How to handle food & hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic

Homemade is already the big thing now. And homemade cooking will rock, despite the odds. Why? When resources are limited, yet we play wisely, we may actually get more creative than we ever thought. Pizza is the popular dish made out of leftovers, right?… Who knows what’s going to be the NEW popular dish when this is over? 

Photo by Tina Dawson on Unsplash

We asked our MobileRecharge team what’s the real good food for them and their families these days.

#1 Polenta, cheese and cream

Cristina is the guru of the MobileRecharge team. Very passionate about homemade stuff, including growing her own vegetables. She’s using long-lasting goods like old corn flour from her pantry.  

There’s a fight over flour in the supermarkets. I guess everyone’s been watching cooking shows too much to think it’s baking time. So, if you find yourself short for flour, one thing nobody fights over is good old corn flour. Boil 1l of water in a pan, 1 pinch of salt, throw in 2 cups of corn flour and wangjangle it till it turns into a yellowy, creamy delight. That’s when it’s time for some butter. We eat it with hard cheese and cream. 

Another Polenta recipe, sour cherry polenta cake, comes from Claudia, the most cheerful player in MobileRecharge team, a nature’s lover, biker, painter and collagist offline. :)

Baking sour cherries cake desserts is one of my favourite “therapy” sessions. For this particular recipe I’m going to share with you today, you don’t need a lot of ingredients. (Hint: you can always improvise with what you have around the house. Want it more dietary? Remove the sugar, add some sweetener) 

Here’s how you do it: Mix 1 cup of butter (150g), 3/4 cups of sugar (150g), some vanilla, a pinch of salt, lemon juice and peel. Add 3 eggs, no need to split them. Whisk ⅞ cups of whole-wheat flour (100g),  ⅞ cups of corn flour (100g), and baking powder until moistened. 

Place the cake on a prepared pan, arrange 750 g of pitted sour cherries (fresh or from a compote) on top and bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool and you’re done. 

You know that old saying – if you do things the same way all the time, don’t expect different results! Well, when it comes to this sour cherry cake, you’ll be surprised. I won’t tell you more, just challenge you to try it at least 3 times. Aaaand here’s a pic, just to make sure you’re in! ;)

#2 Pancakes are cheap during the Coronavirus pandemic

Photo by Ala on Unsplash

Francesca is a mom of two girls. Her suggestion is a cheap banana pancake recipe with flour (pantry safe) and some fresh bananas, that work alright for the entire family and fun to make.  

1 banana, 1 egg and 2 spoons of flour (+ cinnamon if desired)

Mash the banana with a fork till it turns into a fine puree. Add the other ingredients and mix until combined. Heat a non stick pan, add the batter and cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip it and cook for extra 3-4 minutes. Done. A sweet and healthy breakfast or dessert. Kids will surely enjoy it!

Claudia, another player in the MobileRecharge team goes for potato pancakes. Even friendlier to avoid stores during the Coronavirus pandemic. Because potatoes can be well preserved at home for longer.

This is a great way of making use of foods that are staples in (perhaps) every household. You’ll need about 4 large potatoes, 2 large eggs, a few tablespoons of the flour you bought in bulk, salt/pepper to taste and sunflower oil for frying. This makes about 15 pancakes. Grate the potatoes and rinse well under cold water. After most of the water is drained, add the rest of the ingredients. You’ll know the mixture is ready when it looks like a gooey mess. Take spoonfuls of your eggy potato and throw them in the heavily pre-oiled pan. Make sure the pancakes are thin so they’ll become extra crispy when fried. Flip when golden brown on one side. You’ll know they’re ready when your entire house smells like potato heaven. Serve with any cheese of your liking!