We're a few weeks into our all-important isolation period and if you're anything like me, you'll be getting ever so slightly fed up of eating eggs on toast and banana bread.
Just because we can't savour the mouthwatering dishes at our favourite restaurants (miss you, Nobu's black cod), doesn't mean we can't enjoy them at home (sort of).
In lieu of being able to travel to some of the world's top eateries, we've enlisted the chefs from their kitchens to help jazz up your mealtimes.
Here, chefs from the likes of Pampero restaurant at The Hari and Rancho La Puerta in Mexico share the immune-boosting recipes you can whip up at home using simple cupboard staples. Run out of things to do in isolation? It's time to get creative in the kitchen.
The venue: Lygon Arms, Cotswolds, England
The recipe: Chef Ales Maurer’s Lentil Pasta Bolognese
Ingredients
Olive oil 3tblsp
Shallots x1
Garlic x1 clove
Celery 2x sticks
Thyme
Red wine 100ml
Carrots x2
Celeriac x1
Courgette x1
Sweet potato x1
Puy lentils 500g
Chopped tomatoes 400g
Salt pinch, ground black pepper pinch
Pasta of your choice
Grated cheese for garnish
MethodSautee shallots, garlic, thyme and celery on olive oil until soft, add red wine and reduce down. Add lentils and all hard vegetables diced to small cubes. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and ground black pepper. Cover and sauté for 20 minutes with occasional stir until puy lentils are soft.
Separately cook pasta of your choice in salty water with splash of oil until soft. Serve with grated parmesan or cheddar cheese.
The venue: Andronis Concept, Santorini, Greece
The recipe: Executive Chef Mr. Babis Koukoudaki’s "Greek Zucchini Balls"
Ingredients
1kg of moderate sized zucchini
250g soft feta cheese, crushed
100g flour for all uses
50g of self-rising flour
1/2 bunch of fresh mint (the leaves), finely chopped • 1/2 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
50g of chopped dill
2 eggs
Salt, freshly ground pepper • Olive oil, for frying
Method
Slice the zucchini using a grater, put them in a strainer, salt them, stir and leave them for 15 - 20 minutes to dry. Squeeze them well with your hands and put them in a large bowl. Add the feta cheese, flour, herbs, eggs, pepper and some salt.
Gently mix and make walnut-sized zucchini-balls, roll them in flour and shake them to rinse off the excess flour. Pre-heat the olive oil and then fry the zucchini balls until they become golden in color. Lay them on a napkin to absorb the excess oil, add the dill and serve.
The venue: Links House at Royal Dornoch, Scottish Highlands
Recipe: Hearty and nourishing chicken and rice soup
Ingredients
1 medium chicken
2 medium carrots
2 sticks celery
1 medium onion
1 leek
2 sprigs rosemary (dried optional)
4 sprigs Thyme (dried optional)
Water 5l
100g rice
Salt & pepper to season
MethodThe beauty of this is you can get two meals from one. Place the chicken in a large pan & cover with the water, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 40mins to 1hr.
Whilst the chicken cooks, prepare the vegetables, peel and cut the veg rough cut about ½ cm.
Remove the leaves from the thyme and rosemary and chop until fine. When
chicken is cooked remove from the stock. At this stage you can remove the breasts and even the legs and reserve for another meal. Allow the carcass to cool a little and pick away any remaining meat from the bones. Continue to reduce the stock by ⅓ to infuse the flavour. In a separate pan begin to sweat the vegetables on a medium heat. (Seasoning at this stage helps infuse more flavour). After a few minutes add the rice, rosemary & thyme, cook for a further few minutes until the rice is translucent. Add the picked chicken meat and stock. Season and simmer for 20-30 min until the vegetables and rice are cooked. OH, and remember crusty bread and real butter to top it off.
The venue: il Pampero restaurant at The Hari, London
The recipe: Pumpkin Soup with Gorgonzola Fondue and Hazelnuts
Ingredients
1 medium white onion
2 butternut squash
1 pinch of sugar
3 table spoon of e.v.o. oil
Salt and pepper
50g gorgonzola cheese
50ml double cream
3 table spoon of Peeled hazelnuts
Method
Preheat oven to 180’ degrees
Carefully cut the the pumpkin halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.
Place the pumpkin on an oven tray and season with half of the oil, salt, pepper and sugar.
Roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot add the chopped onion and let it cook until it’s translucent. In the meantime, with a spoon, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin. Add this pulp in the pot. Use a stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit, pour in some water and bring the mixture to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, pour the double cream and gorgonzola cheese in a pot and let it slowly melt. Once the pumpkin mixture is done, remove the soup from heat and blend it with an immersion blender, taste and adjust if necessary.
Transfer the puréed soup to a serving bowl and garnish with the fondue and the grounded hazelnuts.
The venue: Rancho La Puerta, Mexico
The recipe: Vegetarian Carrot and Ginger Soup Recipe
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1-inch ginger, peeled
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1-pound carrots, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups of organic coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth or water
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped basil
¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Method
In a medium soup pot, add the olive oil and caramelize the onion over medium heat. Stir in ginger and garlic.
Add carrots and cook till golden brown. Add turmeric, cumin, paprika, coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.
Once the soup boils, reduce heat to simmer. The carrots are done when they’re tender when you poke them.
Blend the soup with an immersion blender until it’s creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with basil and pumpkin seeds.
For a fun twist on this, substitute half the carrots for banana squash, sweet potato or winter squash
(British born and raised) Executive Chef Mark Levy, Magdalena at The Ivy Hotel - BALTIMORE
RECIPE: Spiced Black Lentils With Yogurt & Mint
This recipe was created specially by Executive Chef Mark Levy as a hearty and healthy vegetarian option. Packed with plant-based protein, which helps the body to build and repair tissue, the lentils are complemented and flavored with coriander, cumin and mustard seeds, each of which packs a powerful punch with antioxidants, fiber, zinc, digestive-aiding properties and more. The onions and garlic in the dish also each contain multiple compounds that fight inflammation, boost the function of the immune system and provide lots of delicious savory flavor.
INGREDIENTS
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup black beluga lentils
3 cups (or more) low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
RECIPE PREPARATION
Stir coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sizzling, about 1 minute. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and 3 cups broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, adding broth as needed to keep lentils covered, until lentils are soft, 30–40 minutes. Stir in vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
Transfer lentils to a large bowl and top with yogurt. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil, and top with mint.
The venue: Mountain Trek, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato and Chicken Curry from Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Kimberley O’Brien at Mountain Trek
Ingredients
1 white sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 orange sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
1 acorn squash, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp sea salt or Herbamare
¼ tsp black pepper
Curry
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
10 crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 chicken breasts (approximately 800 grams), cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp garlic, grated or minced (3-4 cloves)
2 tbsp curry paste (red or massaman)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp sea salt or Herbamare
½ tsp black pepper
1 can full-fat coconut milk
Optional: Cooked brown rice (¼ to ½ cup per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 400 “F. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes and acorn squash into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes and squash with the olive oil, curry powder, salt and pepper. Distribute onto 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and bake for 40 minutes stirring once halfway through. While the sweet potatoes and squash are baking, chop your onions, mushrooms and chicken breast.
Heat your coconut oil in a large wok over medium heat, and add the onions and mushrooms. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly. Add garlic, ginger and chicken before covering the wok with a lid to continue cooking. After 3-4 minutes, stir and add your curry paste, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through.
Add the baked sweet potatoes and squash to the curry in the wok, along with your can of coconut milk. Stir to combine and serve, optionally with a side of brown rice or another gluten-free grain like quinoa or millet.
