Jamie Oliver, Courtney Roulston and Gordon Ramsay inspire with self-isolation meal ideas

MasterChef favourites and celebrity chefs have stepped up to ‘serve’ the community — offering free recipes and online master classes for those cooking at home during isolation.

Cooking in isolation has never been so easy, with the world’s celebrity chefs stepping up to the challenge of inspiring home cooks with free recipes and online tutorials.

MasterChef Australia favourite Courtney Roulston, who has returned to compete in 10’s acclaimed foodie competition, said: “whether you’re a person who loves or dreads the idea of spending a lot of time at home during the corona crisis, one thing’s for certain ... you’ll be doing a lot more cooking. Eating well and keeping healthy is so important during this time but that doesn’t mean you need to spend a small fortune on superfoods and live off a tonne of kale,” she explained.

I’ve used some really economical & basic pantry ingredients to create satisfying recipes which I hope will both inspire and please, without breaking the bank!

Sharing six of her best recipes and top 10 tips for shopping for staples [both below], the Sydney Swans team chef encouraged families to take on the challenge – if only for the fun factor.

Masterchef contestant Courtney Roulston. Picture: Julian Andrews

“A pie or pasta is not going to fix everyone’s problems right now, but it can certainly add a little dose of temporary joy to your home,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jamie Oliver has fast-tracked filming extra episodes of his new series, Keep Cooking And Carry On - designed especially for home cooks during this COVID-19 crisis - which will air on Network 10, from next Sunday.

The back-to-basics show has been an instant hit in the UK – with Oliver teaching viewers a simple pasta and bread recipe, where supplies in supermarkets have been running short.

“Cooking nutritious meals for yourself and your loved ones has never been more important,” Oliver told News Corp Australia.

“This show will be packed with easy and delicious recipes that the whole family can enjoy; plus loads of tips, tricks and hacks for simple swaps and ways you can make the recipes work with what you’ve got.”

Jamie Oliver has fast-tracked filming extra episodes of his new series, Keep Cooking And Carry On. Picture: Network 10

In his signature speak, he added: “let’s big up those store cupboard and freezer faves and hero recipes you can take lots of ways.”

Gordon Ramsay, who was forced to stand down staff across his food empire last week, also joined the #StayHome cooking movement, offering his 8.3 million Instagram followers a delicious and healthy chicken tray bake recipe.

Former MasterChef judge George Calombaris has also used his Instagram account to post master classes, cooking comfort food including chicken necks and sweet corn soup, as well as tips for what pantry items you should be stocking up on.

COURTNEY SHOPS ...

There has never been a more appropriate time to start putting into action some wallet-friendly ways to navigate the supermarket and get the best out of your time spent cooking at home.

1. MAKE A LIST

Meandering the supermarket isles grabbing things at eye level can not only be costly, but more than likely you will forget to purchase the items you actually went to the store to buy in the first place.

2. MEAL PLAN

Sitting down on a Sunday or Monday to plan your meals for the week will save a lot of money. It will also erase the 5pm daily dilemma of raiding the fridge and having that same conversation `what should we make`, `what do I feel like`, what`s even in the fridge`. Buy only what you need to cook the meals on your list, which saves on food waste too.

3. MIX IT UP

It’s all good and well to meal plan, but if you’re only recycling the same meals over nd over, then you are going to get real bored, real quick. Take inspo from cookbooks, magazines, Instagram pages, TV cooking shows.

4. EAT THE SEASONS

Save money buy seasonal produce when they are plentiful, then stock up, store or freeze.

5. BE FLEXIBLE

Mark smart substitutions when produce prices are high.

6. MEATLESS MONDAY

By ditching meat at least once a week, you will not only save money, but it really forces you to get creative. Make vegetables the stars of the show by trying your hand at some spice rubbed cauliflower steaks, baking a whole cabbage doused in miso paste, or halve a pumpkin and roast it until the flesh has become soft and jammy and serve it with yoghurt and toasted seeds.

7. SHARE THE LOVE

A family of four can easily be satisfied by sharing two fillets of salmon served in the middle of the table along with a few other shared dishes such as rice, salad and some vegetables.

8. DON’T SHOP HUNGRY

Do I need to explain? Empty stomach = an overfull shopping trolley!

9. SET A BUDGET

Take a look at what you are already spending on groceries each week and set a goal that you would like to try to stick to. For example, If your goal is to reduce what you are spending by say $50 then look at what you could live without. Think processed foods, name brands and exotic ingredients.

10. TIN GRINS

There are so many wonderful recipes that can be made with tinned foods and they are as cheap as chips (if not cheaper). Tinned lentils can be tossed through a French style salad, stirred through soups or replace half of the mince in your Bolognese for a healthier/cheaper version. Tinned Tuna can be mashed into fish cakes, thrown into salads or blitzed with eggs, lemon, oil and capers to make the most wonderful Italian Tonnato sauce.

Risi E Bisi by MasterChef's Courtney Roulston.

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COURTNEY COOKS …

RISI E BISI (RICE WITH PEAS)

Serves 4

This soupy risotto is traditionally from Venice, but like most Italian recipes it ticks all the `hug in a bowl` joy that home cooked food can bring.

Classic risi e bisi is made with fresh peas – the pods simmered to make the stock – so traditionalists please forgive me for putting a frozen pea home spin on it.

This budget friendly recipe is just a few simple ingredients, married together resulting in the ultimate bowl of comfort food to enjoy while bunkering down at home.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

40g butter

1 brown onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

100g thick cut speck or bacon, diced

200g carnaroli or Arborio rice

100ml dry white wine

1 litre (4 cups) low salt chicken stock, heated

200g frozen peas, thawed

50g Parmesan cheese, grated from the block

Juice and zest of 1 small lemon

½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat oil and half the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the onion, garlic and speck and saute for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the rice and toast for 2 minutes to coat the rice. Add in the wine and simmer until evaporated. Add in the hot stock 1 ladle at a time, continually stirring for 15-20 minutes and until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked. Stir through the peas and remaining butter for the last couple of minutes of cooking. Add a little extra liquid if the rice is getting to thick. Remove from the heat and stir through half the Parmesan, lemon zest, juice and parsley. Place into serving bowls and scatter with extra Parmesan before serving.

Apple and ricotta fritters with cinnamon sugar by MasterChef's Courtney Roulston.

APPLE AND RICOTTA FRITTERS WITH CINNAMON SUGAR

RECIPE SERVES 4-6 AS A SNACK

Fill your home with the aroma of freshly cooking doughnuts.

Most of the ingredients in these fritters will be hanging around in your kitchen already, and it`s just a matter of placing everything in a bowl, mixing and frying.

Simple ingredients, low skills required and a real treat to enjoy at home.

100g fine polenta

150g plain flour

¼ cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

sea salt to taste

150ml pouring cream

1 free range egg

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

110g fresh ricotta cheese

2 apples, grated on a box grater

Olive oil for deep frying (around 700 ml)

Cinnamon sugar:

100g caster sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl combine the polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder and a pinch sea salt. Add in the cream, egg and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Stand for 10 minutes to thicken slightly then stir through the ricotta and apple, leaving a few lumps of ricotta in the mixture. Combine the cinnamon sugar ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a deep-sided pan or wok to 170 degrees. Carefully lower tablespoon sized dollops of the mixture into the oil. Cook in batches, turning occasionally for 3-4 minutes, or until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and toss in the cinnamon sugar to lightly coat. Serve while still warm.

Orange and Date Wholemeal scone by MasterChef's Courtney Roulston.

ORANGE AND DATE WHOLEMEAL SCONES

MAKES 12

While I don`t do that much baking throughout the year, when I do bake, I tend to lean towards old school classic recipes that are simple to make. Baking that is uncomplicated and requires little effort is my kind of baking. Scones are one of those recipes, that never seem to be `in` fashion, nor do they ever seem out of fashion. Trends come and go and I've seen hundreds of twists on the classic lemonade scone, So here is my no fuss version. Orange zest and sweet dates are a fabulous combination in these scones and buttermilk ads a creamy yet light texture. I`ve used whole meal flour in these scones as its ads a great texture, and let’s be honest – we all feel a little bit better about the food we eat if it has a healthy edge. I find you don’t need jam and cream with these scones, as the dates when cooked, turn to an almost `jammy` consistency. Cool yoghurt is a nice contrast to the sweet dates, but if you must have cream, then go ahead. Peanut butter is also really nice on these scones (I am really offending the traditionalists now)! One of the best benefits of baking at home is the scent that fills your home. If you fancy some stress free baking that requires minimal effort for maximum benefit, get some scones in the oven this weekend.

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (around 12 dates)

2 teaspoons orange zest

1/3 cup fresh orange juice (around ½ squeezed orange)

2 cups whole meal self-raising flour

30g chilled butter, cubed

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/3 (330ml) buttermilk

½ cup thick Greek yoghurt to serve

2 tablespoons honey to serve

Pre Heat oven to 200 degrees C.

Mix together chopped dates, orange zest and juice in a bowl. Set aside to soak.

Place the flour into a large mixing bowl along with the butter. Using clean hands and working quickly, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs.

Mix the sugar through the flour and create a well in the centre. Add in the date mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Using a cutting motion with butter knife, gently mix the dough until almost combined.

Line a large baking tray with extra flour and turn the dough out onto the lined tray. Using floured hands, bring the dough together and flatten onto a circle around 5-6cm high. Try not to work the dough too much.

Using a sharp knife, cut 12 wedges into the top and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Serve scones warm with yoghurt and honey on the side.

Crispy lamb loaded hummus by MasterChef's Courtney Roulston.

CRISPY LAMB LOADED HUMMUS

SERVES 6

This is a really simple and fun way to turn your favourite dip into a meal.

Using budget friendly ingredients like chickpeas and mince, this is one way to entertain while staying at home.

Hummus:

2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon tahini paste

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup (80ml) Extra Virgin olive oil

Crispy Lamb:

500g lamb mice

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon honey

Topping:

1/3 cup Pine nuts, toasted

1 cup Coles Greek yoghurt

1 small red onion (French Shallot), peeled, finely sliced into rings

1 cup flat leaf parsley, leaves picked

To make the hummus, place all the ingredients into a blender along with a pinch of sea salt and blitz until smooth, adding a little warm water if the mixture needs loosening.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add in the lamb and season with a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5-6 minutes breaking up with the back of a spoon, or until lamb is browned. Add in the cumin seeds, cinnamon and cook for 2-3 minutes to toast off the spices. Add in the honey and cook until the lamb is crispy and dark in colour.

To serve, spread the hummus onto the base of a large shallow platter. Top with the crispy lamb mince, pine nuts, yoghurt, onion and parsley. Serve warm with toasted flatbreads or Lebanese bread on the side for dipping.

Indonesian Black Pepper Chicken Wings by MasterChef's Courtney Roulston.

INDONESIAN BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS

SERVES 4

Recipe By Courtney Roulston

Chicken wings are one of the cheapest and tastiest parts of a chicken.

While certain cuts of meat can be hard to come by recently on Supermarket shelves, I have managed to get my hands on some wings with ease.

This recipe only requires 4 ingredients and very little culinary skills, if any!

These are such a tasty snack with the more-ish combination of spicy black pepper and sweet salty soy sauce, but you could easily have it as a complete meal served with rice, noodles, vegetables or a fresh crunchy salad.

1.5kg whole chicken wings

3 Tablespoons kecap manis, (Indonesian thick sweet soy sauce)

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus extra to serve

1 lime, quartered

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees C. Cut through the joints of the wings and separate into drumettes, wingettes and tips. Set the wing tips aside or place into the freezer for use in another recipe such as a stock. Arrange the wing pieces onto a baking tray lined with a wire rack so the wings are elevated from the base of the tray. Sprinkle with some sea salt and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the wings are golden and the skin has gone crispy. Remove from the oven and place the wings into a large bowl while they are hot and drizzle with the kecap manis and black pepper. Toss until the wings are glossy and evenly coated in the sauce.

Place on a platter and serve with extra cracked pepper and lime wedges.

Pea Feta Fritters with Dill Yoghurt by MasterChef's Courtney Roulston.

PEA, FETA AND LEMON FRITTERS WITH DILL YOGHURT

MAKES 20

This is such a versatile recipe that`s perfect for an afternoon cooking project while staying at home. Most homes will have flour, eggs, cheese and frozen peas already, so no lining up at the supermarket if you just want to create something really satisfying from what you already have on hand. Fritters are a great way to camouflage vegetables for little ones that may try their hardest to dodge them. Feel free to switch the frozen peas for grated zucchini, tinned corn, finely chopped broccoli, cauliflower rice, or any vegetables that are lurking in the bottom of your crisper. If you want to get creative, try twisting them into a cafe style breakfast at home with the addition of some grilled bacon and poached eggs for the big kids. You can even jazz them up with some smoked salmon and serve them as a canape.

3 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

3 green shallots, finely chopped

2 teaspoons lemon zest

3 free range eggs, lightly beaten

40ml thickened cream

1 cup self-raising flour

200g feta cheese, crumbled

1 cup (250ml) Olive oil for frying

150g Greek yoghurt

2 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Lemon wedges to serve

Place ¾ of the peas into the jug and blitz into a coarse mash with a stick blender.

Place the peas into a large bowl and stir in the remaining whole peas, shallots, lemon zest, eggs and cream until combined. Add in the flour and gently fold through the mixture along with the feta cheese. Season with a little sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat (around 160 degrees). Add heaped tablespoon sized amounts of the mixture into the oil and cook for 2 minutes each side, or until golden, crisp and slightly puffed. Remove from the heat and place on paper towel and season with a little sea salt.

Stir the yoghurt and dill together in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Serve the fritters warm with yoghurt dressing and extra lemon wedges.

* Jamie: Keep Cooking And Carry On, 7.30pm, Sunday April 05, 10. MasterChef Australia returns 7.30pm, Monday April 13 on 10.

Originally published as Jamie Oliver, Courtney Roulston and Gordon Ramsay inspire with self-isolation meal ideas