Quarantine Cuisine: Quick & Easy Pantry Meals
Quarantine Cuisine
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." Mike Tyson said it. And we’re living that truth right now in our kitchens, where our meal planning game used to be tighter than our jars of pretty pantry staples all in a row. Now a hopeful trip to the grocery store, tactically planned for optimal brevity, can easily end in a #FAIL, as we stare at the empty shelf where our go-tos used to live in abundance. It’s a roll of the dice.
What we need is a plan B: a lucky coin in our back pockets to keep us in fighting shape (or at least well-fed). Here’s what we’ve bookmarked on our phones—the “special teams” of quarantine cuisine we can call in for real-time substitutions on a moment’s notice, so we can keep our g-shop visit moving.
Speedy Subs
Got your heart set on a comfort food favorite tonight? Substitutions and equivalents are key to the equation when quantities are scarce. We’re partial to Mark Bittman’s list of interchangeable ingredients. Here’s another.
Back-Pocket Recipes
If you’re feeling more flex about what’s on the table, it’s good to have a list of simple go-tos at the ready so you can make a game-time pivot when plan A is foiled (looking at you, cannellini bean hoarders).
A spinach spin on the burger
Packed with sneaky veggies, these are delish with some pepper jack and guacamole.
A fajita that really sizzles
Simple and tasty with chicken, or try steak if that’s more your jam. Either way, we recommend marinating overnight.
Sausage that’s the sheet
That’s sheet pan—the most epic cooking hack made for this moment. This sausage/pepper/polenta mixture comes together like a dinner dream.
Stir (fry) it up a notch
This recipe ups the ante on the typical stir fry, but is agnostic on veggies, so just look for the hardiest ones in stock.
Surprisingly simple scallops
Something about scallops feels a bit decadent, yet these don’t need special treatment. If fennel isn’t high among your pandemic shopping priorities, free to skip.
Big-flavor shrimp
If shrimp aren’t already taking up your freezer’s real estate on the reg, they will now. Frozen seafood should be easy to find and store for this simple, staple meal.
