As I said in my self-isolating ideas post, now is a great time to get cooking from scratch. It's a fantastic activity that will leave you feeling accomplished, and you'll have something tasty to enjoy at the end too! So, I thought I'd share with you some of my all-time favourite recipes and some new ones I've discovered during lockdown too. If you're trying to shop less or struggling to find some ingredients at the moment, then check out some of the swaps I've included so you can still get in the kitchen.
Ingredient swaps:
Butter: You can use any baking block or spread here, so whatever you've got in the fridge is fine. I used Stork baking block to make them vegan and they were still lovely and buttery.
Golden syrup: You need some sort of syrup to give it a lovely chewy texture, but don't worry if you don't have any golden syrup. Honey would work well, or you could use liquid glucose in a pinch. If you do use a clear syrup, Martha recommends using it alongside some form of brown sugar so you don't lose out on the tasty caramel flavour.
Demerara sugar: Demerara sugar does add a lovely crunch, but I used half light brown sugar as well for a chewier flapjack. You can use pretty much any type of sugar for this (apart from icing sugar), but I'd recommend not using 100% dark brown as this has a much stronger flavour that light brown. Half dark brown and half caster/ granulated would work well.
2. My 'chuck it all in' bolognese
As well as being perfect for lockdown, this is one of my go-to dinners at university because it's cheap, filling and easy to make vegan. Starting off with a base of diced onions, garlic and oil, I then add loads of chopped up veg (like carrots, peppers and mushrooms), herbs and spices (basil and dried chilli flakes are some of my favourites, but play around with whatever you've got in the cupboards), chopped tomatoes, some sort of pulse (like a tin of mixed beans or green lentils) or veggie mince, and vegetable stock. Let it bubble down for 20-30 minutes or so, or until the sauce is thick and the pulses are tender. Give it a taste once the sauce has thickened, and then add any more seasoning if you like.
Chop the veg up really small if you've got any fussy eaters in the family or grate them to make them even less noticeable. It's really easy to turn this bolognese into a chilli too- just add some smoky flavours like smoked paprika and lots of beans and chickpeas. I'm pretty sure I've served this with pretty much every carb going, but it's surprisingly tasty on toast with a sprinkling of grated cheese. Or, bake some potato wedges to dip in.
3. Macarons
reputations for being notoriously difficult to make. However, this is the perfect time to challenge yourself, and even if they take a few attempts to get right, the mistakes will still be very tasty. And, once you've mastered them, you'll have a new treat to bring to gatherings or to give as gifts when we're allowed out again. All you need to make macarons is ground almonds, caster sugar, icing sugar and egg whites, and then you can use whatever filling you fancy- buttercream, Nutella or lemon curd all work well. I've always been more successful with the French method for making the macaron shells, but if you find the Italian method easier, then go for it!
My favourite flavours-
Raspberry macarons with chocolate ganache
Chocolate macarons with salted caramel
Lemon macarons with lemon curd
4. Roast dinnerThe beauty of a roast dinner is that it is so customisable, that whatever you've got in stock, you'll probably be able to make something delicious. Granted, there are some parts of a roast that are pretty ubiquitous (i.e. roast potatoes and gravy), but luckily these two things don't seem to be completely selling out in shops at the moment if you find you don't have any. But for everything else, you can be as inventive as you want. I love making Mediterranean vegetables to go with ours- just chop up vegetables like onions, peppers, courgettes and cherry tomatoes and roast them in a large tin with some olive oil, herbs and spices of your choosing. It's the perfect way to use up whatever vegetables you've got that may have been neglected at the back of the fridge too so that nothing goes to waste. Once they're drowned in gravy, however you cook them they're bound to taste amazing.
Having been vegetarian for almost six years now, I've tried pretty much every meat alternative with a roast dinner (and sometimes just gone without, which isn't actually that bad- more room for pudding anyway). Personally, I don't like shop versions of nut roasts, and I have to admit I've never made one from scratch either, but if I give it a go during quarantine I'll add a link to the recipe I used on here if it's tasty. So, I normally choose veggie sausages and my personal favourites are Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers Cumberland Shroomdogs, they're delicious!
5. Welsh cakes
I've probably got a slightly biased view of Welsh cakes having been at university in Cardiff for the past year and a half. But even if you've never been to Wales before, I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed if you give them a go. They're similar in taste and texture to an English scone, but because they're much thinner you can eat three or four and it's probably only equivalent to one scone. Traditionally they're made with currants, but the beauty of the pretty plain dough is that there's opportunity for so much flavour combinations to be added in.
As a starting point, I use this recipe, and then swap the currants for the same weight of another filling, chopped into small chunks if necessary. Here's some of my favourite flavour combinations, but have a go at whatever you fancy!
Ingredient swaps:
Self raising flour: Use plain flour, and add 2 tsps of baking powder. If you don't have any baking powder, then use 1 tsp of lemon juice and 1/2 a tsp of bicarbonate of soda.
Milk: Water works if you're out of milk, or you can use a plant milk.
I hope this has given you some fresh inspiration for what to cook, and if you do have a go at any of the recipes, please send me pictures! Stay safe and well x
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