Amazing lockdown food discoveries

[coffeeagogo]

I made this www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/dal_makhani_30779 the other day as the fridge was empty and the food shop isn’t coming until 12 may - OMG it was so amazing.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it ( food obsessive) so DDs and I had it for dinner tonight done in the slow cooker with brown lentils and black beans and it was even nicer. No rice so we had it on chips with grated picked onions and mango chutney - soo delicious.

Anyone else found a legendary lockdown meal?

I finally had the time to try some of the BBC good food baking recipes that have been recommended on MN before and have found some really delicious desserts.
Will definitely be trying out the foccacia bread mentioned here

Does anyone know if the focaccia recipe would work without the yeast? (I have strong white flour.) If not, can any one recommend a good flat bread recipe please?

@Licencedtodrill soda bread doesn't require yeast. It calls for buttermilk but you can make this with milk and add lemon juice or vinegar. We are vegan and it works well with plain soya milk. You can add anything to it I use chives and vegan cheese.

I actually have all that. I'll be making that tomorrow op.

I'm saving this thread for ideas.

Jamie Oliver’s yoghurt flatbreads. Equal parts self raising flour and Greek yogurt, kneaded into dough. Slash three times, Dry pan fry for 30 seconds each side then brush with garlic and herb butter. Definitely a new family staple.

Love this post. I've discovered quite a few things. Have been making spicy tomato chickpeas on toast using basic store cupboard ingredients and they're like a tasty grown up and healthy version of toast and beans 😋 BBC goodfood have provided loads of inspiration for dinner as well. I nearly always cook from scratch but had fallen in to a habit of cooking the same simple things over and over. Definitely learning loads about flavour and different ways of cooking. Hopefully keep it up post-lockdown.

We cooked around the world by alphabet too. Zambian chicken stew and Qatari chicken majboos, Brazilian tomato prawns and Greeklamb kleftikos. We have eaten lots of new things on lockdown.

Ooh good thread.

During the warm weather I discovered loads of new salads. I thought I didn’t really like salad, turns out I don’t really like leaf based salads (which is what DH always makes, with every meal) but every other kind is fab.

• Chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, red pepper, avocado, celery (or some combo of these depending on what we had) and parsley. Good with some feta too but not needed. Lemon oil & salt dressing
• Beetroot, goats cheese, rocket, walnuts. Balsamic & oil dressing
• Waldorf salad - celery, grapes, apple, walnuts in a half mayo/half yoghurt dressing. Good with some leftover chicken in too. Kids loved it
• Radish, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mint and parsley.

Lots of stir fries. Lots of risottos. Pearl barley orzotto too.

Roasted red peppers - haven’t made for ages but have done it a few times in lockdown - make a delicious pasta sauce with cream cheese.

Two new ways with cauliflower- roasted in chunks in oil and salt and chestnut and cauliflower soup.

Turns out I still can’t make white sauce though!

Falafel made with tinned chickpeas. Substitute any ingredients you dont have.

www.eatingbirdfood.com/easy-baked-falafel/

I wanted to make a pasta recipe which needed red pesto.
Pre lockdown I would have just popped out to get some but determined to maintain the once weekly shopping outing.
So blitzed up some peanuts and a few sun dried tomatoes from a jar. Delicious if not quite authentic.

I’m starving and this thread isn’t helping, I’m about to rustle up a cheese, tomato and salad cream sandwich 😂

One thing I have learned though is that frozen veg isn’t too bad if it’s steamed and taken off the steam al dente, once it’s dished up it’s cooked as well as frozen veg can be!

Some great ideas on this thread - I'm going to do the dhal and the focaccia.

Re: the focaccia, do you reckon it's doable without a food mixer? I don't have a Kenwood type thing so would have to knead it by hand. Is that doable?

My lockdown revelation has been that my children love fish, whatever way I cook it. Salmon with soy/garlic/ginger, Jamie Oliver's fish pie with a bag of spinach in it, cod fillets with sun dried tomatoes pesto spread on top and baked - they eat it all. So satisfying.

My other revelation has been just how much my teens eat. Bloody hell they never stop - and they find all my secret stockpiles and go through them like the hungry caterpillar, too.

Artisan bread in five minutes
It’s a miracle ! No knead dough, mix, sticking bucket in fridge. Pull off a lump, shape in two seconds, prove and bake, lasts two weeks in fridge though usually gone in four days .

@TaleOfTheContinents this is the one I use, although I go quite heavy on the sweet chilli sauce
www.kitchensanctuary.com/crispy-sesame-chicken-sticky-asian-sauce/

@dementedma sorry I posted this and have been so madly busy at work completely forgot to check back - first time I used tinned lentils, Second time I didn’t soak the lentils just bunged them and the black beans in the slow cooker and was epic after about 6 hours on high.

Also adding this skinnykitchensecrets.com/2018/03/12/fakeaway-salt-and-pepper-chicken-4sp/ to the collection of Chinese style recipes - delicious and super easy

@littlebillie
I am so doing your salmon pasta tomorrow , we don't eat meat on Fridays.
My discovery - broccoli and cauli stalks and leaves are fab in soup, we had that for lunch today. I always used to throw them away.

@ArabellaPilkington - the focaccia was the best thing I’ve made this week: it was AMAZING. Thank you

Pleased to hear re the focaccia - it's fab isn't it?

@Growingboys - no need for any kit - just your hands.

Hippee
Haggis lasagne. So delicious. I used a normal haggis and a veggie haggis (left in the freezer from Burns Night). Mix with 2 tins of chopped tomatoes. Layer with pasta and bechamel sauce and top with cheese. Baje for 45 mins. Wish I had more haggis in the freezer!
This sounds amazing! Alas we never ever have haggis left over...

I have also made a few soups with cauliflower leaves. Add a handful of cheddar to make it next level

I've been making mash from baked potatoes and then later making some cheeky potato skins with cheese and lardons as a snack/dinner with salad

The freezer was always my friend, but even more so now. Frozen Bolognese became an amazing lasagne like dish yesterday with a little extra work

I got an air fryer near the beginning of lockdown and have found it makes fantastic and easy-to-peel hard boiled eggs. I've been eating these with a dollop of Vegenaise - actually pretty amazing. I have also made "fried" chicken and cauliflower "wings."

I have toyed with the idea of veg boxes for ages and now am getting an OddBox. It's a fun highlight of my week

Oh, I also got a julienne peeler. Excited to eat lots of courgetti in the coming weeks

Where is everyone buying their bread flour for their sourdough?

These look lovely! Can anyone suggest something nice to use fresh beetroot leaves for? I feel bad chucking them out because they look like they should be tasty. Soup?

@DateLoaf the leaves are quite bitter so not sure they'd work in soup but I braise them with garlic using Hugh Fernley what's his name's recipe.

That sounds lovely. Thank you for the tip!