One of the less discussed benefits to being in an online course is the ability to tend to other chores while listening in on the class through headphones. Cooking takes the spotlight as one of the better activities, because sometimes you just forget to eat before class starts, and that takes urgency over your unfolded laundry. However, you can’t just leave your laptop unattended the entire period; someone has to break the awkward silence when the professor asks a discussion question every 10 minutes or so. I’ve been experimenting with various recipes that don’t need your full attention, and found the top four easiest recipes for aspiring chefs to make during class!
1. Toast and Eggs A tried and true classic for anyone. Simply just having a pan, butter, and eggs on a stove can make a pretty easy meal. Pop a slice of bread in the toaster while the eggs are frying, and you’ll be enjoying breakfast before the professor can even ask “Can everyone hear me and see my webcam?”
2. Pasta This one is optimal for a more involved class. After all, a watched pot never boils, so leaving your stove on with boiling water is a great time to stay engaged with your professor and classmates. You may have to leave early and often to check the stiffness of your noodles, so make sure to type in chat that you’re just going to the bathroom each time you abandon your webcam to avoid suspicion.
3. Croissants You may be thinking to yourself, “Wait a minute, croissants seem pretty involved, right?” And for that I laugh! The ingredients are pretty simple, you just need some flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and milk. You can definitely eyeball and guesstimate the temperature of the butter as you fold in the dough, and the croissants will come out just fine. Just make sure to wipe your hands whenever you have to get back on your laptop, to avoid buttering up your keyboard.
4. Beef Wellington This one’s probably the easiest of the four. All you need is 3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white button mushrooms, 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped, 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped, 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper trimmed, 12 thin slices prosciutto, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, flour, for rolling out puff pastry, 1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen, 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, 5 minced chives, green peppercorn sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes with fresh herbs and garlic, warm wilted winter greens, and one 3-pound center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), and some elbow grease! If you’ve ever made this before, making it again should be easy as hell during class. I’m not even going over the process in this article, because you should be able to make this in your sleep!