Corona Virus Isolation: What's for Dinner?

[bucolic_frolic]

Wondering what's ahead in the food department, not sure if some ingredients will be in short supply. I have yet to try home delivery. I wondered if some DU members might like to post their culinary creations during the viral pandemic.

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. made a nice cream of cauliflower soup for tonight.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. That's a brave one

any ingredients other than cauliflower? What do you use for flavor?

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. see below

melt butter in big covered pan...saute lots of ginger, garlic, sweet onion, sweet pepper, celery with salt, cinnamon, black mustard seed, black pepper, garam masala. Add box of chicken stock, potatoes, head of cauliflower florets. simmer 45 min, immersion blend, add 1 cup milk, more garam masala, blend. mmmmm...spicy, complex, aromatic, yet light

[bucolic_frolic]

12. Thanks

Any cauliflower soup I ever had was lacking in flavor or drowned in cheese. I'm taking notes here!

[NRaleighLiberal]

15. I'll be more specific in quantities if you would like!

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Thanks, I think I'm ok with quantities

I don't measure very much at all. Cooking for one, i often cut recipes in half or thirds. 2-3/4 cups of flour becomes 1 cup plus 3/8 which is a little more than the 1/3 scoop. Most things are an estimate, except for baking powder. It's how this bachelor learned from my mom, who did the same thing. After enough experience you get a feel for cooking.

Do you buy garam masala? I made some of my own years ago, it's still with me. I think at that time I found it wasn't available anywhere.

[janterry]

2. a simple red lentil soup

with carrots and celery

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Seasonings?

I got hooked on lentil soup from an obscure can of soup in the great recession. My house always made it with fennel, but this was simply onion, carrot, lentils with pepper, lots of salt, and olive oil floated on the top. I think they called it Tuscan.

[janterry]

5. I just added what we had

I cooked down an onion in olive oil, used some garam masala, poultry spice (it's vegetarian , and lemon. A bit of salt - I think that's it, though.

I added the poultry spice because I find that sometimes my veggie stocks need a bit of a boost. I don't know if it added much to this or not. But it was pretty good (my daughter had seconds).

[Staph]

6. I made a no-recipe chicken and dumplings.

Chicken thighs, diced onion, minced garlic, a couple of diced potatoes, chunks of carrot, poultry seasoning, about six cups of liquid (boiling water with Better Than Bouillon). I cheated with the dumplings, by using Pillsbury's canned biscuits, flattened and cut into strips.

It was yummy, and we'll be eating it for at least one more night. It will be even better after a night or two in the fridge.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Is this baked, or boiled?

See, I'm getting some good ideas here because I rarely use a recipe, I just throw it all in the pan or oven and go.

[Staph]

10. This is the recipe, more or less.

In a Dutch oven or stockpot, heat oil and a pat or two of butter, for the taste! Brown the chicken (I used three boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but use what ya got). Take out the chicken and cut it up, then dump in a diced onion. After it softens, add two or three cloves of minced garlic. Then I added another pat of butter, and after it melted, dumped a couple of spoonfuls of flour or cornstarch. Don't let it brown too much!

Then throw in the chopped chicken, potato, carrot, and whatever other veg floats your boat. Add broth, in my case about six cups of water flavored with Better Than Bouillon. Let it simmer until the potatoes are cooked.

Then I took the can of five Pillsbury biscuits, divided each into two or three thin patties. Smoosh the patties flat and cut into strips. Put the strips in the pot one or two at a time, so that they don't end up in a clump. Simmer for another ten or fifteen minutes. The dumplings will help to thicken the broth. Correct the seasoning to your taste (mine always needs fresh ground pepper!).

Enjoy!

ETA: Add the poultry seasoning with the flour/cornstarch.

[bucolic_frolic]

14. Thanks, almost sounds like a fricasee

I'd probably go light on the butter and oil, and make biscuits from scratch. Of course I have only 10 pounds of WW flour and 4 pound corn meal. So I hope it lasts 2 months, or until I go shopping again. I doubt grocers deliver here though I guess there's always Amazon and FedEx

[Hortensis]

19. Yum, thanks. I use chicken thighs a lot,

and BTB also, so sounds right up my ally.

[Saviolo]

8. Gotham pans?

We love those Gotham non-stick pans that are teflon-free. They even allow a fond to form to deglaze, even though they're non-stick.

[gibraltar72]

9. Is that pan demic?

sorry I just had to do that.

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Yeah

Ugh!!! lol

[Warpy]

17. I suggested ketchup packet soup on another board

for the end of the quarantine when there was nothing left in the cabinets but dust and dead pantry moths.

I think the non dairy creamer is genius and probably makes this more palatable by cutting the vinegar.

[Hortensis]

18. Already running low on fresh veggies

and can see the issue there. Seeming clear that the difference between a pantry dish and all our favorites is if fresh veggies are key, or if it allows step-down to frozen or canned. Our winter place has very little freezer capacity, or I’d lay in more frozen. So has to be canned. And packeted.

Reminding that when inspiration fails, there can always be can-dump soups and “stews.” Some of the recipes on line are actually good. A favorite idea, which I’ve never actually tried, is for “the worlds easiest soup”: A can of diluted refried beans. With a good brand, maybe a little doctoring, I’m guessing it could be good.

But with kitchens and lots of time on our hands, epidemic cooking might better become fancy than basic. I probably still won't taking up bread baking or hand-shelling cardamom seeds.

[no_hypocrisy]

20. Poultry twofold:

Roasted turkey wings and rendered duck fat for roasted potatoes.