By Rafia Ahmed
Staying home inside and locked out from the world has caused many people to stir up recipes with anything they have left in the pantry. Particularly, people are getting recipes with few ingredients off of social media, mainly from TikTok. These recipes range from using a cake box to make chewy cookies or whipping up a frothy, three ingredient coffee drink.
“It's a really great way to spend time and destress. Usually we are so busy that we are always buying fast food and frozen dishes, but cooking lets us relax, develop patience, and appreciate food. It is also a great way to experiment, find new dishes, and be prepared for dorming in college,” said junior Gayathri Suresh.
“I think it’s a great outlet for people to explore during quarantine. It helps them pass time and they can be as creative as they want. Overall cooking has just become a fun way to pass time while staying at home,” said junior Aarti Devjani.
Source from Lena Pon
Dalgona coffee is easy and quick to make.
TikTok Whipped Coffee
1 Tbsp instant coffee
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water
Any milk of your choice, preferably almond
Combine sugar, instant coffee, and water in a container. Whisk for ten minutes until the mixture turns into a pale brown color and has become airy. Pour your choice of milk first over ice and top it off with your coffee mixture. You can replace the instant coffee with any flavored powders of your choice such as, matcha, strawberry milk powder, or orange tang for an orange creamsicle version.
Source from Aarti Devjani
One bowl recipes take less time to clean up.
Cake Box Cookies
1 box of cake mix, any flavor
½ cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs
Sprinkles or chocolate chips (optional)
Combine all the ingredients in one bowl. Fold in sprinkles or chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes. Let cool and serve!
Source from Gayathri Suresh
Use up your carrots in this carrot cake.
Carrot Cake
2 eggs
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ cup oil
⅔ cup flour
1 ¾ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon cardamom
1 ½ cups grated carrot
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine 2 eggs and powdered sugar. Slowly add oil and vanilla extract to the mixture. Sift in flour, cardamom powder, and baking powder. Add grated carrot and mix until smooth. Pour into a buttered and floured pan. Bake at 300° for 40-45 minutes. Check if it is done with a toothpick. Cool for five minutes, then serve.
Source by Olivia Wong
This vegan dessert only requires four ingredients.
Mango Chia Seed Pudding
2 large fresh mangoes
½ cup chia seeds
2 cups coconut milk
4 Tbsp maple syrup
Add the flesh of one mango into a blender and process into a purée. Chop the other mango into chunks. Add the chia seeds, coconut milk, maple syrup, and puréed mango into a bowl and whisk together. Add the chopped mango, saving some for the topping. Then, place the mixture into the fridge for 30 minutes. Serve with coconut flakes.
Source by Jada Seto
Top it off with some whipped cream.
Matcha Slush
1 teaspoon of matcha
3/4 cup of almond/skim milk
2 teaspoons of honey
1 cup of ice
First, combine matcha and milk in a small bowl, and then mix in honey to the matcha milk mixture. Pour the mixture into a blender along with the cup of ice. Turn on the blender until ice becomes small and blended into a slushy mixture, about 45sec. If the matcha slush is not sweet enough, add a teaspoon of sugar to the mixture and blend again. Pour into a cup and top with some whipped cream. Serve!
3 ingredient Crème Brûlée
½ cup vanilla ice cream
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp sugar
Melt ice cream in the microwave until it is liquid. Add your egg yolk and sugar. Pour into ramekins. Preheat the oven to 325°. Bake these ramekins in a water bath for 40-45 minutes. Pour sugar on top of the baked custard and broil for 3-5 minutes in the oven. Let cool for five minutes and serve.
Buffalo Cauliflower
1 cauliflower cut into florets
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup water
Dash of paprika
Dash of garlic powder
1 bottle of store-bought buffalo sauce
Combine flour, water, paprika, and garlic powder in a bowl. Coat your cauliflower florets in the batter. Bake in the oven at 450° for 20-25 minutes. Take them out once golden brown and toss in buffalo sauce. Put them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until crispy. Serve with ranch or bleu cheese.