With so many people currently self-isolating and sticking to social distancing (keep up the great work), we bet there are lots of people who have found themselves with extra time on their hands. We’re all about trying to find silver linings right now so we’re spending more time cooking at home and we’re guessing that lots of you are in the same boat.
Now, we love to cook so we’re not too worried about serving up tasty and nutritious dishes at home, but we know that there are plenty of people who don’t like cooking or just aren’t confident in their cooking abilities. In the spirit of making the best of things, this is the perfect time to get a little cooking practice in and learn a few new recipes.
We’re going to share a few of our favourite food blogs today and some easy recipes to follow. We’ll stay away from five-course feasts and stick to simple recipes for this one, you can always come and have a feast with us in the restaurant when everything settles back down.
Keep It Simple
First up, we wanted something easy so we’re sharing this 4-ingredient blog. Can you guess why? Yes, each recipe has 4 ingredients, and some of them are one-pot wonders so this is a great place for novice home cooks to build up their confidence. We know that people are trying to be clever with what they’re stocking their kitchens with too, so the four ingredient recipes are helpful with that. We think this recipe for scramble florentine is simple enough for anyone to try, and it’s a great alternative if you’re missing out on your usual brunch spots.
The Perfect Steak
One question that chefs always seem to be asked is how to cook the perfect steak, so we’re sharing this handy link to Bord Bia’s guide. Steaks should be simple so don’t overthink them, they cook faster than you might think but the real trick is to make sure your pan is hot enough before you start.
Store Staples for Home Cooking
If you’ve stocked up on lots of fresh veg and staples like lentils, we think this Spiced Lentil and Sweet Potato Bake from Lily Higgins is a great recipe to try. It might look like a lot of ingredients and steps, but Lily’s method is straight forward and easy to follow so beginner cooks should have no problems with this one.
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
If you’re looking for something sweet and want to try some home baking, there are countless blogs to explore. Taking on a cake might be a little out of your comfort zone so we’re recommending starting with something easier, like these brownies. We’ve gone with Nigella Lawson’s recipe as it’s tried and tested, and tastes delicious.
One thing to watch out for when you’re baking is the timing; everyone’s oven is a little different so some bake faster, some slower. Opening and closing your oven while you have a cake inside can be a disaster waiting to happen, but brownies are more resilient and baking them is a great way to test your oven and its baking speed. Plus, you have a tray of gooey brownies at the end as your reward.
Be Snack Smart
If you’re working from home, you might find that you’re tempted to snack more so we thought it would be useful to add a recipe for some healthy granola bars. Lidl has lots of recipes to explore and we really like this one for fruity granola bars. They’re quick and easy to make and the bars should keep for up to five days so they’re a great option to make at the start of the week.
Food can be a familiar comfort when times are strange, so we hope you’re all managing to eat well, and that you get some inspiration from our suggestions.
As much as we’d love to be serving up delicious meals for you, we hope you keep self-isolating for as long as we need to. We’ll be here with plenty of lunches, dinners, desserts, wine and cocktails when everything goes back to normal and we’ll be ready and waiting to welcome you back with wide-open arms.
KEEP TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER AND DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES.