even walking your pet has become a thing of the past. Today we are skeptical even to order food from outside, though there are no known cases of transmission [1] through food.

 How do we keep your taste buds happy and our body in good health during these trying times? Here we present you 4 easy recipes that you can try with standard ingredients at home. Included in the set are some breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes that will make your day.

Why cook at home?

Most people find it convenient to order food and wait in anticipation of the lip-smacking favorite food. Eating out has almost become non-existent, and ordering food has reduced drastically due to safety concerns and catching the COVID virus. Now you have more reasons to go for home-cooked food than ever. 

• Healthy food – cook with simple and healthy ingredients at home.
• Bring out the chef in you – if you have never tried cooking at home, there is no better time to start.
• Make wise use of time – Lockdown has left us with a lot of time.
• Make quality time with family – Involve your kids, spouse, or friends in the process to make it a more fun-filled experience.

Best Practices to follow while cooking.

Consuming safe food and following a healthy diet is of prime importance in times of this pandemic. Cooking at home ensures you have access to safe and freshly prepared food.

However, keep in mind these safety measures while you are cooking at home.

• Always keep your hands clean. 
• Wash utensils and keep your kitchen clean.
• Keep raw and cooked food separate. Practice this religiously while using meat.
• Cook food at recommended temperatures to make sure the food cooks properly.
• Wash vegetables thoroughly under running water.
• Always store cooked food at safe temperatures.

Recipes you can try at home

Great Breakfast or Lunch Recipe – Mushroom and Chickpea Patties

List of Ingredients 

• Sliced Mushrooms – 80 g
• Chopped Onions – 80 g.
• Chopped Garlic – 20 g.
• Olive Oil – for garnish.
• Chickpeas (Canned) – 250 g.
• Parsley Leaves – 10 g.
• Mustard – 10g.
• Wheat flour or any whole grain flour – 60 g.
• Pepper – as per taste.
• Breadcrumbs – 30g.

Cooking Method

1. Take a frying pan to add oil. Put the onions, garlic, and mushrooms and sauté them well. Add a pinch of salt to cook it well. Make sure the mushrooms are tender.
2. Use a blender to make a thick paste of the chickpeas. Then add the sautéed onion, garlic, mushroom, and parsley to it.
3. Add the flour and blend thoroughly until this mixture binds well. It should have the consistency of dough so that you can shape it. You can also use eggs instead of the flour if you like.
4. Add pepper to the mixture to give it a spicy taste.
5. Once the mixture cools down, make small balls out of it. Roll them in a bowl of breadcrumbs and them flatten to form patties.
6. Set your oven to 200 degrees and per heat it. Now place the patties in a parchment paper. Keep it on a baking tray and place it in the oven. 
7. Bake the patties until the outer layer gets browned.
8. If you are not a fan of baking, you can use little oil and fry them in the pan. 
9. Now you can use these delicious and healthy patties in burgers with tomatoes, cucumber, and lettuce. It is also a great combination with whole grain rice and baked veggies.

Green Pea Stew

Ingredients

• Green Peas – Canned – 200 g.
• Black beans – 400 g.
• Dry Basil – Few leaves.
• Sweet Paprika 
• Oil – preferably Olive or sunflower.
• Carrot – 1 number
• Garlic – 1 clove.
• Ripe Tomatoes – 2 numbers.
• Coriander leaves – 2 small bunches.
• Eggs – optional

Cooking Method

1. Skin the tomatoes and cut them into small pieces. Slice the carrots onto thin pieces and crush the garlic clove.
2. Take a saucepan and add a little oil to it. Take the chopped tomatoes, carrots, and crushed garlic and sauté it nicely. 
3. Add one bunch of coriander leaves to this and cook the veggies until they become soft.
4. Now add the black beans and green peas to this mixture with 1 cup of water. You can season it with basil and paprika. Cook this mixture for 8 minutes by covering it with a lid.
5. You can add eggs and cook it for another 15 minutes. (this is optional).
6. Garnish with stew with the remaining bunch of coriander.
7. You may serve this with rice. It also goes well with any type of salad.   

Vegetables and Canned Tuna with Sautéed Pasta

Ingredients

• Wholegrain Pasta – 400 g.
• Olive Oil – 50 ml.
• Fresh broccoli – 200 g.
• Onion – thin slices – 150 g.
• Garlic chopped – 30 g.
• Thinly Sliced Celery – 80g.
• Grated Carrot – 200 g.
• Diced Tomatoes – 150 g.
• Canned Tuna – 300 g.
• Pepper – per taste.
• Soy Sauce 
• Basil leaves – 30 g.

Cooking Method

1. In a cooking pot, boil enough water to cook the pasta as per the instructions on the package. Make sure you do not overcook the pasta as it might alter the taste, nutrition, and texture. You can cool the cooked pasta under running water. Add some drops of oil and set aside.
2. Cook the broccoli for about 8 minutes in boiling water. Drain excess water and set it aside.
3. Sauté garlic, onions, and celery with some oil in a frying pan over medium heat for over 8 minutes. Add the grated carrots and sauté for another 5 minutes. After this, you can add tomatoes and tuna. Stir this mixture well and cook it for 10 minutes. Add the peppers, basil, and spices to make it more flavorful.
4. Now add the cooked pasta and broccoli to this mixture and stir it well. Add some soy sauce for additional flavoring and taste. You can also garnish it with a few basil leaves. 

For Desserts – Try some homemade puddings

 5-Minute Chocolate Pudding (Healthy Too)

Ingredients

• Banana ripe – 1.
• Cocoa Powder – ¼ cup.
• Peanut Butter – ¼ cup.
• Honey – ¼ cup.
• Oats – ¼ cup.
• Vanilla Essence – a few drops.
• Salt – 1 pinch.

Cooking Method

1. Put all the ingredients mentioned in a blender or food processor and blend it well. 
2. Pour this mixture into a bowl. Place in the refrigerator to cool it for about 25 to 30 minutes with lid covered. 
3. You can substitute honey with maple syrup if you want to go the vegan way.

Stay home and practice all safety measures to keep you and your family safe, while you cook some delicious and healthy dishes. You can also make it a point to include a lot of immunity [2], boosting foods in your daily diet to ensure you are getting all the necessary nutrients. While this will not help prevent the disease, it can surely keep your body better prepared to tackle infections.