Cooking, Eating during Virus lockdown

[iris lilies]

On another thread weren’t you all talking about sardines?

This morning at the grocery store I bought a can of sardines. I remember my dad used to like sardines, but I didn’t know what they tasted like or at least it’s been decades since I had them. They are high in vitamin D so I have to ingest more of the stuff.


I was surprised that I like them and I can’t really tell the difference between sardines and salmon. So guess which one I will buy more often? Salmon is expensive, sardines not so much.

[rosarugosa]

Iris: I would be interested in hearing what you do with them. I like the taste OK but have only used them in salads, because salads are pretty much all I make to eat.

[razz]

When I need a spicy taste, i open a can of sardines preferring the tomato sauced ones which I serve on toast with tomato soup as the appetizer. i always carefully remove the spine though or I will gag on the texture of those bones I have not found them that cheap though compared to salmon. I eat a tin of sardines at over a dollar each but the salmon will serve more than two people so in my budget, they are about the same cost.

I was thinking about being creative with my cooking during this time so this thread is very timely.

I have some limes and will make some lime cordial which I can add to my Soda stream sparkling water. For lunch I am making a 'bowl burrito' with some of my spicy brown rice risotto, beans with taco seasoning, salad of cuke, lettuce and tomato, grated cheese topped with some yogurt sprinkled with lime juice.

Looking forward to hearing about other dishes.

[iris lilies]

Iris: I would be interested in hearing what you do with them. I like the taste OK but have only used them in salads, because salads are pretty much all I make to eat.

Yes, salad. I chopped it up with cilantro and onion and fresh tomatoes and celery (stuff i had in the refrigerator) and put it in a wrap for breakfast.

[Rogar]

About the only way I've been able to appreciate sardines is on crackers or crusty bread. It might be an acquired taste.

I restocked early this morning to avoid crowds. I suppose there was a weekend rush, but common popular items in the two stores I went to were either sparse or gone. I got one of the last bags of flour and will make my own bread into the near future.

[KayLR]

I love the sardines in mustard sauce. On RyKrisp...or in a salad.

[JaneV2.0]

I made a large batch of meatball soup with kale yesterday, which apparently is going to last for three days.
I'm not planning on visiting brick and mortar stores any time soon.

[flowerseverywhere]

I am looking at bean recipes. We normally don’t eat many beans so I will try to ease them in. I was thinking of a soup like minestrone but I don’t have my normal supply of vegetables. But if I use the same spices from my normal recipe, I have onions and carrots so if I add cooked beans and at the last five minutes a Bag of frozen green beans that could make a fabulous meal with homemade biscuit or bread.

Another great recipe is homemade mac and cheese. I Caramelize a couple of onions to start, and mix the cheese sauce, onions and el dense pasta together before baking. A huge hit in my house and friends say it’s their favorite.

The biggest problem we face is our meals consist of mainly fresh vegetables and meats. We will eat as many meals as possible like that. But I fear We will be eating a lot more carbs than usual so need to be very careful or we won’t fit into our clothes.

[JaneV2.0]

I am looking at bean recipes. We normally don’t eat many beans so I will try to ease them in. I was thinking of a soup like minestrone but I don’t have my normal supply of vegetables. But if I use the same spices from my normal recipe, I have onions and carrots so if I add cooked beans and at the last five minutes a Bag of frozen green beans that could make a fabulous meal with homemade biscuit or bread.

Another great recipe is homemade mac and cheese. I Caramelize a couple of onions to start, and mix the cheese sauce, onions and el dense pasta together before baking. A huge hit in my house and friends say it’s their favorite.

The biggest problem we face is our meals consist of mainly fresh vegetables and meats. We will eat as many meals as possible like that. But I fear We will be eating a lot more carbs than usual so need to be very careful or we won’t fit into our clothes.

The soup I made is similar to Italian soups I've encountered--besides the kale and ground beef, it had kidney beans, onions, carrots, garlic, a half jar of salsa, and reistant (cooked and cooled before being reheated) pasta. One meal a day allows for more carbohydrates.

[SteveinMN]

I've been eating sardines often to bump up my omega-3 intake. Since I eat a salad pretty much every day, I've tried many types and brands. There is a difference. My favorites are Wild Planet brand (Wild Caught! On the tiniest hooks imaginable! ). They are firmer fish and they stay together as I remove them from the can and cut them. I also pull out the spine and what I presume is the spinal cord (or something very much like it); just not a fan. The worst I've tried so far are Aldi's sardines, with Chicken of the Sea's close behind -- undifferentiated masses of mushy fish which are fine for crackers or mixing into other recipes (saw one for sardine mousse the other day) but which I don't care for on a salad or alone on a plate. Our food co-op puts the Wild Planet sardines on sale every few months and I buy a case when they do.

Beyond the salad daily, I have a Plan B to move to greens (kale, turnip greens, collards, etc.) if there's a disruption in the supply of fresh greens. Breakfast is the same as always, too, though now that DW is working from home she will make an egg also. We also have a loaf of bread in the house for the first time in years.

For dinner we've been eating too well. I've had time to cook and a desire to work down what's in both freezers. A couple of days ago I thawed a half turkey, the remainder of one I roasted back in November when we went to Thanksgiving at DW's sister's house but I could not ignore the cheap price of turkeys (plus there were hardly any leftovers to take home). That bird will provide several meals, salad toppings, and then, at the end, soup, along with another turkey carcass we had in the freezer (now that I think about it, that was the bird DSiL cooked in November). Other meals we've had recently are chipotle lime garlic chicken thighs, a steak in ginger butter sauce, and home-corned corned beef. Still to come is a slow-cooked pork roast and, probably, the turkey soup to break up the pork meals a bit. By then I hope to go to a grocery store to restock; much of the initial panic should have subsided by that time.