In this day and age, everything deserves a post on your social media feed, along with a corresponding hashtag—from your beach vacation (#VitaminSea), shoes (#Shoefie), to your food (#Foodstagram). Especially the food.
Browsing Instagram for even a few minutes should lead you to at least one photo of a meal, and there are several accounts dedicated to all kinds of dishes and cuisine. And as if to prove a point, a photo of a lowly egg recently became the most-liked photo on the social media platform, beating the likes of Selena Gomez and Kylie Jenner.
And you won’t hear any complaints from us: We’re very passionate about food, and we don’t mind seeing our social media feeds overridden by pictures of cake, pizza, or steak—plus points if they’re homemade! If your culinary repertoire isn’t as extensive as you’d like, fear not: Being inexperienced in the kitchen shouldn’t deter you from trying your hand at cooking. Start by trying these easy recipes. Don’t forget to take photos of your dishes after, and display them on your Nixplay frame!
Caprese Salad
This Italian salad evokes images of lazy sun-drenched summer holidays in the Isle of Capri. It’s impossibly simple to create and photographs well too.
Ingredients
3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese (or more, if you’re like us and cannot get enough of cheese)
20 fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/4″ thick pieces. Arrange them in an alternating pattern on a platter, adding a basil leaf between each. Drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Avocado Toast
The Internet’s love affair with avocados doesn’t seem to be fading away any time soon. Take advantage of the obsession with this healthy fruit with this yummy breakfast.
Ingredients
1 8-ounce ripe avocado
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices whole wheat bread
Unsalted butter, softened
Crushed red pepper flakes and sea salt (optional)
Mash the avocado until chunky, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast the bread then lightly spread butter on each slice. Put the mashed avocado on top of the bread, and season with sea salt and red pepper flakes if desired.
Steak
There’s no such thing as a wrong time for steak. If you’re buying steak to cook at home, look for meat with excellent marbling (that’s the term for the streaks of fat on the meat), and consider its grade (USDA Prime is the best, but Choice or Select are also okay). When you’re lucky enough to have a gorgeous slab of prime meat in your pantry, you should be able to cook it properly to get more bang for your buck (or should we say beef?).
Ingredients
1 steak (Fillet or sirloin are the best, but you can’t go wrong with a well-marbled ribeye or porterhouse)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. canola oil
Herbs, to taste
Season the steak generously with salt and pepper before cooking. Drizzle canola oil into a very hot (but not smoking) frying pan, wait for a bit, then place the steak. Add the butter and the herbs. Sear evenly on each side, taking into consideration the steak’s thickness and your preferred doneness. Place the steak on a warm plate or board and let it rest for around five minutes. Serve it with your chosen side dish—you can’t go wrong with potatoes or mushrooms!
