10 Lockdown Recipes Everyone Should Try

First it was banana bread. Then it was sourdough. Then it was dalgona coffee. Then it was the reality that mountains and mountains of dishes would be the aftermath of every new lockdown recipe. Then it was back to the kitchen.

Since lockdown started, we’ve all been forced to spend more time in the kitchen, and I for one have enjoyed the excuse to try lots of new recipes, jump onto the viral food trend bandwagon, and learn how to cook new things. Here are 10 recipes everyone should try while we’re all locked inside.

Bakes

1 The World’s Best Banana Bread (recipe by Donna Hay)

Yes there are many more banana bread recipes out there than there are people who even like banana bread, but this one…this one is the one. My sister Jonti sent it to me and I can attest to the fact that it’s super easy (I’m talking fool-proof!). You can substitute the maple syrup for honey or normal syrup if you’re in SA.

2 Misha’s Pineapple Cake

A whole cake that only needs 3 ingredients? If this isn’t a reason to keep a tin of pineapple in your kitchen cupboard, I don’t know what is. Also, this one’s vegan, so it’s perfect for just about everyone! Recipe by my super-mama/beauty queen friend Misha.

3 Vicki’s Yogurt Pot Cake

I have been baking a version of this cake since I was a kid, and it’s actually just so delicious and easy. It’s a great one to bake with kids, because the measuring is so simple. I found this recipe via Vicki from I Want That.

4 Carol’s Nutty Rusks

The best rusks you’ll ever dunk, I can just about guarantee it. These rusks are easy peasy and a huge crowd pleaser. I’ve already baked 3 batches since lockdown started and I’m about to bake my third. If you don’t like raisins in your rusks, you can just leave them out. And if there are any seeds or nuts you don’t have or can’t get your hands on, no problem! The recipe is loose after you’ve got the fundamentals of flour, butter, yogurt and sugar down. Recipe by my friend Carol du Toit.

Meals

5 Bon Appetit’s Chicken Parm

I don’t know about you guys, but I have never seen Chicken Parm on any South African Italian menu, but I’ve heard so much about it from tv, movies, my favourite cooking platforms and American friends. Essentially, Chicken Parm is butterflied chicken breasts, breaded and fried, covered in tomato sauce and mozarella and grilled until bubbly. Personally, I will trust anything Bon Appetit says, so I don’t know why I was so surprised when I tried their Chicken Parm recipe and it was literally one of the most delicious things I’v ever eaten.

6 Maangchi’s Bibimbap

I really like Korean food and have been experimenting more since I’ve had so much time at home. Maangchi’s YouTube channel has been my cooking school. First of all, she is adorable. But also, her recipes are easy enough to follow and absolutely delicious. Personally, there have been a few ingredients I don’t have or haven’t been able to find, and I’ve either substituted them or left them out. Sure, that’s not strictly Korean, but I don’t want to completely ignore Korean cuisine because I don’t have access to a few ingredients.

7 Drizzle & Dip’s Roated Cauliflower and Sage Risotto

I’ve cooked this recipe at least half a dozen times and I can never get enough. It’s possibly the easiest risotto recipe you’ll ever find, and it is truly, truly delicious. It’s creamy and nutty and the crispy sage gives it something super special. I like to finish it off with a squeeze of lemon juice and a quick hit of fresh lemon zest. My tip; don’t leave the sage out. It’s essential! Recipe by the talented cook and photographer Sam Linsell from Drizzle & Dip.

8 Creme De La Crumb’s Korean Chicken Wings

Spicy, crunchy, sticky, sweet. These chicken wings are absolute perfection. Served as a snack, a starter or a main, they are the definition of delicious. I normally serve them with a cucumber salad with a dressing of garlic, sesame oil, sugar, salt and rice wine vinegar.

Cocktails

9 Ina Garten’s Cosmopolitan

The Barefoot Contessa has long been one of my heroes, but when she shared this recipe for a classic Cosmopolitan right at the beginning of lockdown, she really cemented her spot in my heart. I might have some memory loss from the nights I’ve made these, but what do I need to remember about staying home in my robe anyway?

10 Bon Appetit’s Negroni

I do love a good Negroni and this recipe is sweet, sweet perfection. As I said before Bon Appetit can do no wrong in my eyes, and this Negroni recipe is one of the many reasons why. I may have had so many of these one night during lockdown, that when I had my temperature read at the grocery store the next day, I had a fever.