Cooking during a global pandemic

Chances are, during this pandemic you are trying to avoid going to the store. Shelves are empty, people are packed and you don't feel safe. You probably are having to change your eating habits a little. I have had to stop worrying about the carbon footprint of my food and have been eating fish and dairy much more than usual. I thought I would share some tips I've found helpful for making the most of limited food.

1: If you have canned tuna, here's a way to make it so that it is a delicious and filling meal: Even some people in my family who hate tuna have liked this. Start by opening two cans of tuna. If it's packed in olive oil this is the best but just make do with what you have. Mix the tuna with one egg, seasoning of choice and a quarter cup of bread crumbs or about 1 slice crumbled bread. Mix well and fry until crispy on both sides. Tuna is pretty terrible for the environment, but now is a time to not be picky and eat what you have.

2: You can freeze tofu! It will have a more "chickeny" texture to it as most of the water will have left it. It will look really weird once frozen, just thaw it or microwave it and slice it. Tastes especially good if you coat it in cornstarch and shallow fry it. If you have some soy sauce and sesame oil it tastes very good dipped in a mixture. Some people intentionally freeze their tofu to create a chicken substitute, you might like it more frozen!

3: You can dress up your instant coffee (Instant coffee is usually pretty gross!) by whipping it into a dalgona coffee. It looks awesome and has a cool texture! It will still taste a bit like the instant coffee, but it's a little easier to hide.

4: Make a stew with whatever vegetables you have. This may seem obvious, but stew freezes really well and cooking your vegetables will preserve them. Start by chopping up whatever you have. Potatoes are good, carrots and celery are great. You can make a delicious curry by combining curry paste, canned coconut milk and whatever vegetables you have. Serve over rice.

5: Make a roll cake. If you need something to do, a roll cake is a fun, easy recipe that calls for relatively small amounts of ingredients and is a pretty quick recipe. And the fun part is you can make your own filling with whatever you have! For example, last time I made a roll cake I had a ton of sweet potatoes, so I made a sweet potato roll cake filling out of a whipped sweet potato custard buttercream. It was easy and delicious!

6: Save your aquafaba from chickpeas! Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas which whips up like egg whites. You can use it to make a roll cake, you can use it to bake a cake, you can use it make an easy mousse.

7: Don't throw away food. Save whatever you can. Vegetable peelings and scraps can be used for stock, cheese rinds can be added to tomato sauce. When in doubt, don't throw it out!

Stay safe and have fun creating new recipes!