If you’re anything like me, food is your life, but the process of cooking and cleaning can be exhausting and time-consuming. However, if the meal is delicious it’s all worth it! Even though restaurants are slowly starting to reopen, it’s a scary world out there. So I wanted to share three of my favorite quarantine dinner recipes that have gotten me through the last few months!
Black Bean Burgers
These are so easy to make if you have all the ingredients. I like to make the full batch, cook one that night, and save the rest for other days. You can freeze them raw or cooked. Here are the ingredients:
. 2 (14 ounces) cans of black beans - drained, rinsed, patted dry
. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
. ¾ cup finely chopped bell pepper (½ of a pepper)
. 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (½ large onion)
. 3 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
. 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
. 1 teaspoon chili powder
. ½ teaspoon garlic powder
. ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
. ½ cup bread crumbs or oat flour
. ½ cup feta cheese
. 2 large eggs
. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
. 2 tablespoons ketchup, mayo, or BBQ sauce
. Pinch salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then spread the black beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet to bake for about 15 minutes (or until slightly dried out). Sauté the olive oil, chopped pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes. Place in a large bowl or food processor with remaining ingredients (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, and pepper). Stir or pulse everything together then add the black beans and mash with a fork or pulse, leaving some larger chunks of beans. Form into patties and either place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 375F for 10 minutes each side, or grill on each side for 8 minutes (I like to grill them on my cast iron skillet). Serve with favorite toppings and enjoy!
Brown Butter Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas
Ambitious Kitchen is one of my favorite food blogs! She posts all kinds of meals and snacks that are easy and fun to make! Here are the ingredients:
For The Brown Butter:
. ¼ cup butter
For The Pasta:
. 10 ounces bucatini or spaghetti (or whatever pasta you have on hand)
. ½ cup reserved pasta water
For The Pistachio Pesto:
. ½ cup shelled roasted pistachios
. 1 clove garlic
. 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 small lemon
. ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
. Lots of freshly ground pepper
. 1 (15 ounces) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
. ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
To Garnish: extra chopped pistachios and fresh chopped parsley
First, add butter to a large saucepan or skillet and place over medium heat. It will begin to crackle and eventually foam, which constantly. It will begin to brown and turn golden amber on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat as it gives off a nutty aroma. Set aside. Add ½ cup pistachios, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to a bowl or food processor and process until pistachios are finely ground. Then cook the pasta and set aside ½ cup of pasta water before you drain it. Put pasta in with brown butter then stir in pesto with a little reserved pasta water. Add chickpeas and red pepper flakes and toss again. Serve and enjoy!
Sweet Potato Risotto
I made this recently and it was delicious! Used a combination of recipes but this is the closest to what I made. This is an easy recipe to experiment with! Here are the ingredients:
. 2 tablespoons olive oil
. 1 large onion, finely chopped
. Kosher salt and black pepper
. 2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into ¼ inch pieces
. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
. 1 cup Arborio rice
. 1 cup dry white wine
. 1.2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
. 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat then add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until soft (3-5 minutes). Add the sweet potatoes and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until absorbed. Measure 3 ½ cups of water, add ¾ cup at a time and cook, stirring occasionally until each addition is absorbed. Stir in parmesan and oregano. Serve and enjoy!
Author: Amanda Gray
