Whether you’re an Iron Chef or you don’t own a knife, our at-home quarantine provides a unique opportunity to make those recipes you’ve been clipping, learn a new culinary skill, or get into the kitchen for the very first time. I’ve been cooking up a storm at home these past two weeks, and the lack of dining out has given me the chance to work my way through some of the recipes that I’ve been saving for a rainy day (or twelve). To me, that is a win, in spite of everything that’s happening in the world and in the face of a lot of uncertainty and lack of control.

Instead of asking you to cruise my blog and sift through my recipes posts yourself, I’m doing a few things here to (hopefully) make your lives easier, more delicious, and provide a bit of home chefing info during these crazy times. I’ve pulled together:

1. My favorite recipes that currently live on my blog and are particularly quarantine-appropriate.
2. A rundown of the cooking that I did these past two weeks (aka quarantine, week 1 & 2).
3. The recipes that I’m making this upcoming week, and what’s on my docket for April, too.

If you’re looking for cookies and cakes, I’ll do a whole separate post on baking next week (you bet your ass that baked goods deserve their own post). I have photos of a lot of these recipes on Instagram too, so don’t forget to check out #caros_kitchen for my feed pics and my cooking story highlight for IRL looks at what’s happening in my tiny studio kitchen. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay sane, and stay cooking, friends.

 

Caro’s City Blog Favorites

How to Roast a Chicken 101 – Yes, there has never been a better time to be roasting a whole chicken at home. One, it feeds you for days. Two, you can make bone broth from the carcass, and that stuff is *so* nourishing for your bod and immune system. Get roastin’.

Chile Crisp – AKA the condiment gift that keeps on giving. It acts both as a sauce, a topping, and a hot sauce substitute that you can put on everything from eggs to a roast chicken to straight dipping crunchy cuke spears in its goodness.

Shakshuka Two Ways – For breakfast, for lunch, for dinner… I’ve made shakshuka at all hours of the day and it never ceases to please. If you want to go traditional, check out this recipe. If you want to mix it up, this Korean-inspired version is epic.

Red Lentil Coconut Curry Soup – This is a great “pantry staple” soup, it freezes well, and is just so darn nourishing and delicious. 

Fish for Beginners – This light, flaky baked white fish dish is amped up with olives, rosemary, and lemon and is literally a cinch to make. 

Fish for Experts – If you want to try something new, try purchasing a whole fish (they sell them everywhere, from Whole Foods to Fairway) and baking it in a salt crust. This method of cooking keeps it insanely juicy inside, and getting to crack that crust open feels weirdly cathartic during these times.

 

What I Made The Past 2 Weeks

Garlic Broth – If you need a hug in a mug, this is your broth 101. It’s vegetarian for you non-meat-eaters out there, and garlic is just so ridiculously good for you, now and always. I made it with the parsley and cilantro I had on hand, but feel free to use up any herbs that you have in your fridge. Make sure to eat all of the herbs and cloves after you strain – they’re the BEST part.

Tofu and Kimchi Stew – Warning, I’ve been on a soup kick this quarantine season. It feels like the tail end of winter, and thus warm soup season, so I’m going wild and crazy. I was originally attracted to this Korean stew because of my profound love for kimchi (and all fermented foods, duh). It ended up being an amazing flavor bomb, and this not-totally-sold-on-tofu gal didn’t even mind those tofu chunks.

Kale Sausage Bean Soup – I ended up subbing out pinto beans in this recipe (bean stores are weak these days), adding in more sausage, and using my homemade bone broth from the week’s roast chicken. It was heavenly for lunch the next day, too. 

Garlic Chile Ground Pork – This looked like an easy spin on larb to me, and I subbed out ground turkey for pork, served it with cucumber spears and lettuce cups, and did a little drizzle of sesame oil and sriracha at the end. 

 

What I’m Making Next

Charred Kale with Citrus – I’m clinging to my winter citrus, and let’s be serious, any recipe with tahini has me getting excited. I’d probably slice some avo on top and add a poached chicken breast, too. 

Black Pepper Tofu and Eggplant – Shallots, garlic, ginger… oh my! Eggplant and tofu both do a great job taking on the flavors they’re cooked with, and this recipe is chock-full of spice and flavor. 

Tuscan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce – Spoiler alert: I’ve actually made this before, and it exceeded all expectations. I love doing it over zoodles, but any pantry pasta you have on-hand would be fantastic, too.