Panic cooking might resonate with many readers of this blog. Pandemic cooking has been a totally new experience for me. For a start, grocery shopping became a challenge, especially online shopping. Trying to get a delivery slot was a test of patience and endurance. I had to learn to make do with whatever I could get. I also had to learn to get around the crowded supermarkets without falling over the baskets placed in odd corners.
The Circuit Breaker period was an experience to write about. We didn’t have a dull moment because we made a plan to make the most of our time at home. There were days when we would play games, days when we would watch documentaries like The Commanding Heights, which took us through many global economic crises. We capitalised on each one’s talents and interests by assigning each one to give presentations. We had a couple of classes on art appreciation. We watched musicals and concerts. We even had a class on using Excel.
My task was to cook interesting meals so that there was something to look forward to at every meal. With fewer resources, it was a challenge. One way of stretching my supply of fruit was to put cut fruit into jelly.
Time has gone by quite quickly. It has been several months since we came out of Circuit Breaker. We have entered the Vaccine Stage. I am going for my vaccination today, so I had to cook in advance. As usual, I scrambled to think of something to cook with what we had in the fridge and the kitchen, I came up with sweet corn cream-style and mushroom chicken. I had one mango and some mango jelly so I made a dessert with them.
Recipe for Sweet Corn Cream-style and Mushroom Chicken
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over pieces of chicken, or you can use fish sauce instead of salt to add flavour
- Fry the chicken in oil with some minced garlic (to brown the skin)
- Remove the partially cooked chicken and place it in a baking dish
- Fry sliced onion (1 onion) in the oil, add 1 can of button mushrooms and then add the sweet corn cream-style
- Add the sauce to the chicken
- Season the chicken with fish sauce (optional)
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at medium heat or until the chicken is fully cooked (when no blood comes out when pierced with a knife)
- Garnish with tomato and Japanese cucumber
Quick dessert recipe
- Add one packet of mango jelly powder to 2 cups of boiling water and stir well. Continue to boil.
- Cut mango into small slices
- Place the mango into small dessert goblets
- Add the mango jelly
- Add walnuts (optional)
- Leave for 30 minutes at room temperature to set before putting into the fridge
Life continues despite the pandemic. We learn to adapt to the challenges and count our blessing everyday. The Pandemic has also been a time of sharing. People have found ways to help others whose challenges have been greater.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 21 March 2021
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