4 Simple Recipes You Can Easily Cook in Your Condo in 5 Easy Steps

One of the things that make living on your own so much fun is that you get to cook your own meals. This is especially true if you’re a foodie or the type who loves puttering around in the kitchen. Sure, you may not have as much room to move around as you would living in a huge house with a big kitchen or enough counter space for that Kitchenaid stand mixer or that heavy-duty Cuisinart food processor, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck eating out, ordering takeouts, reheating restaurant leftovers, or subsisting on a diet of fried hotdogs and canned tuna.

So put the can of Vienna sausage down and step away from the bag of frozen chicken nuggets. We’re about to show you that you can create delicious gourmet dishes in your condo with these simple and easy recipes you can actually make in less than five steps!

These are starter recipes that will help boost your confidence in the kitchen. Once you get used to the space and the lay of your kitchen, you’ll be cooking like a chef in no time.

Roasted Squash or Pumpkin Soup
Prep and cooking time: 30 – 40 minutes

Serves 2 – 4 (depending on the size of the squash)
Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash or 1/2 medium pumpkin
olive oil
1/2 TBSP Italian seasoning
salt, to season
pepper, to season
butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
chicken broth
1 TBSP cooking cream
parsley, to garnish

1. Peel and cut squash into cubes. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Place on a baking dish or pan and roast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden.
2. In a pot, heat a bit of butter and some olive oil. Cook the onions until translucent and the garlic until fragrant. Add the roasted squash then pour in the chicken broth. How much chicken broth depends on how thick you want your soup to be.
3. Once the squash is soft, transfer mixture to a blender and puree. Return soup to the pot and stir in some cooking cream. Add salt and pepper if needed.
4. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Garlic Shrimp Salad
Prep and cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves 2 – 4
8 to 10 pieces of shrimp
3 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
lemon
olive oil
lettuce or salad greens
cherry tomatoes or grapes, kept whole or sliced in half
canned corn (kernels)
1 – 2 boiled egg, shredded
1 onion, sliced
salad dressing of your choice

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, then season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
2. Add minced garlic, a bit of lemon juice, and olive oil. Make sure the shrimp are properly coated.
3. Sear shrimp in a hot pan until pink. Set aside.
4. In a salad bowl, mix together salad greens, cherry tomatoes and/or grapes, shredded boiled eggs, and onion slices. Top with the shrimp and serve with dressing on the side.

Rib-eye Steak
Prep and cooking time: 10 – 15 minutes

Serves 2 – 4
Ingredients:
2 Ribeye steaks
salt, to season
pepper, to season
butter
olive oil
2 – 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
sprig of thyme or rosemary

1. Season both sides of each steak with salt and pepper.
2. Add olive oil to a very hot pan and sear both steaks evenly on each side for 1 and 1/2 to 2 and 1/2 minutes on each side.
3. Add a bit of butter to the pan, the crushed garlic, and a sprig of thyme or rosemary. Tilt the pan and baste the steaks with the herb butter using a spoon.
4. Check the doneness: For a medium rare steak, it should be firm with the center being soft to the touch, but springing back immediately.
5. Let the meat rest for around 5 minutes, cut off any unwanted fat, slice and serve.

Chia Seed Pudding
Prep and cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup chia seeds
2 cup milk
2 TBSP honey or agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe mango, cubed
6 strawberries, quartered

1. In a bowl or container add the chia seeds and pour the milk over it.
2. Add your preferred sweeter and vanilla extract.
3. You can add the mangoes and strawberries right away or use it as a topping the next day after the pudding has set.
4. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Serve the next day by ladling the pudding in individual cups and topping with the fruits if you haven’t incorporated them yet.

These dishes are not only easy to make, they’re guaranteed to impress! So go ahead and invite some friends over to your place for a little social. If you live in Commonwealth by Century, you can set up an al fresco dining area on your balcony and enjoy the breathtaking view of the city while you eat. Or you can even use the Commonwealth show kitchen to gather friends for a cookout.

Commonwealth by Century is a mid-rise community conveniently located right in the heart of Quezon City. With unique architecture, location, and amenities, this vertical village is designed to be a unique place that people with a passion for the uncommon can call home. With a more manageable payment scheme, make Commonwealth by Century your home today.