In this unprecedented time, your local grocery story may be looking a little sparse, and you may be finding yourself with a lot of time on your hands. While you should not be going to extreme lengths to stockpile food, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) does suggest minimizing trips to the grocery store and buying enough food for one to two weeks at a time. This may require some to adjust their grocery lists and cooking to include more nonperishable items.
Whether you cook frequently or are unfamiliar with the kitchen, here are some recipes to try that may ease your boredom and allow you to make use of some non-perishable items in your kitchen.
1. Chickpea Curry with Rice: I can almost guarantee you that your grocery stores will still have plenty of canned chickpeas stocked. With rice, chickpeas, coconut milk, vegetable stock, spices and a little over 30 minutes, you can have a flavorful and hearty meal.
2. Homemade Artisan Bread: This recipe of artisan bread is great for beginners. You can save yourself a trip to the grocery store and make this simple recipe that only calls for four – yes, four – ingredients that you may already have: flour, salt, yeast and water. I just made this recipe, and I chose to add jalapenos, cheese and garlic to make it a little more exciting, and the result was delicious. To those who have not made bread before, it may seem a little daunting, but this recipe is straightforward and cost effective. I am also convinced that the smell of baking bread can cure sadness.
3. Triple Berry Crumble: This recipe is simple, and the combination of berries and lemon is tangy and delicious. You can make this recipe with your favorite frozen berries – or fresh, if you have access to them – sugar, flour, salt, oats, lemon juice and butter. If you don’t have butter on hand, there are plenty of substitutes for butter such as vegetable oil, coconut oil or applesauce.
4. 7-Can Soup: Aptly named, this flavorful soup can be made from only canned ingredients and spices. You can make several meals out of this soup and use up some of your canned ingredients.
5. S’mores Bark: With a little over an hour of your time and your basic s’mores ingredients of chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows, you can have the essence of a camping adventure right at home. This may also be an excellent opportunity to make a blanket fort and camp out in your living room.
6. Hummus: Easy and delicious, this recipe gives you homemade hummus in just three minutes. You can use a food processor or blender to combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt and garlic to create a standard hummus – though you can get creative and add whatever spices or flavors you are partial to.
7. Applesauce Waffles: These waffles are made with all non-perishable ingredients and allow you to have an excellent waffle consistency without milk or butter.
8. Puttanesca with Angel Hair Pasta: Pasta is a go-to staple in most cupboards, and this recipe gives options for spicing up your standard pasta with nonperishable items such as olives, tomatoes, anchovy filets and capers.
While you may not have access to all ingredients right now, there are still plenty of options for you to cook something new and minimize your grocery store trips.
