To help inspire you to make the best out of this chaotic time (and hopefully make you just a bit happier) here is a week of quarantine recipes that I have experimented with!
Day One: Lemon Chicken
In my opinion, lemon chicken is a true classic, and a delicious and simple way to change things up. Personally, all I do (since my family is a bit on the pickier side) is use lemon juice and breadcrumbs and roast the chicken on a pan filled with the lemon pieces, which makes it look way fancier than it is.
Day Two: Lasagna
Lasagna is another classic meal that you can totally experiment with, and make your own. I prefer mine without meat and top with Parmesan and mozzarella, but do what you want with it! No matter the modifications you make, lasagna is a super easy recipe and definitely a favorite comfort food!
Day Three: Apples & Cinnamon
I am definitely guilty of loving a sweet late-night snack, so in an effort to feed that craving but in a healthier way, I have been a huge fan of cooking apples sprinkled cinnamon for a few minutes. It tastes like apple pie filling and is definitely way better than a late night brownie.
Day Four: Picnic Plates
For lunch I have been LOVING making up little picnic plates. I think this is something that could be especially useful now, as we all have limited supplies and ingredients from the grocery store. My favorite picnic plate would be crackers or pretzels, some sort of dip (my favorite is the everything but the bagel yogurt dip from trader joes), grapes or grape tomatoes and some sort of cheese and lunch meat. It definitely makes lunch feel way more satiating because of all of the different flavors and textures.
Day Five: A New Baked Good
I am a baking connoisseur, but usually tend to stick to the same few things: chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and Irish soda bread. So with quarantine, I have decided to be a bit more experimental with my baking and expand my horizons. So far I have made carrot cake, a loaf of regular white bread, banana bread, s'mores dip, and peanut butter cookies. I can't possibly choose a favorite, but I can say that trying new baked goods is my absolute favorite!
Day Six: A New Breakfast Food
I'm not a huge breakfast person, but when I do eat breakfast, I usually tend to eat the same things. I stick to cereal, avocado toast, some form of an egg, pancakes, toast, a smoothie, or some combination of the mentioned items. I am trying to use quarantine to get myself into a better routine, which includes eating breakfast. With this goal, I am trying to experiment with different breakfast foods because I get really tired of eating the same thing repeatedly. Some new breakfast foods I have tried are: yogurt and granola, a smoothie bowl, french toast Nutella and strawberry roll ups, home fries, and fresh out of the oven croissants! I definitely recommend experimenting with your breakfast recipes and routine, it can really make all the difference on the start to your day!
Day Seven: A Vegetarian / Vegan Meal
With limited meats and foods at the grocery store, I've been eating a few more vegetarian or vegan meals a week than normal. I wouldn't consider myself a vegetarian or vegan, nor am I trying to be one, but I definitely do feel better after a dairy and or meat free meal. Not just physically, but mentally as well. I absolutely love throwing together a few vegetables on a sheet pan with a few seasonings and letting them cook on broil until they get super crispy. Adding some rice or beans to the vegetable mixture and calling it a day is a great way to have a healthy and easy meal!
When at the store, if you're not able to find the things you normally cook , try to see it as a positive and take it as an opportunity to get outside of your comfort zone and experiment with your recipes! You never know, you might just find a new favorite recipe! I hope this week of quarantine recipes helps!