How To Cook During a Pandemic

Now Is the perfect time to learn how to improvise in the kitchen

As we all sit at home during this quarantine either alone or with friends or family, we are forced to get creative — think of games, tasks, and projects to keep us busy and ways to help and connect with others virtually. This creativity also extends to the kitchen where we are forced to learn how to improvise based on what we can find at the grocery stores and in our own kitchens. 

Being able to create a meal with whatever ingredients are in front of you is a skill that will save you time, money, and stress and make you a more confident cook. When it comes to recipes, it’s more important to learn the technique or formula behind the recipe than the actual recipe itself. That way, you can apply those techniques and formulas with different ingredients. Soon you’ll realize how fun cooking can actually be!

Quarantine Kitchen Staples

Below is a list of ingredients I made to sure have on hand. If you have these ingredients on hand, you’ll be able to throw together a delicious meal at any time!

Spices

Think about which spices you use most and make sure you’re well stocked on them. They can take a meal from bland to vibrant!

Produce

• Buy produce that has a longer shelf life, like root vegetables and hearty greens. Stock up on onions, garlic, celery, and carrots — if you have those in your fridge, you can make a flavorful homemade soup or stir-fry out of just about anything
• Cabbage is one of my favorites that seems to last forever in the fridge and is very versatile (more ideas to follow!)
• Herbs add so much freshness and life to meals, especially when you’re eating leftovers. If they start to look like they’re going south, you can make an easy sauce, like pesto (you should already have nuts, cheese, olive oil, and lemon!) or chimichurri (mix of herbs, olive oil, lemon, garlic, + salt). These sauces can then be frozen.

Dairy

I always have yogurt on hand to make sauces, add to smoothies or just dollop on top of soups or stews. Parmesan keeps for a long time and gives you a lot of bang for your bite!

Condiments

Think of condiments that add a lot of umami flavor to meals and can be used in many different ways. Soy sauce, fish sauce, and miso paste (fermented condiments!) can add a ton of flavor to soups, sauces, stir-fries, etc…

Freezer

• I always keep sliced bread in the freezer and just pop it in the toasted when I am ready for my daily bread special!
• Stock up on your favorite animal proteins — I found ground meats to freeze the best and the most versatile. You can make meatballs, patties, tacos, or add to soups!
• Any frozen fruit or veggies you like for adding to smoothies or soups are a great option.
  • FUN FACT: frozen veggies are usually more nutritious because they are frozen at peak ripeness, whereas grocery store veggies have been transported for miles and sit in the store for days or weeks.

The most versatile meals

Since we don’t have the luxury of being able to find everything we need at the grocery store right now or even GO to the grocery store, following recipes may not be an option. It’s time to get creative and use our own brains to create our own ‘recipes’ and combinations based on what we have. Below are the meals I find to be most versatile, adaptable, and comforting.

Grain bowls

I love grain bowls because they can be different every time you make one. All you need is:

• A base of a grain (or green) — rice, farro, quinoa, pasta
• A protein — meatballs, shredded chicken, marinated lentils or beans, fried or boiled egg
• Veggies — leftover roasted veggies, raw sliced veggies, greens
• A sauce — guacamole, vinaigrette, tahini/peanut sauce, pesto, or my favorite — yogurt mixed with lemon + garlic + salt + water).

Soups

If you know the basics of making a soup, you can make a soup out of anything and make it taste however you want it to taste! You could go Mexican, Indian, Thai, or Mediterranean — these just depend on the spices, herbs, and ingredients you throw in.

Soup 101

1. Start with a base of onions, garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté them in olive oil with salt until softened and fragrant (5-7 mins).
2. Now add any spices that you want to flavor the soup (cumin and oregano for Mexican, curry powder for Indian, Thai curry paste for a curry, rosemary + thyme for Mediterranean) and ‘toast’, stirring often, for about 30 seconds. You want to add the spices now because they will intensify in flavor when they are toasted in oil (make sure there is enough oil in your pot so they don’t burn).
3. Now you add the liquid — water! You could also add canned tomatoes or coconut milk if you want to go that route.
4. Add any meat, beans, grains, or veggies that take longer to cook (think root vegetables) and save the delicate ones (like kale, spinach, broccoli, and green beans) for adding later. Cover and simmer until everything is cooked through (usually takes 20-30 minutes).
5. Taste the soup — it probably needs more salt and maybe some acid. A splash of soy sauce maybe? When it’s tasting good, stir in the delicate veggies and let them simmer until tender, this happens pretty quickly. Now, serve! Top with herbs, a glug of olive oil, a dollop of yogurt, or egg yolk. YUM!

Stir-fry’s

Throw some veggies in a pan with very hot oil, and sauté until crisp-tender. Add some soy sauce, ginger, rice vinegar, or lime juice at the end, and BOOM, you’ve got a stir-fry. Now all you need is some rice and protein (fry an egg!). This is the ultimate leftovers meal or ‘clean out the fridge’ meal.

Random things + toast!

I love GOOD quality, sourdough bread. It’s comforting, familiar, and nourishing. For me, adding toast to an otherwise unsatisfying meal made up of random sides and leftovers makes it feel more complete. So you’ve got beans + eggs? Toss the beans with some olive oil, vinegar/lemon, and salt. Put it on a plate with a piece of bread, a fried egg, and something crunchy (cucumber, cabbage, carrot, green salad…). Top the bread with the beans, dip it in the runny egg yolk, and add you’re crunchy topper. YUM!

One Ingredient, five Ways!

There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, but one thing I know for sure is that I am very well stocked with beans, grains, lentils, and sardines (among other things). These can get old fast, but it doesn’t have to be boring! Let’s get into how you can use these nourishing staples to create 5 different meals or snacks.

Beans

1. Puree the beans into a soup to make it creamy.
2. Mix the beans with herbs or spices, oil, vinegar, and salt, and mash it onto toast for a filling snack or meal with a simple salad.
3. Add beans to a frittata or omelet for an extra boost of fiber and protein.
4. Puree beans with garlic, olive oil, some kind of acid (vinegar, lemon, lime),  salt, spices/herbs, and nuts/seeds to make a yummy, creamy dip or sauce.
5. Mash beans together with an egg, spices/herbs, breadcrumbs (or oats or almond flour), and finely chopped veggies. Form them into patties and fry them in a pan to make veggie patties.

Sardines

1. Make a sardine salad (like a tuna salad) — mix with, mayo (or yogurt), salt, pepper, mustard, and celery. OR add chopped sardines to your favorite egg salad. Put this on top of rice, bread, or a salad. If you have Run Fast. Eat Slow cookbook, the sardine + egg salad in there is delicious.
2. Out of the can, squeeze with lemon juice and eat plain or on a cracker.
3. Make a simple garlicky pasta with sardines! Sauté thinly sliced garlic in lots of olive oil with red pepper flakes for a minute (don’t let the garlic burn), add sardines to the pan, and fry them up. Immediately toss the paste into your pan and mix to coat. Add plenty of salt and Parm if you have it. Top with fresh parsley, if you have it!
4. Make a sardine sandwich! Here’s what it could look like: your favorite sandwich bread with mayonnaise and/or mustard spread all over, greens (arugula, spinach, romaine lettuce), sardines, and something crunchy and/or pickled (like pickled onions or dill pickles, thinly sliced carrot, radish or fennel).
5. Beans n sardines on toast! Mix sardines with beans, olive oil lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mash it up a bit, then top it on your favorite toast.

Grains (rice, farro, quinoa)

1. Breakfast rice — mix cooked rice with some soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and salt. Top with scrambled eggs + avocado + sesame seeds + scallions (if you have them).
2. Veggie patties — see the ‘beans’ section above and add leftover grains instead of breadcrumbs as a binder.
3. Grain bowl — grains can be a base for literally anything. Bake salmon with veggies, add a side of grains, and call it a meal!
4. Soup — leftover grains are perfect for adding to brothy soups if they don’t already have grains. It makes the soup more filling, comforting and nutritious.
5. Sweet rice pudding – Heat up leftover rice (or any grain) with some coconut milk (or any milk, but full-fat coconut milk is extra creamy), maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Top with yogurt, granola, nuts/seeds, etc…Kind of like oatmeal, but way less mushy and more satisfying.

Lentils

1. Marinated lentils! This is my favorite most simple way to enjoy and prep lentils. Mix cooked lentils with lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, and any herbs or spices you think might be good. Add some finely chopped red onion or grated garlic. Now you have flavorful lentils that you can add to salads or bowls! This doesn’t work with red lentils, as they turn to mush when cooked.
2. Turn lentils into crispy bits for topping bowls or salads. Toss them with oil, salt, and spices and bake them in the oven at 375F for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
3. My favorite is Spiced Lentils and Rice with Garlicky Yogurt Sauce
4. Make lentil bolognese! Instead of beef, add cooked lentils to your next bolognese. Sauté onion + garlic in oil with salt. Add crushed or diced tomatoes, lentils, and Italian seasoning or oregano. Simmer until the sauce has reduced a bit, about 15-20 minutes. Season with more salt and stir in a fresh glug of olive oil.
5. Use red lentils to make a creamy red lentil soup (AKA lentil dal). All you need to do is sauté onions, garlic, ginger + salt + spices, then add the red lentils and water and more salt (1 cup red lentils + 3 cups water + 1/2 tsp salt) and simmer, covered, until the lentils have turned creamy. If it’s too thick, just add more water. Taste and add some lemon or lime juice and more salt if needed. Top with yogurt and herbs.

How to make substitutions in a recipe

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to follow recipes to a T! You can bend the rules in most recipes and still have a delicious result. If a recipe calls for an ingredient that you don’t have, think about ‘what is the purpose of that ingredient?’ and ‘what else could I use to accomplish the same purpose?’. Is it adding crunch? Flavor? Heat? Acid? Fat? Nuttiness? Freshness? Etc… ‘What else could I add to create the same effect?’.

If a recipe calls for farro and all you have is brown rice, then use brown rice! If you have kale that’s going bad, mix it into the Chana Masala instead of spinach. Did the grocery store only have pinto beans? Use pinto instead of chickpeas in the chickpea + sweet potato stew. Don’t have vegetable broth? Use water, just add more salt!

My favorite pantry-friendly, nourishing recipes:

Here are some of my favorite go-to recipes that are super pantry-friendly and adaptable.

Farro White Bean Minestrone

Spiced Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew

Chana Masala

Stovetop Taco Chicken

Spiced Lentils and Rice with Garlicky Yogurt Sauce

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)

Homemade Peanut Butter Snickers Bars

Ask Me!

If you have an ingredient or leftovers you’re getting sick of, comment below or send me a message and I’ll help you come up with different ways to use them and bring them back to life.