By Carla Rubio

Special from print (March-April Issue)

As many of us fall victim to self-quarantining, finding ways to be productive is key to not losing motivation during a time where it is needed most. One easy at-home activity is cooking and baking — and if there was a perfect time to pick up some new tricks or learn the basics of this art, it is now.

Rather than ordering in, cooking not only boosts productivity, but it also saves money. 

To aid the boredom, find a new hobby, save money, and improve efficiency. Here are five easy dishes to make at home:

French Toast

Whether one is waking up early for online school or work or whether one just wants to eat something quick, french toast is a perfect breakfast option. Only taking five to ten minutes to prepare, the recipe calls for coating regular bread in a mixture of an egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Cooking the bread in this mix for a couple of minutes on the pan gives the regular bread an instant crunchiness and sweetness that can be eaten with maple syrup, bacon, and even fruit.

Rice and Eggs

A more filling option for an empty stomach is the classic latin lazy meal: rice and eggs. The name says the recipe itself. The steps are simple: make the rice in a cooker with some oil and salt and in the meanwhile fry some eggs on the pan. Once both are made, the eggs are mixed with the rice — the runny yolk acting as a glue between the two — and the plate is ready to eat. 

Quesadilla

Chicken, steak, or simply cheese are all great options for a quesadilla. This popular Mexican dish has been interpreted by many chefs worldwide, each finding a different way to twist the simple recipe. A basic quesadilla only needs a tortilla heated on a pan and one’s best cheese thrown on top of it. For a more filling plate, any protein put inside the tortilla would work perfectly.

Fudge Lava Cake

At the end of the day, a meal is not complete without dessert. In typical baking style, this recipe calls for flour, salt, eggs, butter, melted chocolate, and even powdered sugar. Mixing these in a bowl in the order of dry ingredients to wet ingredients, along with the chocolate will create a cake mixture that, when put in the oven for about 12 minutes at 425 degrees, will create a cake with a smooth liquid center. A little ice cream and dulce de leche and the common dessert served at restaurants is done.

Fried Oreos

Lastly, to satisfy the sweet tooth, this iconic carnival snack can help replace those that one would buy at a nearby fair. The batter for fried oreos is easy to make by combining pancake mix, egg, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract in a bowl. It looks like normal pancake batter but is perfect for frying the cookies. Once turned golden brown, top them off with some powdered sugar and the sweet treat is complete!