Hey everyone,
I don’t know about you, but when the pandemic started and it became clear that we would be spending a lot of time at home, I had lots and lots of plans of different things that I’d like to do and learn.
With time, I came to realise that this year wasn’t really about accomplishments, but about taking care of each other and being kind to ourselves. That being said, there was one thing that I was able to accomplish in 2020.
I began the year not having much talent in the kitchen, which for a food lover such as myself was quite frustrating. Therefore I decided I had to try and change that.
My main goal was to explore several dishes and perfect simple recipes so I can begin my journey towards becoming that elderly relative whose food everyone in the family raves about. And I believe that now I’m well on my way - finally! 🏅
I mean, come on, look at this table. You can see I’m really trying here.
After a few failed attempts and a portion of successful dishes, I’ve compiled a list of 4 of my favourite recipes I’ve tried this year. Here we go:
Spring: chilled beet soup
This easy to make dish is a delicious option for complementing light meals. It’s a mixture of cooked beets, mint and cream/yogurt.
Summer: homemade chocolate popsicles
This is my mother’s recipe and it was my favourite treat to have as a child. To make your own batch you’ll need condensed milk, double cream and cocoa powder. Just mix them in a pan right up until it starts to boil and then just place it in the moulds and into the freezer.
Autumn: red lentils hamburger sandwich
Perfect for a movie night in, this cheeseburger will definitely please both vegetarians and carnivores.
To make the patties, you’ll need to cook the red lentils, let them dry and then mix them with browned chopped onions and garlic plus grated carrots in a frying pan.
After seasoning the mixture in the pan, pour it into a bowl and add flour and breadcrumbs. Make the patties shapes with your hands and let them rest in the fridge for half an hour until they’re ready for frying!
Winter: cheesy pasta
As a good Italian descendant, I couldn’t possibly keep myself from adding a pasta recipe to the list.
This one requires a variety of wonderful cheese: mascarpone, blue cheese and goats cheese. You’ll also need a lemon, fresh marjoram, asparagus, salt, black pepper, olive oil and, obviously pasta (I recommend tagliolini or tagliatelle).
Melt the cheese in water bath and add the marjoram and lemon zest.
When cooking the pasta, you can add the chopped asparagus in the end.
When both parts are ready, just pour some of the pasta water to the cheese sauce and toss in the pasta to coat it. Perfetto!
I hope you guys enjoyed reading about my kitchen adventures 👩🍳
What have you been cooking lately? Have you mastered any new recipes in 2020?
Thanks,
Liv
Hi @Liv !
Lovely to see the heartwarming dishes you cooked. Good job! We all sure did learn something useful this year.
Yesterday it was my first time baking croissants. I did not dare to attempt it in Asia due to our warm weather, so since I am now in a winter place (sharing my journey more today), I knew I just have to try to bake it!
