With the current COVID-19 situation getting more serious by the day, it is more important than ever to ensure you are taking every precaution necessary to keep yourself isolated and safe. Whilst staying inside may get a little boring and repetitive your meals don’t have to! Now is a great time to let loose your inner MasterChef and try out new and exciting things in the kitchen. In today’s article I will be providing a few recipes for you to try out, and who knows you might find something you really like!
Recipe #1: Your GO-TO Healthy Meal
Oat and Berry acai bowl
The classic #millennial go-to meal, the ever-converted Oat and Berry Acai Bowl. The great part about this meal is it takes minimal effort but will keep you feeling full and nourished throughout your day.
Ingredients:
· ½ cup of Milk
· ¼ cup of Oats
· 1 teaspoon of Acai powder
· 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds
· ¼ cup of Raspberries and Blueberries
· ½ Banana
· 1/3 cup of Oats
· 100g of Mixed Berries (Optional if you already have enough)
· 1 Tablespoon of pistachios, Diced
Method:
It’s quite simple. All you have to do is blend the milk, oats, banana, frozen berries and acai powder until smooth, then let it sit for about 2-5 minutes to let it thicken up. Then pour the mixture into a bowl and add your berries, nuts and seeds on top. Feel free to add any extra goodies on top!
Recipe #2: The comfort meal
Penne Bolognese
Pasta. Pasta. Pasta.
Nothing beats this classic comfort and go-to meal for me to cook at home. It only takes about 30 minutes to prepare and is super tasty. This is a great option to cook when you're struggling to figure out what to cook for dinner.
Ingredients:
· 3 tablespoons of Spaghetti Bolognese Herbs
· 2 diced Shallots
· 3 diced Mushrooms
· 1 tin of diced Tomatoes
· 1 tin of Tomato Puree
· 3-4 cloves of Garlic (crushed)
· 500g of Mince Meat
· ½ Packet of Penne Pasta
Method:
1. You will need to set up two hotplates to max temperature. Set up one of the hot plates with a pot of water, once that is placed on the hot plate, put a lid over it and let it reach boiling point.
2. On the second hot plate set up a frying pan (Spray or pour Olive Oil into the pan to reduce the risk of the meat sticking to the pan). Once this has been completed, put your mincemeat into the frypan and let it cook all the way through.
3. Once the mincemeat has been cooked through add your cans of diced Tomatoes and Tomato Puree. Stir into the meat for approx. 5 minutes.
4. Once your water has come to a boil making sure to pour some olive oil into the mixture, to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Next, add in your pasta. It isn’t much you will need to do with the pasta, just stir it about every 30 seconds to stop it from burning/ sticking to the bottom of the pot. The pasta will cook for approx. 10-15 minutes.
5. Next, you will need to add in your diced Mushrooms, crushed Garlic and Shallots into the pasta sauce mixture. Stir for approx. 1 minute and let the ingredients seep into the mixture.
6. After that, sprinkle the Spaghetti Bolognese herbs over the sauce and thoroughly mix.
7. Once your pasta and pasta sauce is cooked all the way through, turn off the hot plate. Make sure to strain your pasta through a colander and give it a bit of a rinse with some warm water.
8. Lastly, serve up your pasta, add cheese for a delicious topping and enjoy!
Recipe #3 - Just one more snack!
Puff Dogs
I know what you’re thinking… Puff Dogs what in the world is that. Just wait, they are about to change your life. These little guys are super easy to prepare and taste absolutely amazing!
Ingredients:
· 3 Cabanossi Sticks
· 1 sheet of Puff Pastry
· 1 egg
· ½ cup of Milk
· ¼ cup of mix Sesame Seeds – (Alternatively you can use Poppy seeds)
Method:
1. Lay your puff pastry onto a flat surface and preheat your oven to 210° (Fan Forced)
2. Next, place your cabanossi stick onto the puff pastry and roll it up, make sure all sides are covered.
3. Next cut off any excess pastry.
4. Start to cut the wrapped cabanossi into bite-size pieces and place on an oven tray (Make sure to have your tray wrapped in either foil or spray it down with olive oil).
5. Once all the Cabanossi pieces are on the tray, take your egg & milk and whisk then together.
6. Once you have them combined, drizzle it over the cabanossi pieces. This will ensure a crisp and crunchy taste to your puff dogs.
7. Next, sprinkle the sesame seed over the top of the cabanossi pieces.
8. Lastly, Place into the oven for approx. 12-15 minutes, be sure to keep an eye on them as they cook quickly!
9. Lastly, once they are finished wait about 2 minutes to let them cool, then plate and enjoy!
P.S They taste the best with a little bit of tomato sauce!
I hope you enjoyed reading these few simple but delicious recipes, and that they might encourage you to release your inner MasterChef during this isolation period! As always, stay safe and stay sanitised!
Blog By Danielle Godden