Who else has been spending most of their days in the kitchen? I’ve always enjoyed cooking and still find myself getting excited when a food magazine arrives in the mail so I can read it cover-to-cover. In the beginning of quarantine, I was into cooking more elaborate comfort food meals, but I’ve currently hit a wall and definitely have fatigue setting in (really fatigue about all of this). However, I still love to incorporate a few easy meals into our weekly mix to fill in the days we don’t order in takeout. Here are a few of my favorite quarantine meals that could work for lunch and dinner.
Quick and Easy Salads
Greek Salad:
I love Greek salads and often make them because they’re so easy and rarely come out bad. It’s also a great way to use up the veggies in my fridge as well as some pantry staples (jarred olives, garbanzo beans and pepperocini). My recipe is basic and I recommend having good ingredients on hand such as feta, olive oil and fresh produce.
I start by chopping romaine lettuce into fine shreds and use that as the base of the salad. Follow that by chopping cucumbers into small pieces, grape tomatoes and red onion and add in the bowl. I then like to add some feta (I prefer a sheep and goats milk one I grab at the grocery store) a couple of pitted Kalamata olives, whole pepperocini and chick peas for extra protein. Season everything with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of oregano.
Then, I make a quick red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing, 2:1 ratio, with salt and pepper or sprinkle on some fresh squeezed lemon juice, a little red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and adjust to taste. It works great with grilled chicken, too.
Cobb Salad:
I have been buying bacon every week, both the turkey and pork kind, because my guys in the house love bacon. I saw a Cobb Salad posted by Gwyneth Paltrow early in quarantine and it inspired me to do the same. I chop up romaine lettuce, add two chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped scallion, tomatoes (any kind you have) fresh herbs, feta or goat cheese (because that is what I usually have on hand, but crumbled blue is the classic way) avocado and crisp bacon. If I have leftover grilled or breaded chicken, I add that in too. I like to add each ingredient on its own in a row to make it look pretty and appealing. Then, I make a quick dijon mustard vinaigrette with a teaspoon of dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and then olive oil whisked in so it gets all creamy. Season with salt and pepper and add to your salad.
Arugula, Chick Peas, Avocado and Parmesan Salad:
This is probably the salad I lean to most frequently because it’s super quick and requires not much chopping and prep. I fill a bowl with pre-washed arugula (I like the Olivia’s Organics Baby Arugula) and then add in some chick peas, cubed avocado, shaved parmesan cheese, about a half of lemon juiced, olive oil and salt and freshly ground pepper and toss it all together. In the summer, I’ll add in some watermelon chunks and swap the parmesan cheese for feta. It’s so good and refreshing!
BLTs
We have been doing a ton of grilled cheese sandwiches during quarantine for lunch, but also have been making lots of BLTs. I’ll cook up some bacon (turkey or pork) add some vine ripe tomatoes that are seasoned with salt and a few pieces of romaine lettuce on toasted bread. The key is to get all good ingredients and season it well. Add mayo or dijon if you want!
Spring Risotto with Asparagus and Peas:
When the quarantine first started back in March, I stocked up on Arborio rice to make risotto. It’s such a comforting meal and super-easy minus the constant stirring. One of my favorites way to make it is with asparagus and peas (I use frozen peas). Asparagus is in season right now, so it’s a great way to use it.
First, I start by taking chicken stock and heat it up in the microwave. I’m lazy and don’t want to clean another pan so I go the microwave route and heat up two cups in a glass pyrex at a time. Then, I chop up some onion, about a 1/2 of a small one, and sauté it for about 4-5 minutes. Then, I add a cup of rice and stir for 1 minute and add in a half a cup of white wine (any opened bottle I have in the house) into the rice and let that cook till the wine has evaporated (three minutes). Start adding in the heated stock one ladle at a time (you can use veggie stock too) until it becomes cooked down and absorbed. Stir frequently and repeat. The whole process should take about 20 minutes. In the last few minutes, I add in the asparagus (cut in small pieces) and then right at the end add in some frozen peas. Stir everything together, take off the heat and add in loads of parmesan cheese and some lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper and finish with some fresh herbs.
Shrimp Scampi:
My mother would always make shrimp scampi when I was a kid and I’ve always loved it. I like to buy wild medium to large size shrimp at the fish market, never the farm raised kind—the wild taste so much better to me. Devein the shrimp, pat them dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat up a pan with some olive oil and once hot add the shrimp. Flip once and then take out when they are opaque, but not completely done. Add in some chopped or sliced garlic and more olive oil and cook till fragrant, then add in cubed butter, lemon juice and white wine and cook till it becomes a bit saucy and thicker. Taste for seasoning. Add the shrimp back in and cook for one more minute and top with fresh parsley.
Seared Scallops with Butter Caper Sauce:
The other day I picked up sea scallops at the fish market because they looked really good. This recipe was so good and super easy with items I had in my fridge. Rinse the scallops and dry them with paper towels very well. Season heavily with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add olive oil to the pan and once hot place in the scallops and do not touch. I make the mistake often of trying to move the scallops too early and they stick to the pan. Once you have a nice sear flip them over and cook till almost done, but not all the way through. Take them out and then make the sauce. Add in some white wine, butter, a little olive oil and some drained capers to the pan and cook down for a few minutes. Then add in the cooked scallops and get them covered in the sauce. Make with a side of linguine or veggies.
Main photo taken by Roxanne Bryant.
What have you been cooking in quarantine? I’d love for you to share in the comments below.
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