Some things haven’t changed in 2021. We are currently on lockdown number 4 here in Melbourne and we’re all doing our best to enjoy the indoors. When the lockdown experience started last year, I made a conscious effort to introduce as many things into our lives (as a couple and individuals) that bring us joy without seeming forced. As much as we enjoy supporting local eateries during this time (hello El Jannah’s and Sapa Hills), we generally prefer eating home cooked meals, and I love cooking. Cooking is my love language. Cooking is also therapeutic for me.
When I started writing this post, I only planned on sharing 3 meals to make at home and somehow we made it to number 5. Then I realised that it’d be really unfair of me not to talk about the amazing okra soup that I made that has turned me into a mushroom-eating-lady…kinda. So here you go.
Okra soup with meat, fish and mushrooms. I still can’t believe that I put mushrooms in my okra soup but it turned out to be the best okra soup i’ve made to date. When I thought of making this soup, I wanted it to be very spicy (lots of habanero pepper) and have lots of roadblocks (aka chunky bits using meat, fish, prawns and mushrooms). You saw prawns right? Let’s talk about that some other time. I also wanted a lot of colour and I achieved this by adding tomatoes to it instead of the typical palm oil. When my husband was done commending me for cooking with mushrooms (I do not like mushrooms), he waxed lyrical on how amazing the soup was. And I know he meant it because he’s been eating the soup with a spoon from the fridge! Yup, my heart has been fluttering with joy because in case you missed it, cooking is my love language. In case you’re curious, I used smoked cod fillets from Woolworths and cooked it with the tomatoes.
Quick Asian beef ramen noodles. My favourite Aussie food bloggers are Marion from Marion’s Kitchen and Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats. In the past, i’ve mainly gone to Nagi for complicated baking recipes like this chocolate peanut butter loaf which is a favourite in our household. I’ve always been a fan of noodles (especially the flat ones) and I decided to give this ramen noodle recipe a go as it looked simple enough. We’ve made this so many times that I now have a remixed version of this recipe that works perfectly for our taste buds and includes gochujang, cabbage and carrots (gotta sneak in the vegetables where I can). I’m tempted to give it a go with roasted broccoli but that’s still in the works.
Chocolate zucchini bread. I was casually scrolling through Recipe Tin Eats when I saw this recipe and I felt like it was calling my name because I have a love-hate relationship with zucchini bread. Something about the texture doesn’t sit well with me but I forced myself to make it because…I LOVE CHOCOLATE. Yup. True talk. That alone convinced me to give the recipe a go. Plus, Nagi’s recipes have never failed me so I knew it was a win-win. I’m sure you’re wondering how it was…well, it was a culinary delight if I say so myself. I’ve made this 3 times already so we now know what i’ll be doing when I have leftover zucchinis sitting in the fridge because I choose to enjoy vegetables however I can. YOLO.
Maple sweetened banana muffins. I know everyone’s been on a banana bread kick since rona meant we had to stay indoors (I even baked banana bread yesterday) but this muffin recipe has been on rotation every fortnight for over 2 months now and we’re not complaining. I love this recipe because it’s simple to make and doesn’t require sugar. Most of the sweetness comes from the overripe bananas and the maple syrup used. Keynote – use maple syrup as opposed to the maple sweetened syrup which is much cheaper).
Fried plantain and eggs. This right here is comfort food! It takes me back to my childhood. I remember being super excited on the Sundays my mum would announce that we’re having plantain and eggs for lunch. It always felt like Christmas came early and its a meal I still look forward to as an adult. Let’s be honest though, plantain can be quite pricey in Melbourne (when you find it) so feel free to substitute with finger bananas which taste almost the same when sprinkled with some salt before frying. If you’re not a fan of plantain, try eating this with some boiled yam or potatoes. It’s worth mentioning that the eggs need to be seasoned prior to frying it, and a healthy dose of chopped onions, chilli and tomatoes take the comfort level up a notch.
Jollof rice. Did you think this post would be complete without jollof rice? If you did, you definitely don’t know me. And no, i’m not interested in who makes the best jollof rice because I LOVE the jollof rice I make in my kitchen. However you choose to make your jollof rice, two things are certain – jollof rice breathes life back into your stomach and the steam just warms up your heart. Nuff said!
What are some of the meals you make at home that bring you joy? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
