Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine

[HongKongPhooey]

Even when DH and I host a family gathering on Christmas Eve, I don't usually cook a full dinner. I make several different appetizers so there's something that everyone likes. Typical menu includes mini pizza bagels, devilled eggs, pierogis w/sour cream, chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce or bacon-wrapped shrimp, baked Brie w/crackers or crostini, cubed deli meats and cheese. I usually bake several different kinds of cookies and set out chocolates and nuts.

This year, DH and I will spend Christmas Eve at home watching movies and noshing on a charcuterie platter. Nibbles will include baked Brie with raw pistachios and pomegranate seeds, crackers, Boar's Head Genoa salami, dried figs, mixed nuts, and dark chocolates. Wine. On Christmas Day, we'll enjoy grilled beef tenderloin, Potatoes Dauphin, Brussels sprouts with pancetta, dried cherries, and balsamic glaze. New Year's Eve will likely be an encore of the charcuterie platter

Thanks Bette, I like the idea of this conversation starter. Adding ours in, hope others do as well.

We had already pre ordered and paid deposits for our delivery so even though it's just us two plus dog now we're going ahead as planned but will simplify a little.

Christmas Eve we'll follow my family tradition and roast a gammon joint which I'll jazz up with marmalade and spices for flavour and caramelising the outer part. We eat that with cheeses, cheddar with ginger, cheshire with cranberries, and will have a Prosecco or two.

Christmas Day will be turkey (crown, not the full bird) with usual Brit trimmings - roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce. I'll do potted crab (couldnt get prawns delivered for our usual prawn starter) to start with and individual trifles for after (prob a lot later!).

Boxing Day on the 26th is also a holiday here and usually a day for seeing family. We normally have a buffet with smoked salmon, leftover gammon and turkey etc. This year will be me and him helping ourselves to leftovers.

New Years Eve Mr HKP will be back to work and I will be home alone with the dog. I might make something simple I really like, a beef chilli probably.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Provided nobody blows up our plans like what happened at Thanksgiving, me and my 2 daughters will have a Christmas Eve dinner. The tradition has always been a late lunch on Christmas Eve. Then dinner is cookies and milk. This year both my daughters have to work. I plan to bake cookies in advance instead.

Our menu is based on what we were given in our produce pick up this week. It’s probably one of the more non traditional meal combinations we’ve ever had. We don’t mind tho. We are grateful for the generosity of others.

Ham and Lima beans that I bought on sale at the Mennonite / Amish market. Plus rice stuffed green peppers, mashed potatoes, steamed yellow squash, steamed pumpkin squash, sautéed mustard greens and banana bread.

 

[anneg]

Thanks Bette, I like the idea of this conversation starter. Adding ours in, hope others do as well.

We had already pre ordered and paid deposits for our delivery so even though it's just us two plus dog now we're going ahead as planned but will simplify a little.

Christmas Eve we'll follow my family tradition and roast a gammon joint which I'll jazz up with marmalade and spices for flavour and caramelising the outer part. We eat that with cheeses, cheddar with ginger, cheshire with cranberries, and will have a Prosecco or two.

Christmas Day will be turkey (crown, not the full bird) with usual Brit trimmings - roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce. I'll do potted crab (couldnt get prawns delivered for our usual prawn starter) to start with and individual trifles for after (prob a lot later!).

Boxing Day on the 26th is also a holiday here and usually a day for seeing family. We normally have a buffet with smoked salmon, leftover gammon and turkey etc. This year will be me and him helping ourselves to leftovers.

New Years Eve Mr HKP will be back to work and I will be home alone with the dog. I might make something simple I really like, a beef chilli probably.

I love these detailed reports about how y'all will be dining at home over the holidays. I had to look up gammon joint and turkey crown. It all sounds wonderful.

@BetteDavisEyes -- grilled steak for Christmas sounds great. Will you grill indoors or out?

I will make a big pot of beef stew (beef from a local farm) tomorrow with carrots, tomatoes, and red wine, and will take some of it to friends who aren't able to do much cooking these days. We will have it on Christmas Day. I'm not sure what else, probably baked butternut squash and/or a salad.

I was going to bake cookies and mail a box of them to our son and family, but it hasn't happened yet. A year ago we were in Vermont with them, and I took a box of cookies in my luggage. My DIL is a fabulous cook and baker so I know they have plenty of good food and baked treats. Our son grills often and uses his smoker year round. And they have many friends who drop off goodies too.

We get delicious cookies, crackers, scones, etc. from vendors at our farmers market. I love them more than DH so have to be careful not to overdo.

 

[Catmommy]

Please, please please don't forget your black eyed peas for good luck New Year's Day 2021. If 2020 taught me anything it's that not enough people ate their black eyed peas New Year's Day. Don't let this be you.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Someone upthread posted a site for using what you have in your fridge.

I have a 16 oz fresh mozarella that is dated to go bad tomorrow. I don't think I can freeze. I have no protein, but do have tomato products and pastas etc. . I'm trying to find a site that gives a good recipe, but no luck on inputting and stating I do have some stuff but not other stuff.

Any ideas or the best link to opt in and opt out of ingredients? Or anyone have a specific idea with limited basic pantry? It's a LOT of mozarella lol I was going to use for caprese salads.. but never used.

TIA

 

[kalvis]

Supercook: recipe search by ingredients you have at home

This website gives you recipes based on what ingredients you have. Since I am limiting my grocery trips...it is very helpful.

Bumping up! I have been wanting to try this website too!

 

[155etta]

Someone upthread posted a site for using what you have in your fridge.

I have a 16 oz fresh mozarella that is dated to go bad tomorrow. I don't think I can freeze. I have no protein, but do have tomato products and pastas etc. . I'm trying to find a site that gives a good recipe, but no luck on inputting and stating I do have some stuff but not other stuff.

Any ideas or the best link to opt in and opt out of ingredients? Or anyone have a specific idea with limited basic pantry? It's a LOT of mozarella lol I was going to use for caprese salads.. but never used.

TIA

Grilled cheese and tomato soup?

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

...@BetteDavisEyes -- grilled steak for Christmas sounds great. Will you grill indoors or out?...

DH grills year-round. Late spring through early fall, the gas grill is outdoors on the deck - directly accessible from kitchen. When it turns cold and begins to snow, DH drags the grill around the house and into the garage. He opens the garage door while grilling.

Most of the spiral-sliced ham that we got for our dinner with my sister is gone, but there was plenty of meat left on the bone. I cut off as much as possible into bite-size chunks and cooked the bone for soup broth last night. I'll skim off the fat, and saute onion, carrots, and celery to add to the stock. When the veggies are cooked, I'll add a 48 oz. jar of Randall navy beans and the ham. DH will take some to my brothers tomorrow when he delivers their Christmas lasagna. The soup should last for several days.

 

[155etta]

Even when DH and I host a family gathering on Christmas Eve, I don't usually cook a full dinner. I make several different appetizers so there's something that everyone likes. Typical menu includes mini pizza bagels, devilled eggs, pierogis w/sour cream, chilled shrimp with cocktail sauce or bacon-wrapped shrimp, baked Brie w/crackers or crostini, cubed deli meats and cheese. I usually bake several different kinds of cookies and set out chocolates and nuts.

This year, DH and I will spend Christmas Eve at home watching movies and noshing on a charcuterie platter. Nibbles will include baked Brie with raw pistachios and pomegranate seeds, crackers, Boar's Head Genoa salami, dried figs, mixed nuts, and dark chocolates. Wine. On Christmas Day, we'll enjoy grilled beef tenderloin, Potatoes Dauphin, Brussels sprouts with pancetta, dried cherries, and balsamic glaze. New Year's Eve will likely be an encore of the charcuterie platter

We're cooking a Beef Tenderloin for the first time ever on Christmas Day. We're going to try the reverse sear method. I hope it goes well. It's an expensive piece of meat to mess up. Side dishes will be baked potatoes, deviled eggs, green salad, and black cherry jello with pomegranate seeds (my favorite).

Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin Recipe

 

[Yesiamapirate]

Someone upthread posted a site for using what you have in your fridge.

I have a 16 oz fresh mozarella that is dated to go bad tomorrow. I don't think I can freeze. I have no protein, but do have tomato products and pastas etc. . I'm trying to find a site that gives a good recipe, but no luck on inputting and stating I do have some stuff but not other stuff.

Any ideas or the best link to opt in and opt out of ingredients? Or anyone have a specific idea with limited basic pantry? It's a LOT of mozarella lol I was going to use for caprese salads.. but never used.

TIA

How about a pasta bake? Cook up the pasta, mix with the tomato sauce or pasta sauce or whatever you have. Spoon it into a casserole, with the mozzarella layered in between.
Cover and bake til hot and the cheese melts.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Someone upthread posted a site for using what you have in your fridge.

I have a 16 oz fresh mozarella that is dated to go bad tomorrow. I don't think I can freeze. I have no protein, but do have tomato products and pastas etc. . I'm trying to find a site that gives a good recipe, but no luck on inputting and stating I do have some stuff but not other stuff.

Any ideas or the best link to opt in and opt out of ingredients? Or anyone have a specific idea with limited basic pantry? It's a LOT of mozarella lol I was going to use for caprese salads.. but never used.

TIA

You can use fresh mozzarella in just about any pasta dish. I've made "Caprese" pasta many times. Just cook your favorite pasta, top it with fresh and/or canned tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, top with dollops of fresh mozzarella, and bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes. We also use fresh mozzarella for Naan (Indian flatbread) pizzas. Layer chopped or sliced fresh tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, minced garlic, a drizzle of olive oil on the flatbreads, top with fresh mozzarella, bake or grill until cheese is melted.

I shared this recipe a while ago. It was awesome!

Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Bake Recipe | Katie Lee Biegel | Food Network

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Why We Eat Black-Eyed Peas for the New Year (thespruceeats.com)

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Please, please please don't forget your black eyed peas for good luck New Year's Day 2021. If 2020 taught me anything it's that not enough people ate their black eyed peas New Year's Day. Don't let this be you.

DH likes beans and rice, so I will research recipes that call for black eyed peas and rice. Thanks for telling us about the southern custom This sounds perfect! Hoppin' John Recipe | Food Network

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

DH just left with a piping hot lasagna for my brothers. I didn't make it, but I know they both like Nino Salvaggio's lasagna because I served it on Christmas Eve a few years ago. I also got them a small deli tray (cheese & meat), a chocolate cake, and a 6-pack of Labatt's.

DH and I watched Christmas movies most of yesterday, and I completely forgot to peel, slice, and soak potatoes for my Potatoes Dauphin to accompany our beef tenderloins. We'll have baked potatoes instead, and I prepped Brussels sprouts to be roasted with pancetta, dried cherries, and balsamic vinegar.

However you're celebrating Christmas, have a lovely day. Be safe and well.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Our dinner last night was delicious. I forgot to sauté the mustard greens. We split the leftovers up and none of us will need to cook for days!

Breakfast was pumpkin cookies and tea. Then I ate some ham. Then lunch was a ham sandwich. Dinner was all the veggies.

 

[IceIce9]

It was only 11 degrees when I woke up this morning. So I made a big pot of potato cheese soup and cornbread casserole. And that was the extent of my cooking today.

 

[Teche]

DH likes beans and rice, so I will research recipes that call for black eyed peas and rice. Thanks for telling us about the southern custom This sounds perfect! Hoppin' John Recipe | Food Network

Check out Camelia Beans' website. The company supplies all types of beans to grocery stores. It's a New Orleans company that has been around forever. The recipes are truly southern and wonderful. It teaches how to cook dried beans low and slow and quick in an Instant Pot. Louisiana is known for red beans and rice.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Check out Camelia Beans' website. The company supplies all types of beans to grocery stores. It's a New Orleans company that has been around forever. The recipes are truly southern and wonderful. It teaches how to cook dried beans low and slow and quick in an Instant Pot. Louisiana is known for red beans and rice.

Thanks for the tip Lots of great recipes: Luck and Money: Traditional Foods for New Year’s Day :: post :: Camellia Brand We love Red Beans & Rice!

We plan to get takeout from our favorite Italian restaurant on New Year's Eve since we haven't been able to go there for months due to Governor's ban on indoor dining. We usually go to Picano's at least once during the holidays and have also gone there on NYE many times since they opened in 1985. I will make a black-eyed-pea and rice dish on New Year's Day.

 

[Yesiamapirate]

Thanks for the tip Lots of great recipes: Luck and Money: Traditional Foods for New Year’s Day :: post :: Camellia Brand

We plan to get takeout from our favorite Italian restaurant on New Year's Eve since we haven't been able to go there for months due to Governor's ban on indoor dining. We usually go to Picano's at least once during the holidays and have also gone there on NYE many times since they opened in 1985. I will make a black-eyed-pea and rice dish on New Year's Day.

We typically go to our favorite little vegan place, The Detroit Street Filling Station.
Instead it will be carry out. I feel so bad for our local restaurants. I hope our governor lifts this ban!
For NY Day I am making homemade spanakopita! First time ever using my mom’s traditional Macedonian recipe. Usually it is 20 of us family members around her table. This year we are all on our own.
ETA I am taking her traditional recipe and making it vegan, using Earth Balance “butter”, flax egg and my homemade vegan ricotta.

 

[PayrollNerd]

We typically go to our favorite little vegan place, The Detroit Street Filling Station.
Instead it will be carry out. I feel so bad for our local restaurants. I hope our governor lifts this ban!
For NY Day I am making homemade spanakopita! First time ever using my mom’s traditional Macedonian recipe. Usually it is 20 of us family members around her table. This year we are all on our own.
ETA I am taking her traditional recipe and making it vegan, using Earth Balance “butter”, flax egg and my homemade vegan ricotta.

Homemade vegan ricotta??? Please do share your recipe. My youngest who is allergic to any dairy made from cows milk was opining about cottage cheese on Christmas Eve. She really misses it. If I can create dairy free vegan ricotta, I could make her GF, DF, EF lasagna!!