Some of my go-to recipes by John Yang

 Some of my go-to recipes by John Yang

I enjoy cooking and baking, so I thought I’d share some of my go-to recipes with you all. Most of them aren’t too hard. 

When I make food, I usually don’t bother with precise measurements (unless I’m baking!), and I usually go by feel or taste. It will turn out fine as long as you season your food and cook it properly. 

Here’s a quick and easy breakfast:

One or two plum tomatoes, cut into chunks (about 1 in)

One or two cloves of garlic, sliced thinly

However many eggs you want

Heat up some cooking oil in a nonstick skillet. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook until softened. Season to taste (salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, anything else you’re feeling). Crack eggs into the skillet without stirring; cover the lid and wait for 2-4 minutes until the eggs are cooked to your liking. 

The tomatoes add a lot of sweetness and tanginess to the dish, and the eggs are a great source of protein. You can serve it with toast, other baked goods, or just eat it on it’s own. 

Lunch: simple chicken or tuna salad

1 can of chicken or tuna

A good amount of mayonnaise - however much you want

Brown or dijon mustard, if desired

One or two stalks of celery

This one’s super, and you don’t have to cook it at all. Drain the can of chicken/tuna and place it in a bowl. Use a fork to break up the chunks. Cut the celery stalks into very small cubes and add it to the chicken. Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mix well. Season to taste - I usually just add a bit of pepper. You could add garlic or onion powder if you want, and the canned meat is usually salty enough. Be careful adding dry spices since a lot of them don’t taste right unless you cook them. Serve with toast or your desired bread roll. If you’d like, you can also add some hot sauce. This recipe is good since our lunch breaks are limited in time, and the time is about to get shorter once hybrid learning starts. 

Sometimes I want a smoothie so I don’t get hungry after school and before I have dinner. Here’s my current recipe:

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Orgain)

Handful of frozen blueberries

Half a fresh or frozen banana

4-6 ounces of nut milk or regular milk

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. 

If you use a frozen banana you may want to add more liquid, because it might be difficult to blend. Also note that this smoothie is fairly sweet because of the banana. Consider using other frozen berries if it’s not to your taste. 

We used to have chocolate protein powder. In that case, I would use half a frozen banana, a scoop of protein, some peanut butter, and milk. I felt that that smoothie tasted better than the blueberry one. 

I made a really nice dinner the other day:

2 tilapia fillets (or some other white fish)

Some melted butter (probably around a tablespoon or two)

A good amount of paprika, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper, chilli powder

1 lemon

Pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Mix the butter, spices, and a good squeeze of lemon juice together in a bowl and brush liberally over the fish. Arrange on a tray with a lemon slice under each filet. Bake at 400F for about 12-15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Finish with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

We had it with rice and some leftover veggies, and it tasted great. 

Dessert: my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe

This one isn’t fussy at all and you don’t have to be very precise with the measurements. You don’t even need to take out an electric mixer. 

2 sticks of butter - salted or unsalted, it doesn’t matter

1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar, or 2 cups brown

2 eggs

2 ½ cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

A splash of vanilla

Chocolate chips

Melt the butter completely. If you want to take it an extra step further, you can brown the butter. Add the sugars and mix well; then add the eggs, baking soda, salt and vanilla. You might notice that there’s extra salt, and there is. It will be very noticeable in the final product, but I think it adds a lot of complexity to the flavor of the cookie. If it’s not your thing, you can reduce it to 1 tsp. Add less salt if using salted butter. Then, add two cups of flour and mix well. You can then add as much flour as you want to reach your desired dough texture. Mix chocolate chips through - you can also add toffee, or anything else you want. You can choose to refrigerate your dough for 30 minutes, but you don’t have to. Roll into very large balls and bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. 

This recipe is very forgiving, and I enjoy it every time I make it. They are best served warm, and you can microwave them for 10 seconds once they’ve cooled down. 

I truly believe that cooking shouldn’t be fussy at all, and anyone can cook a great tasting dish that’s healthy too. Consider giving some of these a try!