Recipes to spruce up your lockdown and the items you would never guess to freeze

Being on lockdown does not mean you have to be boring in the kitchen – you can spruce up your week with these top recipes. Here are 15 items you did not realise you could freeze as well.

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If you’re working from home this week, you’re probably ready for some more lunch ideas which aren’t beans on toast. Enjoy these.

Taste recipe dream team Michelle Southan and Katrina Woodman know all too well that sprucing up your recipes in the kitchen can be a lot of fun. Picture: Justin Lloyd

SPRUCE UP YOUR WEEK WITH THESE GREAT RECIPES

VEGIE SUSHI BOWL

INGREDIENTS

85g (1/2 cup) cooked brown rice

1 small carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks

1/2 Lebanese cucumber, peeled into ribbons

1/4 small avocado, sliced

1 teaspoon salt-reduced tamari

1 teaspoon sushi seasoning

1 soft-boiled egg, peeled, halved

1 tablespoon shredded nori, to serve

The veggie sushi bowl is a great recipe while on lockdown.

METHOD

Step 1: Place the rice, carrot, cucumber and avocado in a serving bowl. Drizzle with the tamari and sushi seasoning. Top with the egg and sprinkle with shredded nori.

BALSAMIC BEEF AND GLASS NOODLE SALAD WITH ROCKET AND PARMESAN

0:25 Prep

0:10 Cook

4 Servings

Capable cooks

INGREDIENTS

400g piece lean beef rump steak

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar

200g glass noodles (bean thread vermicelli)*

1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, thinly sliced on the diagonal

3 firmly packed cups rocket leaves

1 loosely packed cup basil leaves

40g parmesan, shaved

1 tablespoon olive oil

The balsamic beef and glass noodle salad with rocket and parmesan recipe.

METHOD

Step 1: Place steak in a shallow bowl with garlic and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Rub all over beef. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Step 2: Place noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes or until softened. Drain thoroughly.

Step 3: Heat a lightly oiled chargrill or barbecue on high heat. Cook beef for 3-4 minutes each side until browned on the outside and cooked medium rare. Stand for 3-4 minutes, then slice thinly and combine with noodles, remaining balsamic and other ingredients. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PIZZA LUNCH LOAF

0:20 Prep

1:00 Cook

12 Servings

Easy

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour

1 cup grated mozzarella

3 green onions, thinly sliced

12 slices Hungarian salami, cut into 1cm pieces

1/2 cup pitted mixed marinated olives, halved, plus extra to serve

1/2 cup semi-dried tomato strips, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra leaves to serve

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup light-flavoured extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup milk

The pizza lunch loaf would be a great recipe for the whole family to try.

METHOD

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Grease a 7cm-deep, 9.5cm x 19.5cm loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above pan on all sides.

Step 2: Place flour in a large bowl. Add mozzarella, onion, salami, olives, tomato, parsley and basil. Season. Stir until well combined.

Step 3: Make a well in centre of flour mixture. Add egg, oil and milk. Stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Slice. Serve with extra basil leaves and olives.

15 THINGS YOU DIDN’T REALISE YOU COULD FREEZE

Nobody likes wasting food – especially when you’ve gone to effort to produce it and especially at this time.

Yet how often have you asked yourself: “Is it OK to freeze this?”

So we asked our mates at the Taste Keep Calm Kitchen for a rundown of the things most people don’t know are fine in the freezer — and how to get the best results.

PANCAKES

Pancakes and crepes can be frozen. Layer each one between sheets of freezer paper, so they don’t stick together when thawed. Store in sealable plastic bags.

EGGS

Did you know you can save egg whites and egg yolks for up to three months in the freezer? Just separate and freeze in ice-cube trays for easy portion control.

COOKIE DOUGH

Place the cookie dough on a piece of non-stick baking paper and shape into a log. Roll up the log in the paper and twist the ends to seal and enclose. Label and freeze for up to three months.

BERRIES

Arrange berries, in a single layer, on a baking tray and freeze. This allows fruit to retain its shape. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container and freeze.

MUFFINS

Wrap muffins in a double layer of plastic wrap, then in foil. Store together in a sealable plastic bag.

NUTS

Place nuts in airtight containers or sealable plastic bags and store in the freezer. Nuts contain a lot of oil and can become rancid if stored in the pantry so freezing is a good option.

CAKES

Cover cooled cake with plastic wrap. Repeat with another layer of plastic wrap (this helps to prevent freezer burn). Cover with aluminium foil and place in the freezer for up to three months. Wrap individual slices of cake in a double layer of plastic wrap, then in foil. Store together in a sealable plastic bag.

To freeze an iced cake, place in the freezer for one to two hours or until the icing is hard. Remove from the freezer and cover iced cake with two layers of plastic wrap. Return to the freezer and freeze for up to three months. To defrost, remove layers of aluminium foil and plastic wrap, and stand at room temperature for two to three hours.

HARD CHEESES

Hard cheeses, such as cheddar and parmesan, can be frozen for up to three months.

HERBS

To freeze fresh herbs such as mint, rosemary and thyme, chop and place into ice cube trays and top with olive oil or butter. Once frozen, they’ll be ready to use straight away in your soups and stews.

PASTA BAKES

Cook pasta bakes in freezer-proof, ovenproof dishes. Cool. Cover with a double layer of plastic wrap, then in foil and freeze.

FRUIT CAKE

You can freeze fruit cake for up to 12 months. Wrap cake in a double layer of plastic wrap, then in foil. Store in a sealable plastic bag.

SOUPS AND STEWS

Store dishes, such as soups and stocks, in airtight containers. Leave a 3cm gap at the top so the liquid can expand as it freezes. Label items clearly so you know what you have.

MINCE

Place raw mince in a sealable plastic bag and press to flatten. This allows the mince to thaw more evenly than when it’s frozen in a ball shape.

BUTTER

Butter can be safely stored in the freezer. Unsalted butter can be stored for three months, salted butter for 12 months and margarine for six months. Labels help make all frozen food clearly identifiable.

BACON

Bacon can be stored for up to one month in the freezer. Wrap portions separately in a double layer of plastic wrap, or layer them between sheets of freezer paper, and store in an airtight container. This makes single portions easy to separate.