Use your time and creativity to find cooking and baking inspiration using ingredients you already have.
USE YOUR TIME AND CREATIVITY TO FIND COOKING AND BAKING INSPIRATION USING INGREDIENTS YOU ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN
On Day 9, we baked. Between building forts, too many episodes of “Dance Moms” and yet another walk, I turned to one of my favorite activities to entertain and nourish my suddenly always-home troop: cooking up some sweet treats.
We’re fortunate to have plenty of baking mixes on hand, but I’m a do-it-from-scratch kind of baker whenever I can be.
I also wanted to share with you dishes that not only taste good but might help alleviate panic when you can’t get all the ingredients you’d normally like to have.
Yes, in recent days, shelves usually stocked with pre-made pasta sauces, fresh meats and even frozen vegetables have been wiped clean. But let’s focus on what many of us do have: time and creativity — or at least the ability to find inspiration in our own pantries or online.
Here, I’ve included three recipes that rely mostly on nonperishable staples with just two refrigerated items at most. I’ve also listed possible substitutes, and if you need more ideas, Google them. You’ll be amazed what you can do with chickpeas, oatmeal or almonds in a pinch.
First up: Simple applesauce cookies with raisins. The recipe needs eight ingredients, seven if you happen to have cinnamon applesauce.
A little internet research will lead you to much more complicated versions than the one I’ve included here. One is traceable to the days of World War II rationing and calls for shortening and corn syrup. Others date to the Civil War.
I first made these simple, cakelike cookies 30 years ago, in a home classroom packed with friends about the same age my older daughter is now. Somehow, I hadn’t revisited the recipe since she was born.
When I suggested this story to my editor, I instantly thought of having London, 11, cook with me. As much as I wanted to taste the applesauce cookies again, I also craved nostalgia with a generous sprinkle of mother-daughter bonding.
We whipped up a batch in about 45 minutes, using a one-bowl method that limited clean-up. The rest of the crew cleaned up, too, devouring three cookies each before our afternoon stroll around the neighborhood.
On Day 10, we turned to that true pantry staple known as ramen.
These hard, wavy noodles are often thought of as college kid food. But it’s easy to convert them into a real meal. The options are almost limitless.
If you run out of boxed semolina pasta, sub plain ramen noodles into any Italian-style recipe. In the summer, I incorporate them into a cold, Asian-inspired peanut butter chicken salad with bell peppers. I was tempted to try it with drained canned chicken and frozen or jarred peppers, but it’s been cold lately.
We stuck with a jazzed up soup, to which I added ingredients such as ginger and garlic, known for their immunity-boosting properties. If you don’t have them, use dry versions from the spice rack or omit.
Here, my refrigerator items are half a hard-boiled egg per serving and a few leaves of fresh spinach.
I’m lucky enough to get early season greens delivered from a farm-share program. Carrots also last a couple of weeks in the fridge and would be good diced or julienned (thinly sliced) in this soup. You can also choose a frozen (spinach or broccoli florets) or a canned veggie (peas) option instead.
We had this as a weekend lunch. Increase the serving size, and it would make a great dinner, too.
If you’re reading this on Wednesday, it’s Day 13 of self-isolation for our family. An easy Tex-Mex meal is on tap for dinner.
We always have tortillas in the house, and they’re a great option right now because they last so much longer — often three months or more — than bread. Most brands require you to refrigerate after opening.
I always seem to have canned chicken around, and you don’t have to wait for the Super Bowl to give it the Buffalo treatment. These taquitos are fun for kids to eat with their hands, and you can substitute mild salsa for hot sauce if you have pickier palates to please. To make it fancier, add a pinch of smoky chipotles in adobe or pickled jalapenos. With three finicky kids, those just aren’t staples in my house.
Again, add to it if you have the ingredients. If not, two of these make a filling dinner served alongside sweet canned corn.