Today marks five and half months of being shelter-in-place or some variation of it. While my city opened back at the end of May, the COVID numbers have been rising in my city (and state), and the other day we got an email stating someone in the building had tested positive, so I have stayed put (as much as possible). No travel, no dining out; leaving home for essentials only. Since March, I have dined out once and rediscover my love for cooking and baking. It is therapeutic for me, and occasionally, I share my recipes on my Instagram page (Look for Recipe; Recipe II and Recipe III in my Instagram highlights). While I have been enjoying trying new recipes and baking up a storm, there are twelve recipes I go to over and over again - they are quick; delicious and straightforward; if you are looking to ways to switch things up in the kitchen - give these a go.

1. Bon Appetite Spaghetti al Limone with Asparagus is the most straightforward, most delicious pasta dish ever; all you need is asparagus and lemon. I like mine creamy, so I add some cooking cream or sour cream to the recipe to give it the desired creaminess.

2. Southwestern Chicken Soup. Black bean; corn; green chiles; chicken; jalapeño toss in a pot with seasoning; olive oil and broth and bring to a boil: the most straightforward soup ever and one of my all-time favorites which I have been making quite regularly. On a slow day, you can toss your ingredients in a crockpot, set it on low, and cook slowly.

3. Wild Rice and Mushroom and Chicken soup. This pinch of yum recipe is a great one to reference; I make mine a bit different by adding chicken, and I also don’t use an instant pot. To make the process quicker, I cook a large batch of wild rice in a crockpot and freeze it when I am ready to make this soup, which I make once every four to five weeks.

4. Chicken Confit. Alison Roman’s Chicken confit has been my go-to Chicken recipe for months. It is excellent to serve with a side of grains or vegetables or shredded for tacos, or sometimes I use leftovers for soups like the southwestern soup or the wild rice; mushroom and chicken soup. The great thing about this recipe - you can use herbs and vegetables of your preference.

5. Lentil Soup. I know there are many soups on this list, but very few foods feel as comforting as a bowl of soup. Somedays, I toss lentils and broth and seasoning into a pot and bring to a boil served with sour cream and bread; other days, I do something fancier like the Bon Appetite lentil soup with jammy onion recipe which is linked.

6. Chickpea stew. I have made several variations of this stew, but the OG recipe is from Alison Roman. Her chickpea stew even has its own hashtag ala #THESTEW. When I have time, I follow her recipe to the letter, but most days, I throw in my twist and still get a meal I thoroughly enjoy.

7. Lebanese green bean with tomato stew. This is a recipe I picked up on from my SIL, and I found a recipe online that has similar which I have linked; but this is the most straightforward recipe ever - green beans; tomato sauce; seasoning. I sometimes serve it with rice or couscous or just by itself.

8. Broccoli and cheddar quiche. I am too lazy to make my crust, so I rely on the store-bought stuff - it works just as well. I linked a recipe for ease, but I mainly toss things together without much direction and pop it in the oven. It is a simple dish to pull together and can last four meals.

9. Chicken pot pie. One ingredient I never run out of is the carrot and pea mixed veggie pack and pie crust, which cuts prep time for this dish in half. Before last fall, I have never made pot pie, but I had a craving for it last fall and decided to give it a try; it turned out better than I imagined, and I have been making it every couple of weeks. This recipe is a good one to reference. 

10. Beer Bread. If you follow me on Instagram, you will know I have been baking more than usual (at least once a week) - everything from apple cake to this beer bread. I love beer bread because it is simple to make with minimal ingredients; baking ingredients you already have at home and a 6oz can of beer. Beer bread is excellent for all the soups on this list but also great for a snack. A lot of recipes say butter is optional, but having made this a few times, I recommend the butter as a must. This linked recipe from harvest bake beer bread recipe is one of the best out there.

11. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. I think just about everyone I follow on Instagram has made some variation of banana bread or another. They are delicious and a great way to use up bananas before their ‘best by” date. My favorite/go-to receive is the Mary Berry Banana loaf; it is perfect.

12. Granola. I have been making a lot of granola around here - it is perfect for morning meal as ‘cereal”; mid-day snack or a yogurt or chai pudding topping. My go-to recipe is the one from Sister’s table - their Tahini granola is one oft he best granola recipes, ever. You can find it in the highlights of their Instagram page. I also really enjoy Joy the baker’s granola recipes - she has a whole bunch, and they are all fab.