The past year has brought with it an unfortunate standstill, throwing a big fat wrench into our university lives in more ways than one. But on the bright side, it’s also given us the time to delve into new hobbies like plant collecting, hiking, crafts, and most importantly (at least for me), getting elbow-deep in the kitchen. 

 

I think I speak for everyone when I say “I want to be a good cook”. After all, I’ve never met anyone that doesn’t like food, and if I can replicate something that tastes just as good as it would have for a $120 plate at an overpriced restaurant, I’d be set for life. 

 

With so many quick and easy mess-free recipes taking over the internet, now is a greater time than any to hone your kitchen skills and experiment with delicious meals that you can prepare on your own. 

 

My personal favorite recipe that I’ve found during the pandemic is the famed ‘Oven-baked feta and cherry tomato pasta’ - you know, the one claimed to be so popular in Finland that Finnish grocery stores allegedly ran out of feta cheese. If you happen to have access to an oven, I highly recommend trying out this recipe. 

 

There’s been a ton of viral food moments - ones that evoke quite a bit of skepticism - and many that you save on Instagram to ‘try for later’, but let’s be real, you never got to it. To curb the uncertainty of whether or not a recipe is actually worth trying out, we’ve collated 7 easy, tried and true recipes that are worth the minimal labor. These recipes only require a skillet, some kind of stirring utensil, or a microwave to get it going - why wait? It’s time to go grocery shopping! 

 

Tomato and Chorizo rice 

 

This Tomato and Chorizo rice recipe from BBC goodfoods (yes, I know, they’re not the authority on ‘authentic’ recipes) is surprisingly tasty and can be made with very little hassle. While it might not be authentic, you can think of this recipe as the ‘beginners paella’. With the savoury punch of the chorizo, the salty fruitiness of the olives, and the tartiness of the canned tomatoes - you won’t regret adding this gorgeous recipe to your arsenal of yummy lunches/dinners. Since this recipe serves 4, (although I would argue it actually serves 2) you can always make this meal in advance, store it, and pop it back in the microwave for 1:30 minutes to eat for the next day. 

 

This recipe is definitely one of the more salty, bigger flavoured meals - for when you’re craving a juicy burger or a rich stew. With rice, onions, olives, chorizo, and canned tomatoes being the only really necessary ingredients, you can prep, leave it in the skillet with the pan on, and have a gourmet meal in less than 30 minutes. If this is your first time cooking rice outside of a rice cooker, this might be a little bit of a challenge to get the timing right, but it never hurts to have a taste if you’re unsure. 

 

Thai Basil and Ground Beef stirfry (Pad Krapao) 

If you’ve never had Pad Krapao in your life, I truly envy you. Because as soon as you put this recipe to the test - you’ll never want to eat anything else. I’ve made Pad Krapao at least 5 times since this year has started, and it’s one of those recipes that is easily comparable to a restaurant-grade meal. 

 

Most recipes call for ground beef, egg, beans, Thai basil (this ingredient really does make a difference), fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. You can find Thai basil, otherwise known as Holy basil, in wet markets around Hong Kong. Make sure you don’t skimp out on this ingredient, it will either make or break your Pad Kra Pao. 

 

This dish is a ridiculously easy fix with strong umami flavors, spice, and ‘wok-hay’. Basically all of your favorite elements of Thai cuisine. As simple as it seems, this dish is second to none when it comes to bold, bright, flavors - and you can even experiment with additional vegetables. 

 

Fried rice 

 

Fried rice is a staple everywhere - not just in Asia. It’s often an overlooked recipe because of how simple it is and perhaps how seemingly plain it might sound. Fried rice is one of those convenient recipes that not only tastes great but is also super customizable. You can pretty much throw anything you want in to the pan to personalize your rice and add your choice of hot sauce - whether that be chilli jam, a local sauce, or a homemade sauce. 

 

Almost all fried rice recipes call for left-over or day-old rice to strip the moisture away. This makes fried rice a PERFECT way to handle all of your left overs for a better, balanced, and delightful meal. I personally recommend adding a touch of sesame oil, freshly chopped green onions, and sesame seeds for garnish. 

 

Mug cake 

 

This mug cake recipe is a perfect way quell your chocolate cravings. It takes about 10 minutes to make with minimal mess and hassle - all you need to make this is a large mug, a microwave, eggs, milk, flour, and cocoa powder. With a recipe this easy, there’s no reason not to give it a shot! 

 

It should be noted that your results do change depending on the size of your mug, but with enough trial and error, you will eventually be able to get that souffle texture 9 out of 10 times. You can definitely dress this recipe up with some chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream if those are available to you - but if not, the recipe works great as a standalone cake too. 

 

Aglio e Olio 

 

Aglio e Olio, the most naked of pastas. With only a couple of ingredients - you can end up with a salty, savoury, garlicy pasta that is just as good (or better) than any restaurant grade pasta you can grab at Pici’s. Pasta traditionalist will say to stick to the name ‘Aglio e Olio’, which is directly translated to mean ‘Garlic and Oil’. But for people who need a little more bite to their pasta, I’ve got you covered with this recipe. 

 

Ingredients matter here, and while we’d like to be able to roll out our own fresh pasta - it’s just not a very realistic option. But if you can splurge on the ingredients, you’ll definitely be getting more bang for your buck. Getting real parmagianno reggianno is the key - you want that aged, nutty, funk to really push this dish to the next level. 

 

Good quality olive oil and a ton of garlic is also super important for this dish, I personally like to garnish with a little bit of fresh parsley and lemon but that’s a personal preference that you can choose to omit.

 

Tortilla hack 

 

You’ve probably heard or seen of this ‘hack’ on your ‘For You’ page some time earlier last year - and maybe you’ve already tried it! But for those of you who haven’t put this hack to the test, it’s definitely one for the books. 

 

Like fried rice, this Tortilla hack is very customizable, with the tortilla being the stable carb holding all your ingredients together. I personally like to put in a few slices of ham, cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and a generous dollop of guacamole on each ofthe four quarters  - but literally any other combination will work just fine. It’s a highly versatile meal option that can even be made for breakfast, as a snack, or a small meal - like a quick 4 layered quesadilla. 

 

Japanese curry 

 

This last recipe usually calls for a big pot - but if your skillet is deep enough you can easily make it in a skillet instead. If you like Japanese curry but you’ve never tried making it yourself, you’ll be shocked at how simple it actually is. Most of the work comes in prepping (cutting up ingredients) and the rest is just getting a good browning on your meats and veggies. 

 

You can choose what kind of veggies you would like to include in your dish but traditionalists will usually stick with potatoes, carrots, onions and maybe some okra. You can also have your pick on which meats you would like to include - but it also works well without any meat options too! 

 

Choosing a good curry roux is also important, I’ve found that the curry roux blocks in fusion or any grocery store work just great, but if you can find an asian grocery store with powdered roux, this will also work well. Many people struggle with exactly how much curry roux to add, but my advice is to take it slow, let your roux mix in well with the curry before deciding to add more in. This dish does require a little more patience than the others, but it’s definitely one to learn early on - CoCo Curryhouse has nothing on this recipe. 

 

And that’s it! We hope you try some of these recipes when you have the time,  and don’t forget to let us know if you have any more to add and which recipes you liked/disliked. (We’ll try to update this list with your input!)