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11 Easy Dishes These Expert Chefs Are Making for Themselves at Home During Quarantine

In case your current lineup of recipes are bland, here are some fun (and easy) ones the pros are making.
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By Cheyenne Buckingham
Published on April 2, 2020 | 1:07 PM
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Since we're all quarantined, you probably have more free time than usual on your hands—i.e. a perfect opportunity to try out some new recipes.

We did some perusing on Instagram to see what some of our favorite chefs are cooking up during this time and to our surprise, several of them are sharing their recipes for relatively easy dishes that look absolutely delicious. From three-ingredient open-faced sandwiches to the most elegant cinnamon toast we've ever seen, here are 11 easy dishes some of the well-known chefs around are making during quarantine.

Massimo Bottura: Leftover lunch pasta

Talk about the perfect way to use all of your leftover food from the week! Massimo Bottura, three-Michelin-star Italian chef, showed his followers on Instagram exactly how he incorporated all of his spare ingredients from the week into a delicious pasta dish.

"This is the way to not waste anything," he says in the video.

So what's all in here? Pasta is joined by diced asparagus, tomato, pancetta, bone marrow in an osso bucco sauce complete with wine and broth. While you may not have the ingredients do the same exact refrigerator-clean-out kind of pasta dish, the concept is all the same: Use what you already have!

Molly Yeh: Vegetarian pizza bagels

Host of Food Network's Girl Meets Farm, cookbook author, and blogger, Molly Yeh has the perfect dish for all of the vegetarian eaters out there: homemade pizza bagels. Instead of crumbling sausage on top of these savory pizza bites, Yeh dreamed up another crunchy topping to add texture to this dish. The secret? A garlic and fennel-seasoned walnut crumble with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. A pantry pizza is the definition of an easy dish.

29+ Best Healthy Pizza Recipes for Weight Loss.

Alex Guarnaschelli: Sautéed trevisano

Did you also look at this and ask yourself, what is trevisano? Also known as radicchio, this bitter lettuce almost becomes sweet once it's cooked. Chef Guarnaschelli made this dish with her daughter and the recipe is fairly simple. All you have to do is put two tablespoons of olive oil with a pinch of salt into a pan and then add in the trevisano, cut into long wedges. Cook on high heat for three to five minutes and then add in one tablespoon honey and two tablespoons balsamic vinegar, reducing the temperature for another two minutes or so. Not so bad, yeah?

Martha Stewart: Tartines

 

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Lunch for the new "family" at the farm @ryanmccallister1 , Carlos and Elvira We had tartines – small open faced tasty sandwiches . Homemade sour dough Thinly sliced and toasted , topped with 1. Smoked salmon, mache from the greenhouse, and @lovemyphilly cream cheese 2. Topped with cream cheese, dry Italian salami, mache and cornichons . Quesadillas left over from last night And clementines and plums Carbonated @berkey_filters water gassed up with @sodastream , my new favorite kitchen "tool" dishes from MarthaStewart @MACYS

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Open-faced sandwiches for lunch? Martha Stewart, we like where your head's at. This dish is both delicious and easy to make. Smoked salmon, salami, cream cheese, and sourdough? Piece of cake!

Candice Kumai: Turmeric kale fried rice

 

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immunity boost with easy at-home recipes for the weekend! Xx click link in bio for recipe xx 💕ck

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Chef Kumai is dishing up an easy, immune-boosting recipe for you to make in the comforts of home. In this quick video, you can see just how she whips up turmeric kale fried rice, using toasted sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, carrots, and grains (couscous, quinoa, rice, or whatever is in your fridge or pantry).

Ree Drummond: Cinnamon toast

Name something more soul-warming than a piece of sweet and buttery cinnamon toast? Can't think of anything? Yeah, that's what we thought. The pizza cutter really takes this picture to the next level.

Melissa King: Baby back ribs

 

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As you self quarantine with a pantry full of canned foods and frozen meats, I want to offer some cooking inspiration starting with a baked bean recipe (it can be vegan!) and a slow roasted baby back ribs recipe. Since you're home all day anyways, now is a great time to slow down, get creative in the kitchen and teach yourself something new! A slow roast or braise is a great way to make a delicious, cozy, and most importantly simple meal. I threw a rack of ribs in the oven and let them cook for about 3-4 hours while organizing my house, spinning on the peloton, talking to my plants 🤪and just trying to stay positive during this time. I plan to continue sharing my home cooking and weird hobbies I might pick up on my IG stories and website. Feel free to share the recipe and spread the food love. What do you plan to learn or teach yourself during your quarantine? Visit my website: chefmelissaking.com for recipes or find the link in my bio. Stay safe and healthy everyone! We got this! 💪🏼

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Top Chef's Melissa King wants you to bring the BBQ indoors with her slow roasted baby back ribs and baked beans. It's shockingly easy to make!

Chloe Coscarelli: Beet fettuccine Alfredo

 

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💓RECIPE ALERT💓 make this #VEGAN BEET FETTUCCINE ALFREDO tonight for your friends, lover, or cat! 🍝👩🏻‍🍳🍷(kidding, don't make this for your cat) ⁣⁣⁣ 📸 by @joyosity RECIPE⁣⁣⁣ SERVES 4 TO 6⁣⁣⁣ 1 pound fettuccine⁣⁣⁣ 1 tablespoon olive oil⁣⁣⁣ 1 onion, chopped⁣⁣⁣ 3 garlic cloves, minced⁣⁣⁣ 1 (16-ounce) package silken tofu⁣⁣⁣ About 2 medium (3 ounces) roasted beets⁣⁣⁣ ½ cup water, plus more as needed⁣⁣⁣ 2 tablespoons lemon juice⁣⁣⁣ 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt ⁣⁣⁣ Chopped fresh basil⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot, off the heat.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until fragrant.⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ In a blender, combine the onion and garlic mixture, tofu, beets, water, lemon juice, and salt. Blend on high speed for about 2 minutes, until very smooth. Toss the pasta with the desired amount of sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the sauce gets too thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Portion onto plates and top with the Basil Ricotta, pepper, Vegan Parmesan, and basil.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ basil ricotta⁣⁣⁣ 1 tablespoon olive oil⁣⁣⁣ 1 large onion, coarsely chopped⁣⁣⁣ 3 garlic cloves⁣⁣⁣ 1 (16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained⁣⁣⁣ 2 tablespoons lemon juice⁣⁣⁣ 2 teaspoons sea salt⁣⁣⁣ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper⁣⁣⁣ 2 cups chopped fresh basil⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Transfer the onion to a food processor. Add the garlic, tofu, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth. Pulse in the basil. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ vegan parmesan⁣⁣⁣ ½ cup blanched almonds or pecans⁣⁣⁣ 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes⁣⁣⁣ ½ teaspoon sea salt⁣⁣⁣ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder⁣⁣⁣ 1 teaspoon maple syrup⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ In a food processor, combine the nuts, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder. Pulse until a fine meal forms. Drizzle in the maple and pulse again. #chloeflavor

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Chef Chloe has made quite possibly the most radiant homemade, beet fettuccine with vegan Alfredo sauce we've ever laid our eyes on. Even more impressive than the noodles' vibrant pink color is the fact that the recipe will feed the whole family and only requires 10 ingredients.

Michael Symon: Stew with root vegetables

In the Instagram post just before this one, Iron Chef's Michael Symon explains that using a fattier, tougher cut of meat such as a brisket is much more satisfying in this stew than a leaner cut of meat, such as a tenderloin. Why? Fattier meat will be much more tender and will lend a lot of flavor to the broth.

Jeff Mauro: Oatmeal, brown butter, and butterscotch chip cookies

 

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Here they are! DEMO IN MY STORIES: ************ Oatmeal Brown Butter Butterscotch Chip Cookies Preheat oven to 325 1 1/2 stick butter 1 C packed brown sugar 1/2 C granulated sugar 2 C AP Flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract 1 Egg 1 Egg Yolk 1 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup butterscotch chips 11/4 cup chocolate chips Sea Salt First, melt butter in medium skillet. Simmer lightly until nutty aroma is achieved and butter starts to become slightly golden. 5-7 min. Take off heat to cool. Using a hand mixer or standing mixer, cream both sugars and melted brown butter until combined. Add in vanilla, eggs and cream until light and creamy, 3-4 min. Mix in flour and beat until fully incorporated. Mix in oats and chips until just blended. Scoop out desired size ( 1 oz or 2 oz ice cream scoop) onto parchment-line sheet pan and top with a couple pinches of sea salt. bake for about 12 minutes or until slightly golden around edges yet inside is still gooey and soft. Take off and let cool for 15 min. Eat with a gallon of milk or 2-4 oatmeal stouts.

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Looking for something sweet to bake? We believe the correct answer here is, always. In his Instagram post, The Sandwich King himself, Jeff Mauro, gives you a step-by-step recipe so you can make these delicious cookies from scratch.

Giada DeLaurentiis: Ziti stufati

Doesn't this photo of Giada's Ziti Stufati make your mouth water? Between the tomato and ricotta sauce, meatballs, and hard-boiled egg there's no way you won't be full for hours. You can see her recipe for this special baked pasta on her website. It's not complicated as you may think!

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Cheyenne Buckingham
Cheyenne Buckingham is the former news editor of Eat This, Not That! Read more about Cheyenne
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