5 Ingredient (or less) Recipes To Make While In Quarantine

We may be two weeks into quarantine, but the weekend still signals a change of pace and special things to eat. We know this can be a challenge, so we've put together six easy recipes you can make from just five (or less) ingredients from your pantry. 

The beauty of cooking under the restrictions imposed by quarantine is how you can relax the rules and give yourself permission to make adjustments, or to simply make do. So in the following recipes, we've added notes on how to substitute ingredients, and suggested tweaks that can make the resulting dishes better suited to your tastes and to the contents of your pantry. 

Now, let's go make the weekend just a bit more special. 

Artichoke Mushroom Pizza

This easy-to-make meatless pizza gets bold flavor from tangy mozzarella, artichoke hearts and mushrooms. It's a fun recipe to make with kids on a weekend afternoon. Don't worry if you can't find artichoke hearts — green bell pepper or romaine lettuce make a good substitute. Black olives are optional, but they add a nice kick of flavor! Click here for the recipe.

Pomelo Salad

This refreshing summer salad celebrates Asian flavors. It's easy to toss together quickly, and you can tweak the ingredients according to your preference. Click here for the recipe.

Blueberry and Brie Sandwich 

A cheese-jam pairing is always a winner, no matter the kind of cheese or jam. Try kesong puti or fresh mozzarella instead of Brie. Experiment with other jams like strawberry, raspberry and mango. For a healthier alternative, use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. You can also use any bread available. Click here for the recipe.

Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula and Kesong Puti 

This super easy Italian-style salad is the perfect showcase for heirloom tomatoes, which are old or rare non-commercial varieties usually grown by specialty farmers like Down to Earth. Sweet, juicy and flavorful, they usually come in irregular shapes and colors. If you can't find any, beefsteak (salad), roma or cherry tomatoes will work just as well.  Click here for the recipe. 

La Bulakeña Turon

These deep fried turon are packed with crunchy flavor. As a variation, you can use flavored pastillas instead dulce de leche pastillas, or substitute with ube jam or coco jam. This is perfect for dessert or merienda served straight from the pan with a scoop of vanilla, chocolate or mantecado ice cream. Click here for the recipe.

Ube Palitaw 

This satisfyingly chewy traditional rice cake gets lots of flavor from muscovado sugar and ube (purple yam). To achieve its best taste, there's nothing like adding freshly grated coconut, although you can also use desiccated coconut. You can also experiment with other flavors like buko pandan. Click here for the recipe.