In light of the pandemic, many of us have opted to buy long-lasting grocery items from the supermarket and cooking at home while reducing the time we spend outdoors. While this might sound like a basic chore, it can be tricky for some people. If you've never cooked anything beyond instant noodles, we've rounded some easy recipes you can try at home using long-lasting grocery items!
1. Savoury oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the easiest meals to prepare, and it's one of the world’s healthiest and most nutritious food! When it comes to oatmeals, you’d normally think of serving them with fresh berries and bananas, right? Let’s add a little twist to your regular oatmeals with this savoury recipe from Boston Magazine!
Made with rolled oats, tomatoes, onions, pesto, eggs, some minced garlic and olive oil, one serving of this savoury oatmeal will keep you full for hours! This meal is simple to make and perfect for one. You can also replace the ingredients with any vegetables of your choice or add something else according to your preference.
2. Microwave egg sandwich
Need to prepare a quick breakfast in less than 3 minutes? Try this foolproof recipe by The Lean Green Bean! Only three ingredients are needed for this filling breakfast—burger bun, eggs and a slice of cheese! Just crack an egg into a bowl and sprinkle some pepper if you like. Then, pop it into the microwave for 40 seconds, and you’ll have a perfectly cooked egg—no stove needed!
This recipe can also be easily modified. You can always add a slice of cheese and some vegetables to make it more flavourful, and substitute the bun with toasts, an English muffin, or any other form of bread!
3. Vegan macaroni & cheese
Can mac and cheese be vegan? The answer is yes and this recipe by Gal Cohen, a dietitian at OnPoint Nutrition is the proof!
To make the cashew cream sauce, you will need non-dairy milk (e.g. almond milk), raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and a little bit of salt and paprika. In case you can’t find nutritional yeast, skipping it is alright! If you’re not interested in the vegan option, you can replace it with parmesan cheese.
4. Fried rice
One of the most versatile meals ever, fried rice is so easy to prepare and requires little ingredients. This Chinese-style fried rice recipe that Rasa Malaysia provided is very easy to follow and can be ready in 15 minutes.
For those who prefer some heat, you can try this spicy fried rice recipe instead! One thing about fried rice is that the vegetables and proteins (e.g. mixed veggies, green beans, chicken) are optional and interchangeable, so you can add in whatever ingredients according to your preference.
5. Vegetable stir fry
Stir-frying is the ultimate game-changer. Quick and simple, it adds a whole new dimension to your plain vegetables! Vegetable stir fry is easy to whip up, and the technique is the same no matter which vegetables you use.
Some of the best vegetables to stir fry are carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers and broccoli, but you can use any veggies you have in your fridge! This recipe by Taste Asian Food also teaches you how to prepare your vegetables and stir fry different types of veggies.
6. Spaghetti aglio e olio
Spaghetti aglio e olio is one of the simplest meals to cook! It requires around 4 ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. The basic ingredients needed to make this pasta dish are spaghetti, garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes.
You can add various ingredients to this meal to make it more flavourful. Some of the most popular variations are adding a protein, such as seafood and veggies (e.g. broccoli and bell peppers). Check out this spaghetti aglio e olio recipe from Gimme Some Oven for a complete guide.
7. Lempeng
Don’t underestimate lempeng just by how simple it’s made! This Malaysian-style pancake (some say crepe) is made up of four ingredients: flour, salt, water, and oil. All you have to do is mix the first three in a bowl to make the batter, heat a pan with a bit of oil, and then fry the batter thinly over low heat.
Lempeng is served with spicy sambal, curry or sugar, depending on one’s preference. While there are many variations of lempeng, some of the most common ones include lempeng pisang (banana pancake), lempeng kelapa (coconut pancake) and lempeng sardin (sardine pancake). Check out this recipe from iCookAsia to prepare it at home!
8. Kuih keria
Malaysians have been making (and eating) their own version of doughnuts way before Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme even arrived. This beloved traditional kuih, which is made of sweet potato, is surprisingly simple to make. And guess what? It needs only five ingredients!
The tricky part of making kuih keria would be making the sugar frost coating. All you need to do is stir the sugar and water in a pan until the sugar thickens. Once it does, stir in the doughnuts until the sugar crystallizes. It’s important to be swift here! To know more, check out this recipe from Petite Nyonya’s Kitchen.
9. Lemon muffins
No one can say no to some refreshing lemon muffins! Taste.com.au has a step-by-step lemon muffins recipe which you can easily follow and experiment. Besides that, the ingredients are easy to find in your local supermarket!
Take your lemon muffins to the next level by preparing some lemon glaze for the topping. All you need to do is whisk together 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, then drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins.
10. Roti Kok
Do you have some leftover breads lying? Turn them into a snack that you can munch on while doing your work or watching TV!
This Malaysian-style crunchy toast is an old school snack that you can easily make on your own. All you have to do is spread some butter or margarine onto the bread and sprinkle some sugar. Then pop them into the oven for about 15 minutes or 10 minutes in an air fryer. Remember to use low heat so that the bread will turn out crunchy inside out! You can refer to this recipe from Cooking with Lu.
Don’t worry if you’re not an experienced cook! These days, there are many online cooking tutorials and simple recipes that you can study and learn from. Remember to check out other simple recipes you can try at home too.