One of the side effects of the coronavirus has been that many of us have had to cancel travel plans.
My husband and I canceled our anniversary trip for May, so we will do a virtual vacation instead. I will cook a dinner based on food from that locale. We will watch travel videos, and a movie based there. We will spend time working on an itinerary for when we can go, and I am doing Babbel to learn some of the local language.
The silver lining is that we will be more prepared for this trip than we otherwise would have been, and it gives us something to look forward to whenever we rejoin the world. This can also be a great learning activity for kids. Have them choose a country or city and research the history and geography, do a traditional craft project, and of course, find some recipes and recreate the local cuisine.
Raise inquisitive travelers and adventurous eaters. It is also important to remember that the virus is affecting the entire world, and we are all in this together. Here are some recipes to get you started. These are adaptations so do not require exotic ingredients, and are virus pantry friendly. Happy traveling!
Serves 4. Can be made on stovetop or in slow cooker.
■1 tbsp. olive oil
■1 large onion, diced
■2 cloves garlic, minced
■1 tbsp. fresh ginger, diced or ¼ tsp. ground ginger
■1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (optional, depending on the amount of heat you want)
■1 tbsp. coriander
■2 tsp. cumin
■2 tsp. paprika
■2 tsp. garam masala
■1 tsp. turmeric
■14 oz. diced canned tomatoes, do not drain
⅔ cup vegetable broth
■30 oz. canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
■½ 10 oz. bag frozen green peas, thawed
■½ tsp. salt
■½ tsp. pepper
■1 lemon
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 10-12 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, fresh ginger if using, and jalapenos if using. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala, and turmeric. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes with juice and broth, stirring well. Add chickpeas, salt and pepper. Simmer on stovetop for 30 minutes or in slow cooker on low for 6 hours. Stir in thawed peas to warm. Squeeze lemon juice in before serving. Serve over rice.
This makes a great side dish, salad, or sandwich in a pita. Can be eaten warm or room temperature.
Serves 4
■1 ¼ cups dry white beans, soaked overnight
■½ cup olive oil
■1 red bell pepper, diced
■1 green bell pepper, diced
■1 onion, grated
■1 garlic clove, minced
■7-8 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
■1 tbsp. oregano
■1 tsp. tomato paste diluted with ¼ water
■Salt and pepper to taste
■Feta cheese (optional)
Soak beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse. Place beans in a pot and cover with water. Simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine olive oil, tomato paste, onion, garlic, oregano, pepper and beans. Mix well. Add tomatoes and stir gently. Place in casserole dish or baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for about 1 hour. Remove foil and roast for a maximum of 10 minutes for some browning. Serve sprinkled with Feta cheese if desired.
Tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peanut butter sounds like a strange combination, but they meld together beautifully.
4-6 servings
■1 tbsp. olive oil
■4 cloves garlic, minced
■1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger, or ¼ tsp. ground ginger
■1 lb. sweet potato, peeled and diced
■1 medium onion, diced
■¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
■6 oz. can tomato paste
■½ cup natural style peanut butter
■6 cups vegetable broth
■4-6 cup chopped collard greens or kale, ribs removed
⅓ cup chopped peanuts (optional)
■Cooked rice (optional)
In a large pot, sauté the onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet potato cubes and red pepper and continue to sauté for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, peanut butter and broth to the pot. Stir until the peanut butter and tomato paste have mostly dissolved. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to high. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are very soft. Stir in the collard greens.
Let simmer for about 5 minutes, and then begin to smash some of the sweet potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. Can be served over cooked rice. If desired, garnish each serving with chopped peanuts.
Most people think of soda bread, but on our trips to Ireland we were served brown bread more often. Perfect with a bowl of potato soup, and it makes great toast. Cutting the cross into the top of the bread is known as blessing the bread.
■2 cups all-purpose flour
■2 cups whole wheat flour
■1 ½ tsp. baking soda
■¾ tsp. salt
■2 cups buttermilk or sour milk (put 2 tbsp. vinegar or fresh lemon juice in measuring cup. Add milk to make two cups. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Add milk and stir until blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough on to a generously floured surface; knead lightly 4 to 5 times. Shape dough into an 8 inch round loaf; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut a ¼ inch deep X in the top of the dough. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400 (do not remove bread from oven); bake 15 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wirerack.
Serves 4
■12 oz. glass noodles – Korean noodles made from sweet potato starch (won’t be the same, but you can also use rice noodles or angel hair pasta)
■4 tbsp. sesame oil
■1 white onion, thinly sliced
■4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
■4 cloves garlic, minced
■1 cup mushrooms, sliced
■2 small carrots, julienned
■2 small cucumbers or zucchini, julienned
■4 cups spinach leaves
■4 tbsp. soy sauce
■4 tsp. rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
■2 tsp. sugar, preferably brown
■2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds*
■Salt to taste
■Gochujang sauce (optional) can be purchased jarred at the store.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles al dente, according to instructions on package. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Set aside. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, scallions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini, and stir-fry until until crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, noodles, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Turn the heat down to low and stir-fry for another two minutes. Turn off heat, toss in the sesame seeds, and season with salt to taste. Serve hot or cold. For more kick, add a dollop of gochujang sauce to each serving.
*To toast sesame seeds, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until color begins to change.