8 Recipes to Try During the Coronavirus Madness

School’s over! Well, half of that is true as we’re in quarantine. As for me, quarantine is quite easy because it’s basically my lifestyle. Whether you’re currently living in your parents’ basement or cuddling next to your loved ones, we really need to be staying indoors at all times. This is an uncertain and scary time, but you and your family still need to eat. The act of preparing a warm meal can help get you through all of this craziness.

Breakfast Recipes

Dutch Baby – Don’t worry, you’re not actually eating a baby. This is a fluffy pancake that is perfect for breakfast, lunch or brunch.

INGREDIENTS:

3 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter
Syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar

STEPS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn), add the batter to the pan, return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for five more minutes.
Remove the pancake from the oven, cut into wedges and serve topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar—or cinnamon sugar and bananas.

Pear Clafoutis – A clafoutis is a cross between flan and a pancake. It’s a super-easy-to-make and delicious dessert. If you want something that is similar to your Thanksgiving dessert, a clafoutis is perfect for you.

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 tablespoons pear eau-de-vie or liqueur (optional)

· 2 tablespoons mild-flavored honey, like clover

· 2 pounds ripe but firm pears, like Bartlett or Comice

· 3 large eggs

· 1 vanilla bean, scraped

· ⅓ cup sugar

· ⅔ cup sifted unbleached white flour

· ½ cup plain yogurt

· ½ cup milk

· Pinch of salt

STEPS

Combine the pear eau-de-vie and the honey in a bowl. Peel, core and slice the pears, and toss with the mixture. Let that sit for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 10-inch ceramic tart pan or baking dish.
In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a whisk, beat together the eggs, the seeds from the vanilla bean, and the sugar. Pour off the marinade from the pears and add that to the egg mixture. Gradually beat in the flour, then beat in the yogurt, and add in your milk and salt.
Arrange the pears in the baking dish. Pour on the batter. Place in the oven and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Serve hot or warm.

Mushroom and Spinach Frittata – A simple egg dish that you can enjoy for breakfast while you sit and talk to your pets.

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

· 1 10 ounce bag pre sliced mushrooms

· Salt and freshly ground pepper

· 1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

· 1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, rinsed

· 8 eggs

· ¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional)

· 2 tablespoons low-fat milk

STEPS

· Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy 10 or 12-inch nonstick skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring or tossing often, until they begin to sweat and soften—around 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and garlic, and stir together until the garlic is fragrant—around 30 seconds to a minute. Add the spinach a handful at a time and stir until wilted. Turn up the heat and let any excess liquid evaporate from the pan, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning.

· Beat the eggs in a large bowl (you can do this while the mushrooms are cooking). Stir in salt and pepper to taste, the milk, and the mushroom and spinach mixture. Add the parmesan if desired.

· Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in the skillet until it feels hot when you hold your hand about 1 inch above it. Drop a bit of egg into the pan and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture, scraping all of it in with a rubber spatula. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and let them fill out evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Once a few layers of egg have cooked, turn the heat down to low, cover (use a pizza pan if you don’t have a lid that will fit your skillet), and cook for 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid and loosen the bottom of the omelet with a spatula, tilting the pan, so that the bottom doesn’t burn. It will turn golden. The eggs should be just about set, though there will be a layer on the top that is not.

· Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Uncover the pan and place it under the broiler, but not too close to the heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the top sets. Watch it very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn (at most, it should brown very slightly and puff under the broiler). Remove from the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking, and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. It can be a little runny in the middle if you like it that way. Loosen the edges with a spatula. Carefully slide it from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut into wedges. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold.

Lunch Recipes

One-Pot Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes and Kale

INGREDIENTS:

· 1 pound spaghetti

· 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 pints)

· 2 lemons, zested

· ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

· 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

· 1 bunch kale or spinach, leaves only, washed and chopped

· Black pepper

· Parmesan, for serving

STEPS:

· Bring just over a quart of water to a boil. Meanwhile, place spaghetti, tomatoes, lemon zest, oil and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a large, dry, shallow pan. (The pan should be large enough that the dry spaghetti can lie flat.)

· Carefully add the boiling water to the pan with the spaghetti. Cover the pan, and bring up to a boil. Remove lid and let it simmer for about 6 minutes, using tongs to move the spaghetti around now and then so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Add kale or spinach and continue cooking until the remaining liquid has reduced to a sauce and the pasta is cooked through. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and top with Parmesan.

Brothy Chicken Soup with Hominy and Poblano

INGREDIENTS:

· 3 tablespoons olive oil

· 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

· 1 large poblano chile, deseeded and finely chopped

· 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin

· 1 teaspoon ground coriander

· ½ teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

· ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)

· Kosher salt and black pepper

· 6 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

· ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

· 1 (15-ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked rice

· 1 lime, quartered, for serving

· Crumbled tortilla chips, thinly sliced radishes, diced avocado, roughly chopped cilantro, thinly sliced scallions or sour cream, for garnishing

STEPS

· Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and poblano and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have softened without taking on any color—about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic and spices are fragrant—about 1 more minute. Season well with salt and pepper.

· Add the stock and chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook until the chicken has cooked through and is no longer pink—about 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat.

· Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the hominy and allow everything to simmer together for 5 to 10 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

· Ladle into soup bowls. Serve with limes, for squeezing on top, and bowls of optional garnishes.

Dinner Recipes

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut Milk and Turmeric

INGREDIENTS:

· ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving

· 4 garlic cloves, chopped

· 1 large yellow onion, chopped

· 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped

· Kosher salt and black pepper

· 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving

· 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

· 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

· 2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk

· 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

· 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces

· 1 cup mint leaves, for serving

· Yogurt, for serving (optional)

· Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

STEPS:

· Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and then cook while stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges for 3 to 5 minutes.

· Add half a teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas. Then season that with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish.

· Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides (this will help thicken the stew). Add coconut milk and stock, and then season with salt and pepper.

· Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened for 30 to 35 minutes. Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible. If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey!

· Add in the greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften for anywhere between 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens. Season again with salt and pepper.

· Divide among bowls and top each with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if you choose to use that, and dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.

Baked Fish and Chips

INGREDIENTS:

· 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

· 1 ⅓ cups panko bread crumbs

· 1 ½ teaspoons minced thyme

· 1 large garlic clove, grated on a microplane or minced

· 1 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed

· ¼ cup Dijon mustard

· 2 large eggs

· 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

· 1 ¼ pounds skinless hake, cod or other white fish fillets, cut into 1-inch-thick strips

· 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed

· 1 ½ pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large), cut into 1/4-inch-thick sticks

STEPS

· Make the horseradish tartar sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

· Prepare the fish and chips. Arrange 2 oven racks on the top and bottom third of the oven. Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the lower rack and heat the oven to 500 degrees.

· In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in panko, thyme, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until crumbs are evenly dark golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer immediately to a bowl.

· In a second bowl, whisk together mustard and eggs. Place flour in a third bowl.

· Grease an oven-safe wire rack with oil and place it over another rimmed baking sheet. Season fish with 1 teaspoon salt and a half teaspoon of pepper. Drench each piece of fish in the flour, then mustard mixture, then panko mixture, making sure it is well coated with each one before moving to the next. Transfer fish to the wire rack. You can bread the fish up to 4 hours ahead; store in the refrigerator, uncovered, either on the rack or just on a plate.

· In a large bowl, toss together potatoes, the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, a half teaspoon of salt, and a half teaspoon of pepper. Carefully spread the potatoes out on the preheated baking sheet and return to oven’s lower rack. Roast until slightly golden and crispy, tossing after 15 minutes.

· Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and transfer the second pan, with the fish still on the wire rack, to the oven’s top rack. Bake until the fish is flaky and golden, and the potatoes are well browned and tender—about 10 to 15 minutes.

· Salt the fish and potatoes immediately after removing from oven. Serve hot, with tartar sauce alongside for dipping.

Scallion and Ginger Chicken Wings (Original Recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

· 5 large scallions, trimmed

· ¼ cup peanut oil, or neutral oil such as grapeseed or sunflower, more as necessary

· 3 pounds of chicken wings

· Salt and Pepper

· ¼ cup of chopped ginger

· 1 tsp of soy sauce

· 3 cloves of garlic

STEPS

· Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil two baking sheets. Divide the wings between two sheets and season them with salt and pepper. Then bake them for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

· Chop your scallions, ginger, and garlic into small pieces. Then put them into a food processor along with the soy sauce, salt & pepper. Puree them with oil.

· After 45 minutes, take out your wings and put them into a large bowl. Then mix them with the puree sauce. Return them back to the sheets and bake until set—about 10 minutes.

I hope these recipes help get you through your quarantine days as much as they help me with mine!