Hello! I’m L.A. and I stream cooking on Twitch as The Hunger Service.
With COVID-19 making it harder to leave the house and closing down many restaurants, many people are turning to learning how to cook at home. We’ve got a few recipes you can try in your kitchen with minimal and staple ingredients to keep you fed while isolating in your home.
As someone who learned how to cook in college, these dishes are my favorite real quick meals that are really easy to make even for the rookie chef be it as a college student or someone with more free time working from home! Hopefully this helps you all pass the time sheltering in place and maybe spark some more inspiration for some future cooking!
Thai Basil Chicken
4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 green onions cut into 2″ lengths
1-2 cups Thai basil leaves, loosely packed
6 garlic cloves, minced
2-4 birds eye chilis chopped (depending on how spicy you want it)
2 tbsp neutral oil (I used Peanut)
SAUCE
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1. Combine sauce ingredients, mix, and set aside.
2. This is a very fast cooking time, be quick. Heat oil in pan over high heat and add garlic and chili. Cook for 10-20 seconds.
3. Add the scallion whites and chicken. Cook for a couple minutes until chicken no longer looks pink.
4. Add sauce and cook until sauce reduces to a silky, glossy consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon but slide off easily.
5. Toss green part of green onions into pan as well as the basil leaves. Stir until wilted and turn off the heat.
6. Serve with hot rice. Save some fresh basil, finely chopped scallions, and maybe some sesame seeds for garnish.
Loco Moco – Hawaiian Comfort Food
4 Servings
Beef Patty
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp flour
1.5 cup beef broth
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp butter
2 green onions sliced
4 Eggs
1. Mix minced garlic into ground beef and form into 4 patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sear for 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook for 3-5 more minutes. Remove patties and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium low and add flour. Cook with pan drippings for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. Slowly add 1/2 cup of beef broth to the skillet and whisk to combine.
4. Add remaining beef broth, soy sauce, and butter. Cook until thickened and adjust with salt and pepper.
5. In another skillet, fry eggs to your desired doneness and taste. Sunny side up or over easy is the usual way to serve.
6. On a plate, add a scoop of hot rice. Top with burger patty and dress with gravy. Finish with fried egg and green onions.
Spaghetti Aglio E Olio
1 lb of dried spaghetti
1/3 cup of olive oil
8-10 garlic cloves sliced thinly
1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup minced parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1. Bring pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tbsp of salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions of your pasta package. Set aside 1-1.5 cups of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
2. In a large skillet or sauce pan large enough to hold pasta, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic slices and cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently until it just starts to turn golden on the edges. Add red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds. Carefully add reserved pasta cooking water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, and add 1 tsp of salt and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by a third.
3. Add drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss with grated Parmesan and minced parsley. Allow to sit for 2-5 minutes before serving for the sauce to be absorbed. Serve with extra Parmesan on the side.
