Quarantine Recipes

We have been getting really creative in the kitchen this week. Cooking is honestly the only thing keeping us sane at this point. It's one of the few times I legitimately have to my self. I like turning on some music, showing love to my veggies (yes you have to do this), and making my people a meal. I think I've learned that this is my way of expressing my love. I've always been a breakfast person so that came very easy for me. My challenge is making dinner for FIVE yes five people and making sure we can eat something that satisfies me (vegetarian) and them.
-Alliyah



I have found a new love for the kitchen. I find myself trying to experiment and try new recipes that I usually wouldn't. I feel like having all this time allows me to be more patient and I'm able to take my time and if I mess up the recipe oh well. I have time to do it again. I'm more of a dinner cook and because of quarantine, I am able to really practice breakfast and lunch recipes, which aren't my strong suit. The good thing is now that I've gotten in the swing of it I am actually enjoying cooking breakfast ; getting fancy with the omelets and baking breakfast muffins. I am learning to be more resourceful with what I have in my pantry and figuring out how to make a meal out the things I already have versus constant trips to the grocery store. Being under the stay at home order its been nice to experiement and try new things as well as not repeating a ton of the same meals. I also like that I am able to put my own  spin on recipes now that I have become more confident in the kitchen.
-Jasmine

Here's a few of our favorites from this week!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch French Toast

• Start by putting some cereal in a bag and crushing it up
• Whisk 3 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk into a dish. I added a little bit of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon.
• You're going to want to use a thick bread so I opted for Ciabatta bread.
• Press bread into the egg mixture on each side.
• Then coat each side with cereal
• Cook it in butter on medium heat until browned on either side
• Drizzle with warm syrup and enjoy!

Mozzarella Tomato Pesto Panini

• Start with high quality sandwich bread (sourdough is my pick, but cibatta or white bread work as well)
• Spread Pesto on both sides on the bread, top with sliced mozzarella cheese and then layer on top sliced tomatoes (sprinkle some salt on the tomatoes)
• If you have a pannini press great, if not treat it like a grilled cheese, I use butter in the skillet and grill both sides until golden brown and cheese is melted

** If not vegetarian add in some turkey or ham before grilling**

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

• Preheat the over to 450 degrees 
• In a large bowl combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and milk. Stir until well mixed (saucy consistency)
• Cut the cauliflower into florets, or buy in florets vs a head of cauliflower. Coat each floret in the batter letting any excess batter drip off. Do not over saturate in batter. Bake for 20 minutes
• While cauliflower bakes, in a small saucepan on low heat combine the buffalo sauce (whatever you fave hot sauce is, I use Lousiana) and butter. Heat until butter is almost completely melted
• Once cauliflower finished its first bake, remove from oven, toss in buffalo sauce and return to oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes (longer if you want crispier wings) 
• Serve with your favorite dipping sauce & ENJOY!  

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower or 4 cups of florets
• 1/2 cup of milk or 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup of Hot sauce
• 1 tbsp of butter 

Coco Margarita

• Pour a can of frozen Pina Colada Bacardi mixer (found some at Kroger in the frozen juice aisle) into the blender
• Fill the same can halfway with tequila and pour into the blender
• Add ice 
• Blend and enjoy!

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad

• Dice two cucumbers, two tomatoes, and a little bit of onion (optional)
• Mix them in a bowl, drizzle with Olive Oil, and squeeze fresh lemon juice.
• Add Feta cheese
• Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings

BBQ Pulled Pork Jackfruit Taco

• Shred the jackfruit( using your fingers or a fork)
• Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onions until fragrant. Add in garlic and jalapenos and cook for an additional minute or two
• Add the shredded jack fruit to the pan with the onions and jalapenos.
• Add in the barbecue sauce and spices. Stir evenly to distribute the spices and sauce. Cook until jackfrfuit is browned and slight crisp around outer edges
• Make your tacos. Warm tortillas and add in the fixings.

** I served mine with corn, jackfruit, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, squeeze of lime, avocado, and green salsa**

Ingredients 

• 2 cans of jackfruit in brine. Drain and rinse
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic or minced garlic in jar
• 1 jalapeno 
• 3/4 cup bbq sauce
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt