I moved into my own apartment with a couple of friends during the pandemic about a month ago, and I truly had no idea what I was in for. I’ve been privileged enough to not have to cook my own meals when I was at home (thanks Mom), and also had the amazing opportunity of experiencing the infamous “Freshman 15” (thanks school DC). But now that I have to cook for myself, I’ve slowly been learning how fun it is. Based on videos from my “For You” page on TikTok, here are a few easy recipes for beginner chefs!
Fried Crunchy Tofu Bites
This requires only a few ingredients. I usually have it with a side of rice or on top of a salad.
Ingredients: firm tofu, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, eggs, breadcrumbs
I make a mixture of half a cup of cornstarch with a generous amount of black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. I take my firm tofu and make sure to press down on it with a paper towel to get the water out. While I’m waiting for the water to get soaked up, I crack and stir an egg in one bowl and put breadcrumbs in another bowl with a lid. Once my tofu is dry, I cut them into cubes and roll them around in the cornstarch mixture. Then, I drop them in the eggs, and once they’re ready I put them into the breadcrumbs and coat them evenly by shaking the bowl. After the tofu pieces are thoroughly crumb-ified, I pan fry them with some oil on medium heat for 3 minutes on each side. Once they’re golden brown, you’re good to go! (recipe via @cupoftj on TikTok)
Mac and Cheese
I made mac and cheese the other day, and not the watered-down kind, but real cheesy goodness topped with breadcrumbs. It’s a bit higher maintenance than what I would normally make, but as Tom and Donna from Parks and Rec would say, “TREAT YO SELF!”
Ingredients: macaroni, flour, heavy cream of choice, milk of choice, sharp cheddar cheese or variety of other cheeses, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, salt, breadcrumbs
First, I take about half a stick of butter along with ¼ cup of flour and whisk them together on low heat. Then, I slowly add in ¼ cup of heavy cream along with the same amount of milk (oat milk works great). At this point, I start eyeballing everything and continue to add in heavy cream, milk, and flour until I reach a creamy consistency, but you want around 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, and ½ cup of flour in your pan at the end. The cheeses you add are very important; I usually go with sharp cheddar and whatever else I have; in this case, I used my Mexican 4-cheese blend. I put in a generous handful of each cheese and continued to whisk together on low heat. For seasoning, I put in a couple of shakes of paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Once the cheese mixture looks ready, I combine it with my macaroni and then transfer it onto a baking pan. I layer more cheese and panko breadcrumbs on top. Then I pop the mac and cheese in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20-30 minutes. (recipe via @theres.food.at.home on TikTok).
5 Minute Asian Style Noodles
Have leftover noodles and not sure what to do with them? Make Asian style noodles.
Ingredients: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, oil of choice, chopped garlic, green onions (optional), sesame seeds (optional)
Mix together 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a splash of oil, and some chopped garlic. Once that’s all combined, I add in my noodles and then top it off with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. (recipe via @cupoftj on TikTok).
Fruit & Chip Dip
For a quick snack, I have been OBSESSED with an easy dip that you can use for fruit or crackers.
Ingredients: Greek yogurt, nut butter (I use almond), honey, and cinnamon
All I do is take a couple spoonsful of Greek yogurt, combine half that amount with nut butter, then put in as much honey and cinnamon as desired. I like this dip best with apple slices!
