Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #8

[BetteDavisEyes]

If those are lilies, keep any pets well away from them. They're toxic to animals.

Most of the flowers look like tulips - among my favorite flowers I didn't realize that lilies were toxic for animals, but I don't like them at all! As a child, the overwhelming fragrance of lilies made me feel dizzy and nauseous. There would be dozens and dozens of lilies on the altar at Easter Sunday Mass, and I dreaded going to church because of the lilies. Funeral home visitations are uncomfortable enough, but when there are lilies, I can't spend more than a few minutes mingling with family members of the deceased. Nino's will feature Easter lilies in the coming weeks, so I'll have to scoot past them as quickly as possible when I'm shopping for groceries.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

The big monthly food pick up was this morning. It starts at 9am and I didn’t feel like sitting in line for an hour. So I went about 9:45am and there was nobody in line!! The check in lady said once they started, it moved really fast.

The box of Cajun crab dip is going to my friend as I’m allergic to shellfish. I’m hoping she’ll take the 2 packs of ground pork also. I can’t think of anything I will make that I’d use it for. I know people make sausage with it but I’m not big on sausage anyway.

The frozen yogurt cups are in the freezer. They gave me some, like 2 dozen, of those a few weeks ago too. So now I must have close to 40 cups!! At first I thought it was like ice cream, and we know I didn’t get the ice cream gene, so I haven’t touched them. But now I think they were just trying to preserve regular vanilla yogurt. I didn’t even know you could freeze yogurt!

I need a 5 gallons bucket for the 8 bunches of flowers! I have a box of foods I don’t eat or can’t eat started to set out at the curb.

I can make tacos with the ground beef. I’ve been craving them for weeks! I’ll blanch the cabbage for homemade veggie soup later. I love little frozen cheese pizzas because I can add veggies and it’s the perfect size.

I use ground pork in combination with ground beef for pasta sauce, meatloaf, meatballs, cottage pie, etc. Ground pork is lean, has good flavor, and provides moisture when combined with ground beef. Just be sure to cook ground pork thoroughly .

 

[slowpoke]

Recently read an article about freezing pasta, of course I have no idea where I read it but the gist of it was the fiber increases and the glucose decreases

I heard about reheating refrigerated rice to control blood sugar only recently, and thought that was interesting. I guess refrigerating or freezing cooked pasta acts the same. Thank you for passing on the tip!

 

[slowpoke]

Wow, you're right. I didn't know that. Thank You, @303gmf. I guess just be sure to freeze it soon after it cools. I do know you have to be careful with leftover rice and pasta as it can develop a bacteria, some call it "Fried Rice Syndrome", but it can make you seriously ill.​

View attachment 649127
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View attachment 649128 Don't keep your rice or pasta out cooling for too long. Make sure you cook and store leftover rice & pasta properly or it can make you sick.

View attachment 649126​

How To Prevent Fried Rice Syndrome

Fried rice syndrome is food poisoning caused by a bacterium known as Bacillus cereus. This microscopic germ likes to live on starchy foods like rice and pasta. Here’s how you can avoid it.

health.clevelandclinic.org

“Like most food poisoning, fried rice syndrome can occur when you don’t cook or store food at the right temperatures,” says Dr. Lee. “People call it ‘fried rice syndrome’ because the process of cooking rice, leaving it out and then reheating it creates a perfect environment for this germ.”​

I have eaten fried rice all my life very frequently (bacon fried rice was a favorite breakfast growing up—always had leftover rice) and never suffered food poisoning, fortunately! Interesting, though. Thank you for the information!

 

[slowpoke]

Do you like things like egg rolls? I learned to make them this winter. Here's the recipe I used:View attachment 649131

I used plain ground pork and skipped the lemon zest. I don't know if there are gluten-free egg roll wrappers, but I also made some with spring roll wrappers which are made of rice. They were stickier to work with but equally tasty. I used coconut oil to "fry" the rolls. They were really yummy! I even froze and then reheated some and that was fine too.

Similarly, fried wontons, with a pork and shrimp filling. I generally only make them for a party gathering type of event, but there’s rarely leftovers as everyone loves to nibble on them. I last made them for New Year’s Day!

 

[303gmf]

I heard about reheating refrigerated rice to control blood sugar only recently, and thought that was interesting. I guess refrigerating or freezing cooked pasta acts the same. Thank you for passing on the tip!

Same article says freezing bread does the same

Had a higher blood sugar reading months ago so began researching, if freezing my chocolate candy helped I’d be great at next blood test!

 

[slowpoke]

Homemade Pad Thai for dinner!

 

[IceIce9]

I have eaten fried rice all my life very frequently (bacon fried rice was a favorite breakfast growing up—always had leftover rice) and never suffered food poisoning, fortunately! Interesting, though. Thank you for the information!

There was quite a bit of media coverage a couple years ago when a man died from “fried rice” food poisoning after eating spaghetti that had been left on a counter for five days. FIVE DAYS!

The case was published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

20-Year-Old Dies Of 'Fried Rice Syndrome' After Eating Leftover Pasta | Queen's Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week

His story can serve as a warning to others to be careful with their leftovers.

charlotterestaurantweek.iheart.com

According to case reports, the student would make his meals for the week on Sunday so he wouldn't have to deal with it on the weekdays. One Sunday, he cooked up some spaghetti and put it in Tupperware containers so that days later, he could just add some sauce to it and reheat it.

After five days of the pasta sitting out on the counter at room temperature, he heated some up and ate it.

 

[Rikissa]

I have recently been told to be more careful what I eat for blood sugar reasons. So, wheat pasta has slightly fewer carbs than regular pasta and is supposedly better for blood sugar control. It, like brown rice, is digested slower, so may help prevent spikes.

It was actually the first time I tried it. I was surprised how good it was in the recipe. The Barilla one I bought had kind of skinnier noodles, but even my husband (I gave him a taste) thought, tastewise, it was just about the same as the regular kind. So, at least for Alfredo sauce, it worked.
View attachment 648868

Not the healthiest dish with all that fat (need to watch my cholesterol, too ), but I try to do a smaller portion size in that case. sigh

Barilla does good quality gluten free pasta, too. We get it sometimes. We generally get Buontempo, that's awesome and completely FODMAP free, but sometimes get Barilla or Pasta Roma, especially if we want a shape that we can't get otherwise. Latina Fresh for fresh pasta. Don't know how many of these are Australian only.

Buckwheat, oats and rye all have low to medium GI, and buckwheat is gluten free. When I spent three months in France last year I tried a lot of (for me) new foods, including crisp bread, snacks, and even beer, made with buckwheat, and they were all very good.
Now I'm in Finland, and rye bread has always been the 'traditional' bread, and it still is. When it comes to 'white' bread sold here, it's often made with a mix of wheat and oats, to make it healthier.
In both Sweden and Finland whole grain oats, rye, barley, and wheat are available and often used instead of rice, as well as buckwheat. You can make pancakes (Russian blini) with buckwheat flour.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Homemade Pad Thai for dinner!

View attachment 649180

Your Pad Thai looks amazing! I don't know if you'll remember or not, but many pages ago I posted how we came to enjoy Thai cuisine some months ago. We were planning takeout from New York Burger & Grill, but no one was answering the phone there. This was very strange because the restaurant should have been open at that time. DH decided to just go there to get dinner. Turns out that there had been an earlier power failure at the strip mall that is anchored by Kroger and CVS. Evidently, New York Burger & Grill decided to close, so DH went to the Thai place next door. Since we had little experience with Thai food, DH asked the hostess for recommendations.

DH ended up getting Shrimp Pad Thai for me, and a chicken and vegetable entree with rice for himself. He also got an order of Spring Rolls. The food was wonderful, and Best Thai is now on our regular restaurant rotation for takeout. We've tried many different appetizers and entrees and have liked everything but Summer Rolls and Tom Khaa soup. We usually order one entree (enough for three people!) and a couple of appetizers. My favorite are the Curry Puffs that are one of the most delicious foods I've ever eaten. Two per order are a meal for me, and I usually take a few bites of DH's entree. We have friends who are in Thailand for a wedding, and we can't wait to hear about their gastronomical adventures. 2081 South Blvd W Troy, MI 48092

 

[jilleigh]

If any of you are low on food or trunk to stretch your supply, this is a great recipe
Best Loaded Slow-Cooker Potatoes Recipe-How To Make Loaded Slow-Cooker Potatoes—Delish.com
I guess I’m allowed to post it as I’ve seen a few other recipes and grocery lists.
Hopefully all of us will have freshly stocked stores soon. My next trip will be before 5a.m., I’ll go one morning when I wake early & feel like dealing with it.

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That recipe actually helped me a lot back when shelves were half empty, slow cooker meals are perfect when you are trying to stretch what you already have because you can throw in potatoes, bits of cheese, maybe some leftover meat or even just spices and it still turns into something filling, plus it makes enough for a couple of days so you do not have to keep worrying about cooking again right away.

 

[IceIce9]

I love Thai food and we have several excellent Thai restaurants in our area.

My son was in Thailand last year, and he sent pictures of food that looked amazing.

My daughter and son-in-law just returned from a trip to Bali and Jakarta and they didn’t care much for Indonesian food. They are vegetarian though so that might have something to do with it.

 

[IceIce9]

That recipe actually helped me a lot back when shelves were half empty, slow cooker meals are perfect when you are trying to stretch what you already have because you can throw in potatoes, bits of cheese, maybe some leftover meat or even just spices and it still turns into something filling, plus it makes enough for a couple of days so you do not have to keep worrying about cooking again right away.

I agree!

And I think if I have either potatoes or rice I can make a tasty meal with any odds and ends of fresh vegetables and cheeses that I happen to have in my refrigerator bins.

 

[slowpoke]

Your Pad Thai looks amazing! I don't know if you'll remember or not, but many pages ago I posted how we came to enjoy Thai cuisine some months ago. We were planning takeout from New York Burger & Grill, but no one was answering the phone there. This was very strange because the restaurant should have been open at that time. DH decided to just go there to get dinner. Turns out that there had been an earlier power failure at the strip mall that is anchored by Kroger and CVS. Evidently, New York Burger & Grill decided to close, so DH went to the Thai place next door. Since we had little experience with Thai food, DH asked the hostess for recommendations.

DH ended up getting Shrimp Pad Thai for me, and a chicken and vegetable entree with rice for himself. He also got an order of Spring Rolls. The food was wonderful, and Best Thai is now on our regular restaurant rotation for takeout. We've tried many different appetizers and entrees and have liked everything but Summer Rolls and Tom Khaa soup. We usually order one entree (enough for three people!) and a couple of appetizers. My favorite are the Curry Puffs that are one of the most delicious foods I've ever eaten. Two per order are a meal for me, and I usually take a few bites of DH's entree. We have friends who are in Thailand for a wedding, and we can't wait to hear about their gastronomical adventures. 2081 South Blvd W Troy, MI 48092

I do remember how you happened to discover the Thai restaurant. It makes me happy you discovered how wonderful Thai food can be!

I love curry, so I’m sure I’d love those curry puffs, too!

We’ve tried our hand at a few other Thai dishes:

My husband made himself Tom Yum Goong soup, which is not my thing, but he thought it came out pretty good.

I have made a sort of Thai Beef Salad using leftover steak. It was simple, and tasty—simple dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar.

Only last week, we made beef panang (curry) for the first time. Not bad! And pretty easy.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I do remember how you happened to discover the Thai restaurant. It makes me happy you discovered how wonderful Thai food can be!

I love curry, so I’m sure I’d love those curry puffs, too!

We’ve tried our hand at a few other Thai dishes:

My husband made himself Tom Yum Goong soup, which is not my thing, but he thought it came out pretty good.

I have made a sort of Thai Beef Salad using leftover steak. It was simple, and tasty—simple dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar.

Only last week, we made beef panang (curry) for the first time. Not bad! And pretty easy.

Thai Curry Puffs | Marion's Kitchen

These are an audience favourite for a reason! The homemade golden pastry on these curry puffs is so so good - it just melts in your mouth.

www.marionskitchen.com

 

[IceIce9]

I have eaten fried rice all my life very frequently (bacon fried rice was a favorite breakfast growing up—always had leftover rice) and never suffered food poisoning, fortunately! Interesting, though. Thank you for the information!

I make fried rice often for friends and family. I customize ingredients to use what I have on hand but I always start with carrots, onions, and peas. I like to use fresh mini corn cobs and fresh sugar snap peas but I use frozen peas and frozen corn if I don’t have them.

And I add any other fresh vegetables that I have: peppers, green beans, tomatoes.

When the vegetables are cooked I stir in a couple of beaten eggs and snipped green onions.

I use a sweet/spicy ginger teriyaki sauce or a spicy teriyaki for people who like a spicier flavor.

A nice meal that can be made with odds and ends of vegetables and leftover rice.

 

[snooptroop88]

I love Thai food and we have several excellent Thai restaurants in our area.

My son was in Thailand last year, and he sent pictures of food that looked amazing.

My daughter and son-in-law just returned from a trip to Bali and Jakarta and they didn’t care much for Indonesian food. They are vegetarian though so that might have something to do with it.

Love both Thai and Indonesian, have made Indonesian meatballs a couple x, authentic to the extent possible for me. The meatball's tackier with Indonesian meatballs, that's my understanding, so I try to replicate it.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

A few days ago, I was thinking about the long, cold, snowy winter we've had here in southeastern lower Michigan and recalling all the "comfort" foods that I cooked. I made almost all of my usual winter dishes - some more than once - but realized that I hadn't made beef stew, meatloaf, pot roast, or beef Stroganoff. The common factor here, of course, is beef because we've both cut down on red meat consumption. I told DH that I would be happy to make two of the four winter dishes and asked which he preferred. He chose beef stew over pot roast, so I'm cooking that today. I plan to roast whole beef tenderloin for Easter and can use leftover meat for upscale Beef Stroganoff.

The beef stew is simmering on the stove. I'm sure everyone has their own beef stew recipe, but mine generally includes lean beef stew meat, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, onion, potatoes, red wine, and beef stock. I top the stew with Bisquick dumplings with fresh chopped parsley added to the batter. I sometimes add a cup of frozen peas for a bit of color. There will be enough beef stew and dumplings for three or four meals. Besides making beef stew, I did a load of laundry, so it's been a productive domestic day.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I agree!

And I think if I have either potatoes or rice I can make a tasty meal with any odds and ends of fresh vegetables and cheeses that I happen to have in my refrigerator bins.

I'd include egg noodles or different types of pasta to this list. Not to mention, also, that it's a good idea to always have on hand staples like canned beans, tomatoes, and pasta sauce. Depending on the space we've had in various kitchen cabinets and/or pantries, I always kept them well-stocked with simple ingredients that could become a decent meal. During and post-Covid, I'm reminded of how important it is to "be prepared".

 

[Knox]

Buckwheat, oats and rye all have low to medium GI, and buckwheat is gluten free. When I spent three months in France last year I tried a lot of (for me) new foods, including crisp bread, snacks, and even beer, made with buckwheat, and they were all very good.
Now I'm in Finland, and rye bread has always been the 'traditional' bread, and it still is. When it comes to 'white' bread sold here, it's often made with a mix of wheat and oats, to make it healthier.
In both Sweden and Finland whole grain oats, rye, barley, and wheat are available and often used instead of rice, as well as buckwheat. You can make pancakes (Russian blini) with buckwheat flour.

My husband loves buckwheat pancakes, I only recently bought the flour to make them for him. Love the nutty flavor!
I also bought the buckwheat ramen noodles!