Coronavirus Cookbook

[wasCB14]

While other threads are geared more towards medical information and financial consequences, I thought it might be good to share meal ideas. I'm accustomed to buying fresh produce pretty frequently, and while local stores presumably still have food, I definitely want to minimize the number of trips I make to stores.

I had a little trip earlier this month, so I've been cooking old vegetables that were about to go bad. I roasted zucchini, peppers, onions, and tomatoes and had them with some refrigerated packaged pasta. Not amazing, but I think that was mainly due to the borderline quality of the produce and that I didn't cook the onions separately first. I was in "refrigerator salvage" mode.

I've got lots of frozen sprouted grain bread, peanut butter, and beans (canned and dry). I'll sometimes have a can of black beans with some hot sauce.

Frozen pasta with pesto sauce will be a regular thing. It's easy to thoroughly cook.

I'll likely get some food delivered for variety, so long as it remains tasty after I blast it in a hot oven.

I will "stagger" my produce consumption. Berries for a day or two after shopping (gone), then apples and citrus for a few days, then dried fruit in yogurt. I should probably get some frozen peas to add to meals.

[mikesonthemend]

I finf this subject to be fowl!

[Anonymous]

I am making homemade chicken broth right now vs buying it. My mom did this when we were younger (country people) just because it tastes better and is healthier. I should have been doing this all along, but sometimes easier and faster is the choice when your "busy". My house smells like a delicious dream right now. 

[Anonymous]

My wife keeps a pantry and freezer that would make any southern women proud (even though she is from the Pacific Northwest). We have a lot of old stuff in the deep-freeze I am hoping we will get a chance to consume over the next month or two. We tend to eat the beef and chicken from the freezer first and that leaves a lot of pork and fish. 

We are expecting another winter storm this weekend so some posole or stew might be in order. Pork green chili is also on the table. We have been lucky and the fresh produce (leafy greens at least) have been easy to get if a little picked over. 

[wasCB14]

Canned black beans, celery, low-preservative bacon, a tomato, bell peppers, onions, bay leaves, pepper: Feijoada

More time and care in the details tonight and it is the most delicious thing I've ever made from miscellany.

*Sadly, no beer on hand. I'm not a big beer fan in general, but with this it would be great.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

My wife keeps a pantry and freezer that would make any southern women proud (even though she is from the Pacific Northwest). We have a lot of old stuff in the deep-freeze I am hoping we will get a chance to consume over the next month or two. We tend to eat the beef and chicken from the freezer first and that leaves a lot of pork and fish. 

We are expecting another winter storm this weekend so some posole or stew might be in order. Pork green chili is also on the table. We have been lucky and the fresh produce (leafy greens at least) have been easy to get if a little picked over. 

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I live in Nashville....and the storms we had a few weeks ago kinda gave me a kick to clean out the freezer aka cook. Ive cooked more in the last few weeks than I have in the last few months. I agree with the beef and chicken.....use it way more.

With fish, Im a bit spoiled bc I prefer it fresh and can taste a difference if it is store bought. I haven't had pork chili.....that may be something I need to investigate lol. 

We should all share some recipes!

[blindambition]

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Sounds like my house growing up. Garage freezer filled with homemade spaghetti sauce and chicken broth. Not allowed in the kitchen on weekends.

I just bought a lot of fruit I've started freezing and dehydrating.

@Anonymous wrote:

I am making homemade chicken broth right now vs buying it. My mom did this when we were younger (country people) just because it tastes better and is healthier. I should have been doing this all along, but sometimes easier and faster is the choice when your "busy". My house smells like a delicious dream right now. 

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[Brian_Earl_Spilner]

[NimbusIII]

[iced]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

While other threads are geared more towards medical information and financial consequences, I thought it might be good to share meal ideas. I'm accustomed to buying fresh produce pretty frequently, and while local stores presumably still have food, I definitely want to minimize the number of trips I make to stores.

I had a little trip earlier this month, so I've been cooking old vegetables that were about to go bad. I roasted zucchini, peppers, onions, and tomatoes and had them with some refrigerated packaged pasta. Not amazing, but I think that was mainly due to the borderline quality of the produce and that I didn't cook the onions separately first. I was in "refrigerator salvage" mode.

I've got lots of frozen sprouted grain bread, peanut butter, and beans (canned and dry). I'll sometimes have a can of black beans with some hot sauce.

Frozen pasta with pesto sauce will be a regular thing. It's easy to thoroughly cook.

I'll likely get some food delivered for variety, so long as it remains tasty after I blast it in a hot oven.

I will "stagger" my produce consumption. Berries for a day or two after shopping (gone), then apples and citrus for a few days, then dried fruit in yogurt. I should probably get some frozen peas to add to meals.

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Before the outbreak, our kitchen consisted of basic fresh ingredients that were multitaskers for a variety of dishes and that's been the continuing case since the outbreak. The grocery stores still have full stores of produce, meat, and dairy, and as long as they continue to we'll continue with our current model of running to the store to grab stuff for 1-2 meals at a time. If anything, people seem to be panic buying the things we don't need or use regularly, excepting paper goods.

This is also by necessity. We're a family living in 600 square feet and there just isn't available space to store dry goods. We make things like pasta, ice cream, and bread from scratch; eggs, flour, heavy cream, and sugar take up much less space than boxes of dried pasta, cartons of ice cream, and packages of bread and those same ingredients can be used for many different dishes, further optimizing space.

We also have no less than 200 delivery and takeout options so we're not concerned.