With COVID-19 lockdowns in place all over the globe, many people have been using the extra time at home to try new hobbies and projects…
Whether it’s binge watching shows you’ve been too busy to watch (Tiger King, anyone?), or finally getting around to reorganizing the pantry. For months people had been taking advantage of the time off to do…whatever they wanted!
Another way that people chose to pass the time? Trying out new recipes!
We asked our network of consultants and trainers from around the world to send in their favorite recipes so we could share them with our followers. The result? Delicious entrees, sides, and desserts – try out some of our highlights below and let us know what you think!
German Potato Salad (Germany)
Ingredients:
3 lbs of potatoes
1 medium yellow onion
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup vinegar (recommend white balsamic)
1 1/2 cup water
4 teaspoons vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Cook the potatoes, then peel and chop them once they are cool enough to handle.
2. Chop the onion; put everything in a bowl and mix together well.
3. Enjoy!
Potato Salad Olivier (Russia) 
Ingredients:
1 lb bologna sausage or diced cooked chicken
3 medium potatoes
4 medium carrots
1 can sweet peas, drained (or 2 cups of thawed frozen peas)
5 boiled eggs
5 medium pickles (or cucumbers for a fresher taste)
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3/4 cup to 1 cup of mayo (or you can mix mayo and sour cream 50/50 – all to taste)
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. In one pot, boil whole unpeeled potatoes and carrots for about 30 minutes – don’t let them get too soft
2. In a separate pot, put the eggs in salted cold water. Bring to a boil then turn it off and leave it on the burner for 15 minutes with a lid on.
3. Remove vegetables and eggs and allow them to cool to room temperature prior to chopping. Skin the boiled potatoes and carrots with a knife.
4. Chop bologna (or chicken), potatoes, carrots, pickles, and eggs into equal size dice (pea size).
5. Mix together potatoes, carrots, pickles, eggs, green onion, dill, and mayo. Add more mayo, salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Fold in the peas last so they aren’t crushed. Enjoy!
Bolognese Sauce (Italy)
Ingredients:
Dried porcini mushrooms rehydrated in hot water (filter out and set aside some of the water)
1 lb ground beef
Chicken broth
1 red onion
1 crushed tomato
1 can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
1 small carrot
1 celery stalk
1-inch lemon rind piece
Parsley
Basil
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Mix a can of tomato paste with porcini water (you may need to add a splash of chicken broth or crushed tomatoes to make the mixture not too liquid and not too thick). Set aside.
2. In a food processor, place all the vegetables and the lemon rind. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Saute veggies in non-stick pan until a brownish color.
4. Add the meat and well-squeezed, chopped porcini. Continue sauteing until the meat is brown.
5. Add the tomato mixture and simmer slowly semi-covered for 45mins to 1 hour. Ready to serve and enjoy (but it tastes better if served the next day!)
Purple Sweet Potato Soup (Singapore)
Ingredients:
3 purple sweet potatoes
6 pandan leaves (blades)
4 tablespoons sugar (rock sugar or fine grain)
Water (enough to cover slightly more than the amount of potatoes)
Instructions:
1. Peel the potato skin and cut into several pieces. Shred the pandan leaves.
2. Grab a few of the shredded leaves and tie a knot in them. Do this step twice for each group of leaves.
3. Place the potatoes and pandan leaves into a pot and add just enough water to cover everything.
4. Boil until the potatoes have become soft.
5. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
6. Remove the pandan leaves and enjoy!
Jansson’s Temptation (Sweden)
Ingredients:
9-10 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely sliced
20 tinned sprat fillets
5 oz single cream
5 oz whole milk
1 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes and chop them into small sticks (1/4 inch, a bit thinner than french fries for comparison).
2. Melt butter in a saucepan, add the onion and cook until soft (not brown). Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes.
3. Layer half of the onion and potato mixture in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then top with half of the sprat fillets evenly across. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add another layer of onion and potato mix, then add the remaining sprat fillets. Pour the remaining sprat juice over the dish.
5. Pour 2/3 of the milk and cream over the dish, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Season again.
6. Bake until the potatoes are cooked (45 minutes). Halfway through, add the rest of the milk and cream. If the dish is looking dry you can add more milk – the aim is to get a creamy consistency. Enjoy!
Koláč Pastry (Czech Republic) 
Ingredients for Cheese Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk
Ingredients for Dough:
3 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
Instructions:
1. Beat the filling ingredients together and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees.
2. Mix dough ingredients and roll flat. Cut into circle or square shape.
3. Put on ungreased cookie sheet, then place filling in the center (if using square shape, fold over at diagonals).
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully.
5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
