5 Snacks that take less than 30 minutes to prepare

Done with cleaning, reading, Netflix, and calling all your friends? If you're still bored quarantined at home and in a desperate need of taking up a new and exciting project why not try your hand in cooking. This one is especially for the beginners in cooking, as we have curated a list of easy snack recipes you’ll love to make and the best part about these recipes is that they take less than 30 minutes to prepare. So, get to the kitchen and get ready to have your family’s mind blown with your culinary magic with the help of these easy and quick snack recipes.

1.  Microwave Mug Pizza

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour (maida)
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• pinch of baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp. pizza sauce
• 2-3 tbsp grated mozzarella cheese/regular cheese cubes
• 6 olives/pepperoni/mushroom (or any topping of your choice)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dry red chili flakes (paprika)

Instructions:

• Combine 4 tbsp of plain flour, 1/8 tsp baking powder, a pinch of baking soda, and 1/8 tsp of salt in a microwave-safe mug, mix well using a fork. 
•  Add 3 tbsp of milk and 1 tbsp of oil, mix well using a fork.
• Spread 2 tbsp of pizza sauce evenly over it and sprinkle 2 tbsp of cheese.
• Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
• Place 6 olives or topping of your choice over it and sprinkle tsp oregano, and chili flakes evenly over it.

2. Bread & Butter Pudding

Ingredients:

• Thick bread slices - 8
• Softened butter - 2 tablespoons
• Ground cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon
• Eggs - 3
• Granulated sugar - 2/3 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
• Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
• Milk - 2 1/2 cups

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven at about 176 degrees C.
• Spread butter on either side of the bread slices. Layer them in a microwave-safe dish and sprinkle with some cinnamon powder.
• Take a medium bowl and beat the three eggs. Mix in the salt, vanilla and sugar. Now stir the cold milk into the mixture and pour it on top of the bread slices.
• Put the microwave-safe dish with bread layers in a pan containing hot water with about 1-inch depth. Loosely cover it using aluminum foil and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
• Now remove the foil and bake for another 35/40 minutes.
• Serve with ice-cream and enjoy.

3. Quick Walnut Brownies

Ingredients:

• Butter - 100 gms (chopped into cubes)
• Eggs - 4
• Dark chocolate - 200 gms
• Cocoa - 30 gms
• All-purpose flour - 100 gms
• Castor sugar - 250 gms
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Walnuts - 100 gms (chopped)

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
• Whisk the sugar and eggs together till mix is fluffy and light.
• Sift in the cocoa, baking powder and flour and add the melted chocolate to the mix.
• Keep folding till you get a fudge-like thick consistency. Bake in a pre-heated oven for approximately 30 minutes.

4. Sesame Potato Chips

Ingredients:

• 3 medium potatoes- thinly sliced
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 2 tbsp. Salt (or as per your taste)
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C along with 2 baking trays
• Toss thinly sliced potatoes with olive oil and salt. Spread on the hot baking trays, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 10 minutes and enjoy.

5. Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes- optional
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 slices bread of choice
• 2 eggs fried, scrambled, or poached- optional
• 2 Tomato slices or salami or topping of your choice

Instructions

• Toast 2 slices of whole grain in a toaster until golden and crispy.
• In a small bowl combine and mash the avocado, coriander leaves, lime, and salt + pepper to taste. Spread half of the mixture on each slice of toasted bread. Top with fried, scrambled, or poached egg if desired.

FAQs

Q1. How to pre-heat my microwave?

A: You need to place a slatted rack that comes with a microwave to pre-heat it. Now, choose the convection option. Once you set it on the convection mode, your microwave’s digital display will reflect the minimum temperature setting available, you can just increase or decrease it according to your requirement and press start.

Q2. What is the easiest way to melt chocolate? 

A: Chop chocolate bar into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 70% power for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and give it a stir. Continue to microwave in 30-second increments, stirring frequently, until the chocolate has fully melted.

Q3: Is there any alternative to baking for making potato chips?

A: Yes, you can fry the potato slices in oil on the stove instead of baking and then sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over them as a garnish.