This Cooking Hotline is dedicated to the people of Victoria who went into COVID Lockdown 2.0 last night. While everyone is welcome to use this post to ask any questions about recipes or cooking, if you mention that you are in Victoria, I will prioritise responding to your questions.
Just leave your question in the comments section of this post and I will answer it promptly!
Victoria COVID Lockdown II
Over the weekend, Victoria (the second most populous state in Australia) declared a State of Disaster due to a second wave of coronavirus. Sweeping new restrictions, including night time curfews and strict rules on movements restricted to essentials such as medical, food and 1 hour of exercise per day, came into force last night.
These Stage 4 restrictions will be in place for 6 weeks. The Federal and State government has deemed these measures necessary due to the alarmingly high rate of community transmission in the state, and getting COVID under control in Victoria has serious ramifications for the rest of Australia.
I know this is a very difficult period for Victorians. Saying that I’m thinking of you, to stay strong and positive, that we’re with you in spirit – it just doesn’t seem like enough.
So I’ve decided to offer up my services doing what I know best – personalised cooking help.
Offering up my services!
With COVID Lockdown 2.0 restrictions on movements and purchase limits back in force, and because I hope that you will stay home as much as you can, this once again creates challenges around making do with what you’ve got and menu planning so you can minimise grocery outings.
So Victorians, I’m here for you to ask me anything at all about cooking. No boundaries. Whether it’s ideas, or what to make with x, y, z, a recipe you’re after or a specific cooking question you have, drop them below and I’ll answer them as a priority over questions I get on any other recipe for the duration of your lockdown.
While this recipe hotline is dedicated to the people of Victoria and I will prioritise questions from Victorians, everyone is welcome to leave general cooking questions on this post!
Victorians – sending all my love down to you. We’re thinking of you. Please stay strong – and stay home! – Nagi x
PS Dozer is still on standby for virtual hugs, 24-7.
Ruth says
Hi Nagi,
I am in Melbourne and currently feel like we are living part of a Sci-Fi movie, but it’s for real. Wondering if you have any recipes that can jazz up bbq or loin chops. Thanks so much for helping us, very much appreciated
Nagi says
Hi Ruth, you’ll get through it!! What type of chops do you have – beef or pork? N x
Ruth says
Nagi,,,,have both actually, trying to mix it up.
Laura Snow says
Is there any substitute for dates in the oatmeal breakfast bar/cookie things? PS love your recipes and the hints/notes ♥️
Nagi says
Unfortunately not Laura – this is the main binding agent in this recipe. N x
JANE says
Dear Victorians,
Please stay safe.
I live in Canada and am a nurse so I understand the fear that this virus brings.
Will be thinking of you.
Nagi, you and Dozer brighten my days
with your upbeat charm and wonderful recipes. You are my go to when I want to try something new.
Julie Vermay says
Hello Nagi, thank you so much for thinking of us Victorians during these dark days. I’ve only recently discovered you and your blog and I couldn’t be more delighted. My question relates to cooking cabbage. When I last stayed in Singapore, every morning I had breakfast at a hawkers food court and devoured the cooked cabbage. I’m not sure if it was steamed or stir fried, but it was silky smooth and didn’t have any other visible ingredients. So I’d love to know any secrets you might be happy to share about cooking a very simple but utterly delicious cabbage dish.
Warm regards
Julie
Nagi says
Hi Julie, without trying it or any more information I can’t help you with that one unfortunately!! I usually just stir fry it with a little garlic, ginger & soy – you can’t go wrong! N x
Kirsten Marran says
Hi Nagi – I’m from Victoria. Considering there will be restrictions on meat production as well as panic buying of meat, I’m left wondering if I’ll need to cook vegetarian meals for my young family. But I always get stuck when it comes to inspiration there. That’s my idea if Meat supply does drop. love your blog so much! P.s. or a competition of some kind for Victorians to enter photos of a meal of yours they cooked, and 100 winners drawn for a live zoom cooking class! That would really lift my spirits!!
Nagi says
Thats a great idea Kirsten, I’ll have a think about it! In the meantime – I have a vegetarian section on my blog that should give you some inspiration – and a lot of my dishes can have the protein swapped out for tofu/lentils/chickpeas too! N x
Ruth Evans says
Hello from Melbourne lockdown. This is just to say I really enjoy your recipes and all the stories of your life with Dozer! Thanks for always being so amazingly positive and ‘up’, that’s just a tonic every time we receive an email from you.
Nagi says
Thanks so much Ruth, that’s so lovely of you to say! N x
Jasmine says
Hi Nagi! Thank you for supporting Victorians! Just wondering what you would suggest I cook with a bunch of capsicum? I ended up with a pack of 6 and used 1. Now I’m not sure what to do with the rest of it. Thanks!
Nagi says
Hi Jasmine, romesco sauce https://www.recipetineats.com/magic-spanish-romesco-sauce-dip/, stuffed peppers https://www.recipetineats.com/mexican-stuffed-peppers/ or Brazilian coconut curry are great options https://www.recipetineats.com/brazilian-chickpea-curry/. You could even roast them then store them in jars to use later!! N x
Denise Pearce says
Hi Nagi. I understand this is probably the wrong place BUT South Africa has been hit VERY bady by the virus and many of us have been in lockdown since March. I want to say THANK YOU for all your super recipes, It is the only thing that has kept me sane. My husband says thank you too!!! We eat a feast every night…. Keep it up.
Nagi says
It’s been so tough on a lot of people Denise, sending positive vibes your way – stay safe ❤️ N x
Georgia says
Hi Nagi!
Thank you so much for reaching out to us Victorians, for the first lockdown I was almost exclusively cooking and baking your recipes, since then I have tried a food plan from somewhere else and have found the shopping list really adds up! I was wondering if you had any combos of meals that you think would make for a cheapish meal plan, I’m fairly new to shopping for weeks worth of recipes – out of lock down we didn’t really need to plan ahead! This time around I want to make lots of yummy nutritious meals and baked goods! (A kitchen aid was my panic buy for lock down#1)
Nagi says
Hi Georgia, I did a specific post on this that may help you: https://www.recipetineats.com/coronavirus-menu-plan-1/ & https://www.recipetineats.com/coronavirus-pandemic-meal-plan-2/ – I hope this helps! N x
Lamia says
Hey Nagi!!
Do you have a recipe for kimchi jiggae? Thank you
Cindy sandt says
Hope you stay well. Stay strong. And know we love you….your recipes….and your pups. Buckets of love and hugs from Emmaus Pennsylvania USA.
Nagi says
Thanks so much Cindy! N x
Ngoc says
Hey Nagi! We’re from Victoria, we love your recipes! Wanted to know if you had any pressure cooker Vietnamese/Asian recipes to help with meal prep. Thanks! ♥️
Nagi says
Hi Ngoc, if you type “Vietnamese” into the search bar a stack of recipes will pop up. The only one that I would say for the pressure cooker is the pho though. N x
Diane McEwen says
Please can we have your tasty recipe for lean beef mince
Nagi says
Hi Diane, I have a number of recipes that use regular beef mince -I’ll have to add some for lean beef mince for you! N x
Monique says
Hi Nagi!
Thank you so much for offering this!
I’m writing this from Stage 4, Curfew Central! 🙈
I have two questions, perhaps a bit silly…
1. When you use a tablespoon, is it 15ml or 20ml? I never know the difference and I’m not sure if it’s different between US and Aus recipes.
2. Kaffir lime leaves confuse me, as each leaf has a double leaf. So if a recipe calls for 2 kaffir lime leaves, is that 2 separate leaves (ie 4) or is that one double leaf? I hope I make sense!
Thanks again ❤️
P.S. Made your Bun Cha tonight…so good! My 4 and 2 year old girls gobbled it up too.
Nagi says
There are never silly questions!! The short answer is – I use 15 ml but in the vast majority of my recipes, it does not matter if you use 20ml or 15 ml. BUT if it does matter, I either specify as such or I say 4 tsp (which is 20 ml) or 3 tsp (which is 15 ml) instead (because teaspoons are more standard across the world). 99% of the time it’s baking recipes where it matters. Or where I use a very strong sauce like dark soy sauce. And in those cases, I always cater for the difference.
When a recipe calls for 1 kaffir lime leaf I use 1 leaf from the pair. – I hope this clarifies things! N x
Monique says
Thank you so much Nagi! That’s a huge help! I so appreciate you taking the time to answer x
susan says
Can you recommend general guideline for veganizing recipes, and making instant pot one pot vegan meals?
Big hug to you and Dozer.
Nagi says
Hi Susan – not sure what you mean by veganising meals? N x
susan says
There are so many wonderful recipes I would like to try, but we have been vegetarian for a long time and some of us have transitioned to a vegan diet. I sub things like cashew cream and aqua faba for some ingredients, and they can work perfectly in some recipes, but not as well in others. I thought you might be able to help me with general rules for conversion. And I love using that instant pot, especially cooking the whole meal (with the exception of maybe a salad, or bread, or dessert). I have found some easy, nutritious, and delicious recipes for that and thought you might have some wonderful vegan ones in the works.
Caron says
Hello Nagi,
I’m from Victoria. I’m two weeks after having a cesarean for my third child which means that I know have 3 children under 3.5yrs of age. I’m looking for quick vegetarian meals to make for my family. (In case meat becomes scarce).
Thank you so much for your help. You are amazing 😘
Nagi says
Hi Caron, try the vegetarian section on my website here: https://www.recipetineats.com/category/vegetarian-recipes/ Good luck!! N x
Melanie Treloar says
Hi Nagi,
Love your recipes, just wondering whether you have any recipes specifically suited for young kids (3 & 1) as in low sugar/salt.
Also, do you have any good low fodmap (or low fructose) specific recipes?
Also, thanks heaps for the offer to answer questions for those of us in Melb xx
Nagi says
Hi Melanie, I’ve always said anything in fritter form is great for kids – you can always reduce the salt or replace sugar in Amy of my recipes with an alternative. Sorry I’m not a dietician though so can’t advise you on the low fodmap request. N x
Grace Donnelly says
Hi Nagi, yes life is tricky here in good ol’ Melbourne-town right now and you have been my absolute lifesaver. I really just wanted to know what type of cookware you use and how do you keep the food from sticking to your pots and oven trays (obviously not the non-stick ones)?
Nagi says
Hi Grace, I actually want to do a post on my cookware – something I’ll revisit! I generally use Scanpan pots and pans, Chasseur cast iron skillet and a Chasseur cast iron pot. A good splash of oil and the right heat will prevent foods from sticking (although sometimes it’s just unavoidable!) N x
Vera G says
Just to say Thank YOU Kindly for thinking Of us and your extra time and effort trying to help us out. Am Lucky today last Of Food delivery arrived from Farms and supermarkets Are empty no problem I do sincerly wish We Were closer Dozer Would have time Of his life. From tonight We Are havingsnowy blast from The past for few days. Sincere Thank YOU for your kindness.
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Vera, stay safe! N x
Julieann Zeman says
Nagi! I’m in Melbourne, our business has been closed since March. We’ve been lucky enough to source fruit and veg delivery from the market. I often let them surprise me but we always receive eggplant which gets shoved around the fridge until I add it to a curry or some ratatouille concoction. I need eggplant advice. A superstar recipe to save us during lockdown. Please.
Nagi says
Hi Julieann, I LOVE eggplant – it’s so underrated! Try some of these:
– https://www.recipetineats.com/lentil-roasted-eggplant-salad/
– https://www.recipetineats.com/marinated-bbq-vegetables/
– https://www.recipetineats.com/moussaka-greek-eggplant-beef-bake/
– https://www.recipetineats.com/moroccan-baked-eggplant-with-beef/
– https://www.recipetineats.com/grilled-miso-glazed-japanese-eggplant/
Julieann Zeman says
Nagi you are an angel, thank you x
p.s you really brighten up my day with your light hearted posts and delish recipes. #day136inlockdown
Nicola says
I’m from Victoria Nagi & Thankyou for your amazing recipes, they have been getting me through these crazy times – a quick question, I have 2 different tablespoon measures 1 is 15ml & 1 is 20ml – which one do you use for your recipes 15 or 20ml Tbs, Thankyou 🙏🏻
Nagi says
Hi Nicola, That’s a really good question. The short answer is – I use 15 ml but in the vast majority of my recipes, it does not matter if you use 20ml or 15 ml. BUT if it does matter, I either specify as such or I say 4 tsp (which is 20 ml) or 3 tsp (which is 15 ml) instead (because teaspoons are more standard across the world). 99% of the time it’s baking recipes where it matters. Or where I use a very strong sauce like dark soy sauce. And in those cases, I always cater for the difference.
And in case you are interested, the long answer is: Historically, the standard Australian tablespoon has been 20 ml but it’s 15 ml in just about every other country in the world. There is no law that dictates this. But interestingly, nowadays, more and more chefs are (according to professional chefs I know) using 15 ml as the standard. Plus I’ve noticed that most kitchenware stores sell more 15 ml tablespoon measures than 20 ml measures! This is an area that I took a keen interest in when I first started out food blogging because I was worried about the difference affecting my recipes. So even to this day, I always have a look when I’m in kitchenware shops!
Hope that helps! – N x
Nicola says
Thankyou Nagi, for clarifying my tablespoon dilemma, much appreciated 🙏🏻😘
Marolin says
Hi Nagi
Firstly, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful fool proof recipes. I was never much of a cook before i found your site and now you’ve given me a love of cooking and my family and friends think I’m some sort of hero in the kitchen.
I’m locked down in Richmond in Melbourne and hoping to might have some Indian or asian inspired recipes for slow cooked chuck or gravy beef? A curry of some description with the ability to pair it with veg?
Thank you so much
Nagi says
Hi Marolin, how about Massaman https://www.recipetineats.com/massaman-curry/ or even rogan josh https://www.recipetineats.com/rogan-josh/ or rending! https://www.recipetineats.com/beef-rendang/ – N x