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.
Hi Nagi, I bought some green lipped mussels from Coles and they all seem to be slightly open and not closing when tapped. Do these need to be thrown out or can I still cook it in a paella?
Hi Trisha, were the mussels fresh or in a vacuum pack? N x
Hi Nagi, they were fresh mussels.
PS: Love all your recipes, you’re a household name here. Thank you for all your hard work and esp the extra help during lockdown 2.0.
Hi Trisha! Just sniff them. Do they smell like the ocean? ie seawater? If so, they are fine. If they are off, trust me, you will know. It smells terrible! N x
Hi Dozer,
I love your Hugs and you and of course your Lovely Nagi for her array of recipes, they are delicious and couldn’t do it without her thanks a lot
Thanks so much Julie!! N x
Nagi, you are THE BEST. I love all your recipes. They all work, they’re all delicious and easy. Since we’ve been in lockdown in Melbourne you have given me such enthusiasm to do more cooking so rather than do my usual lamb shanks in red wine ( which are very nice) I made the Massaman Lamb Shanks from your collection. They were outstanding and tasted just like (actually better than) the Massaman Curry that I order at our favourite Thai restaurant.
Thank you so much for your recipes and everything that you do.
BTW how do I send a recipe request to you for Malai Kofta.
Jo
Hi Jo, that’s so great to hear! You won’t want takeout again 😂 Pop any requests on this page here: https://promotown.info/recipes-request/%3C/a%3E N x
Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes, especially bread! I made your blueberry loaf cake (?) yesterday and discovered it translated into muffins, which are delicious. Going to cook the Samosa pie tonight. Stay making these great recipes!!
That’s great to hear Juanita, I hope you love the pie!! N x
Hi Nagi!! I’m going to try make your Gozleme but I’m wondering if I can make the filling in the morning and pop it into the fridge to be used that night? Thanks!
Yes definitely Tyler! N x
Hi Nagi, we’ve tried so many of your wonderful recipes and they’ll become regulars. Even the kids are loving cooking for the first time! We’re in Victoria so no hitting the cinemas. Planning a movie night indoors with food to match. We could do choc-tops with your fab ice-cream, also thinking pulled pork sliders & slaw or your kebab. Do you have a movie night snack menu or some recommendations?
Also! Caramel popcorn 🙂 Another excellent movie night snack option! https://promotown.info/salted-caramel-popcorn/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
PS Try it with bacon, it’s out of this world. Keeps for weeks.
Thank you so much for both your responses Nagi 🙂 Will be giving the caramel popcorn a crack tonight as I like the idea of bacon! Crispy butter popcorn also sounds like a winner and will be on the next movie menu!
OMG Stuart!! BOY do I have a great one for you – MOVIE POPCORN. You can even make it yellow! The amazing thing with this popcorn is that it’s more buttery than just pouring normal butter on it AND it stays crispy for days 🙂 It’s because we make clarified butter which is just melted butter simmered to cook the water content out which = crispy popcorn for days and super intense butter flavour. Here’s the recipe! -> https://promotown.info/homemade-movie-popcorn/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hi .
I live in Shepparton Victoria and have just stocked my pantry with all the good stuff for more Asian cooking. My family’s favourite Chinese dish is beef and black bean. I can’t seem to find it in your site. Am I not looking hard enough or have you not done that yet.
Cheers
Hi Dave! You can look as hard as you want, you won’t find it 🙂 It’s a tough one to make unless using a store bought black bean sauce which can be really hit and miss. Sorry! What about Mongolian Lamb? I’m sharing that one soon, I could get you a preview of that if you’d like? If you’ve stocked the Asian basics, you’ll have everything. Also, I have a Built-To-Last Honey Chicken coming – it was going to be next week but I could bring it forward to this Friday? The crispy coating stays crispy for HOURS even after coating with the honey sauce 🙂 AND it comes with those crunchy white noodles as the bed it’s served on. If you respond tonight, I’ll do the video and everything tomorrow so I can publish it on Friday! N x
Thanks for the quick reply. Sorry about my really delayed one. Looking forward to the Mongolian lamb and honey chicken. Are you allowed to tell me which store bought black bean sauce is the best in your opinion?
Totally butting in here. I think Nagi’s chicken broccoli stir fry would be very acceptable as a black bean alternative. The sauce. OM-naGi 😎
Cheers Lara.
I will give it a bash
😂 This is the BEST!!
Hey Nagi!
Me and my mum are huge fans from here in Melbourne, literally cook your recipes at least 6 times a week. These are by far the best recipes I’ve stumbled upon on the internet, always turn out perfectly with your descriptive notes and tips! Seeing as though you’re from Sydney I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me with this one. I grew up in Potts Point and my fav restaurant as a kid was Una’s. I have been craving their jagerschnitzel, crunchy and salty rosti and mushroom gravy for SO long. My mouth is watering as I type. Can you do a copycat recipe of this meal pleeeeeease?! You would make my life complete!! Crossing all my fingers and toes that you know what I’m talking about and agree to help 😂😂😂 thank you for all your hard work!!! You’re the best!
Hi Tiana! Good news – you don’t even need to wait for me to publish one, you can take bits from existing recipes 🙂 Use my schnitzel, the mushroom gravy from the Chicken with Mushroom Gravy recipe, and as for rosti, they’re in a smoked salmon stack recipe I shared years ago 🙂 Recipes linked below. I would make the gravy first, put lid on to keep warm. Then make rosti and keep warm in oven on RACK (important for keeping it crispy, around 80C). Then lastly make schnitzel! I love that you’ve asked for this though, I may need to put up a full schnitzel blow out meal recipe with all these trimmings!! N x
https://promotown.info/schnitzel/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/chicken-with-mushroom-gravy/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/smoked-salmon-potato-rosti-stack/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hello Nagi,
Love all your recipes and how you present them .
I am reaching out to you as need some help with ideas for snacks to make for my four older teens with endless empty stomachs which seems to be more of an issue with lock-down .Some suggestions would be greatly appreciated as its a challenge.
Yep, I have a few ideas for you! Easy to cook in bulk, economical, teenage friendly. Try these:
– No washing up ham and cheese bread bowls OR pockets (cinch to make loads)
https://promotown.info/no-washing-up-ham-egg-cheese-bread-bowl/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/no-washing-up-ham-egg-cheese-pockets/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
– Giant “bread bowl” sandwich for sharing, called a Muffelata (it’s very on trend!). You can make multiple giant ones, bake one a day, slice to share. BIG and FILLING
https://promotown.info/bread-bowl-sandwich/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
– Giant Baked Frittata – fill it with whatever takes their fancy eg bacon. It’s like a healthier crustless quiche. Protein loaded so will keep them full. If in doubt, load up with cheese!
https://promotown.info/baked-vegetable-frittata/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
– Burritos – excellent option for freezing, then you just throw them in the oven wrapped. Tedious to make in small batch, but totally worth making in big batch. Get an assembly line going!
https://promotown.info/category/mexican-recipes/burritos/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
– Savoury or sweet quick breads ie loafs – so much easier to make than individual muffins. Very quick batters.
https://promotown.info/cheese-herb-garlic-quick-bread/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/cheesy-zucchini-bread-no-yeast/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/easy-cinnamon-swirl-quick-bread/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/chocolate-zucchini-bread/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://promotown.info/blueberry-lemon-loaf/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I’ll stop here in case this is not the sort of thing you are after. 🙂 Let me know what you think! N x
Hi Nagi love your recipes can you use powdered Ayam coconut milk in place of can thanks . Dozer is such a character 😘
Hi Cheryl, it really depends on the recipe to be honest but mostly yes – you can use the powder to make up coconut milk to use in most recipes. N x
Hi Nagi, your recipes have helped me tremendously during our lockdown here in Victoria. Just purchased one of those multi cookers that are sold as Instant pots in the US. Have you ever used one and do you have any recipes for them. Love your work, keep cooking, Ange x
Hi Angela, that’s so great to hear! I do have recipes for IP – any of my slow cooker recipes can be converted – you’ll find them here: https://promotown.info/category/slow-cooker-recipes/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hi Nagi, Here’s a question from Auckland, NZ, where we’re in alert 3 lockdown:
Is there a way to save our favourite recipes on your site?
There are so many great ones!
Hi Luisa – yes you can sign up for your “My RecipeTin” where you’ll have a folder where your favourite recipes are saved, just click the heart in a recipe to add it to your favourites! N x
I really want to cook your bersion of roast pork but have a boned and rolled leg instead of shoulder. Can I still use the same method as you have in your post or do I try to unroll it first?
Hi Nagi, I love getting your recipes even though I have been cooking a long time (just turned 78). Can you give us a way to substitute for wheat flour for our Celiac friends?
Hi Carmen, thank you so much, I love hearing that!! With gluten free flour, it really depends on the particular recipe if it can be substituted successfully or not. N x
Hey Nagi, Leanne from Melbourne again – can we talk herb pastes? I never manage to keep fresh coriander alive very long, whether it be in a pot, in the fridge in all manner of storage methods and can’t really be heading out all the time – are the coriander pastes in a tube in the chilled section of Woolworths a decent sub for fresh coriander?
Hi Leanne, it really depends on the recipe you want to use them in. Fresh is always best, but those pastes can be a good sub (I use the lemongrass paste all the time). Have you seen the gourmet garden lightly dried herb packets? They are probably my preference over the paste. N x
Thankyou!
Hi Nagi and Dozer, I hope you are safe and well, we are a family in Ballarat, Victoria. We absolutely love you. I’m having trouble making my husband chicken congee!?! Can you help pleeaase? Xxx
Hi Kristen, thanks so much!! Pop a request on my recipe request page. In the meantime I have this congee here: https://promotown.info/chinese-ham-bone-rice-soup-congee/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I’m so glad I found you’re website at the beginning of the first lockdown – current fav is the eggplant curry. I’ve already added more eggplant into next weeks woolies order!
Alright, onto the desperate Victorian question. I want/need a photogenic Dutch oven. I live by myself and am flirting with vegetarianism – so I feel like it’s probably a waste of money… but they’re pretty so…
What size would you recommend as being versatile? Do you pay for quality, or can I settle for an ikea/ baccarat version?
I have an induction stove if that makes a difference…
Thanks for the access to amazing recipes 🙂
I have an Aldi and a Chasseur cast iron Dutch oven and both work equally well on induction. They’re wonderful for making Nagi’s no kneed artisan bread and you can do veggie versions of baked dishes in them too! (The Aldi ones are long gone though – and what a bun fight to get it!)
Hi Nagi,
Just wanted to say thanks for access to your recipe tin!
I work full time (even in Melbourne lockdown) and when my adult children and partners come for dinner (next time they are allowed), I always go for one of your one pot meals. Every one of the recipes I have ever tried has worked as you say it will. I love the notes section where you talk through substitutes and I think I’m going to need that in the next 5 weeks or so. I also love Life of Dozer as I live alone and don’t have a pet in an apartment. Keep up the great work!
Hi Nagi – LOVE this website. I’ve been after a really good Hokkien Mee recipe (like, noodle shop style) to try while in lockdown. I’ve found a few online but have been reluctant to try in case they aren’t great and I waste time/money/ingredients. Love noodle box as a takeaway and Hokkien Mee is normally my go to order.
YUUUM! Sounds great Kara, pop a request on my recipe request page 🙂 N x
Can your no yeast sandwich bread be cooked in a Bread Maker and what would the settings be please
Thanks
Hi Barry, I haven’t tried but I would assume no as the settings on a bread maker allow for the rising time (using yeast). This recipe has no rise time and needs to be baked straight away. N x