As a home chef and college student, it's easy to fall into a cooking routine and inevitably become tired of the same meals — so I'm always looking for new recipes and cooking inspiration.
New ideas for meals — good or bad — are rampant on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where viral food trends are seemingly taking over my feed.
This week, I decided to put my cooking skills to the test and try out some of the most talked about recipes on social media.
Related links:
Guide to shallow-frying with oil for beginners
Making a meal with only Findlay Market goods
Meal prep recipes for under $3 a day
Brazilian lemonade
Although the name might imply it, this drink isn't made with any lemons. Instead, this blended drink draws inspiration from its Brazilian origins by using limes — and a hefty amount at that. The end result is a citrusy and frothy summer drink.
Ingredients:
5 fresh limes
½ can sweetened condensed milk
2 c. of water
2 c. of ice
Instructions:
Cut each lime into quarters after washing thoroughly.
Add your quartered limes (with the skin on) to a blender with water and blend on high.
Once blended, strain the mixture and be sure to press down and extract all the lime juice.
Pour the strained liquid back into the blender and add ice and ½ a can of sweetened condensed milk. Blend on medium speed and serve once all ingredients are combined.
Review:
I enjoyed this drink a lot. The flavor combination between the lime and condensed milk made it feel like I was drinking a slice of key lime pie. The preparation was simple, and the whole process only took around 5 minutes. My only criticism is that the lime juice became a little overpowering at points — especially if I let the drink sit and let the layers separate for a bit. But, overall, Brazilian lemonade lived up to my expectations.
Final Rating: 8/10
Air-fried bowtie pasta chips
When I first stumbled across this recipe, I was in disbelief that anyone would voluntarily eat dry pasta. However, the oddness of the idea made me curious enough to try this snack — much like these other recipes.
Ingredients:
2 cups farfalle pasta
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
3 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Add your pasta to a boiling pot of water and let cook until the pasta is soft.
Once you've strained the pasta, set it on a greased sheet of aluminum foil inside the air fryer. Cover with oil, Italian seasoning, and cheese.
Cook the pasta in the air-fryer for 10 minutes at 400°F and mix halfway through cooking. Once the pasta has become crisp and chip-like, remove it from the air-fryer and serve.
Review:
This was one of the recipes I was really excited about while scrolling through social media. With the mix of parmesan, Italian seasoning and my favorite pasta shape, I didn't think there was any way to go wrong. However, the best part of the chips was the texture, which had an ear-shocking crunch. The taste was just about average, though. The toppings helped with some initial flavors, but at the end of each bite, it just tasted like mildly burnt pasta.
Final Rating: 6/10
Takis-crusted fried chicken
When I first saw this recipe in an Instagram Reel, I felt concerned for whoever was about to eat this bright-red piece of fried chicken — which somehow looked like it had been dropped in a bucket of maroon paint. Despite this, I couldn't help but wonder what a combination of my two favorite foods, spicy chips and fried chicken, would look like together.
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as thin as possible)
1 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 eggs
- 1 c. crushed Takis
- Oil for shallow frying
Instructions:
Mix the flour and preferred spices in a shallow dish or plate.
In another shallow dish, beat the eggs.
In a third shallow dish, lay down a layer of crushed Takis.
Dip each chicken breast into the flour mixture, egg mixture and Takis, in that order -- making sure to coat the chicken evenly and fully.
Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Cook each chicken breast for 2-3 minutes on each side until both sides are crisp.
Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel and let rest for a few minutes, then serve.
Review:
While cooking this, I was snacking on pasta chips and becoming progressively worried about the result of the Takis fried chicken. Despite all odds, however, I legitimately enjoyed this dish. While the red dye stained my lips, my tongue experienced the salty and spicy crust Takis crust — which worked so well with hot fried chicken.
Final Rating: 9/10
