Cape Town - Getting food stocks to stretch till your next pay slip can be tricky.
But you don’t have to skimp on nutrition, taste or tummy-filling. Master your frugal meal prepping skills by keeping these tips from Blue Ribbon in mind.
Meatless days are here
Low meat stocks shouldn’t stop you from enjoying tasty, protein-packed meals. Get your protein fix with beans and lentils. Try bean stew or the vegetable option of spicy cabbage – both are great with pap or slices of fresh bread.
Fried rice with vegetables is also a good bet, allowing you to use bits and pieces, leftover rice and eggs for a protein boost.
For a nostalgic breakfast with only four ingredients – water, maize, pumpkin and sugar – steam pumpkin until soft and combine with cooked maize porridge to serve up some delicious pumpkin porridge. As the warm weather settles in, maas with pieces of brown bread takes a few minutes to prepare and cools you down just as quickly.
Can-do attitude
Canned foods make for simple, tasty dishes for any time of day. Comb the pantry for savoury and sweet tinned food like pilchards, corned beef, vegetable and fruit pieces, or beans in tomato sauce. Good ol’ beans on toast is a quick and easy nutritious meal that won’t break the bank or leave you hungry. Canned chakalaka and boerewors go down a treat with fresh bread.
Veg-a-thon
Put the veggies in the bottom of your fridge to good use. Whip up a pot of delicious vegetable soup and enjoy it with your favourite bread to bulk up the meal. Also try potatoes, green peas, carrots and spices for a delicious vegetable curry. For a dish of heart-warming roast veggies, combine chopped onions, peppers and carrots with chopped potatoes, before roasting the whole lot in the oven.
Best spuds
Fried, cooked, baked – however you like them, potatoes are pretty versatile. Stuff a few with spinach and onions or corn before baking, for a light meal. Make potato salad with mayo or simply spiced to perfection with garlic and herbs.
Prepare a deconstructed kota using sliced bread. Fry up some potato chips as usual. Place 4-6 slices of bread on top of each other, ensuring the crust is at the bottom. Hollow out the middle and scoop the chips into the opening. Season and top with melted cheese, polony or tomato sauce and a crustless slice of bread. Best for sharing.
Keep it chilled
To avoid making the struggle a habit, plan ahead. The freezer isn’t just for ice and meat. Freezing cooked meals and bread allows these to keep for longer. At the beginning of the month, when the fridge is packed up, prepare more than you’d normally make for meals and pop some of the food in the freezer. Come month end, you’ve got reserves to tap into.
* Follow Blue Ribbon’s Facebook or visit www.blueribbon.co.za for more bread tips.
IOL, adapted from a press release