I for one am so over Eskom and their load-shedding, especially when that load-shedding occurs at 6pm when I’ve just finished work and need to get supper started.
I’ve started looking at some quick, nutritional options that can be cooked in 10 to 15 minutes before we are plunged into darkness and ready to eat by candlelight.
One of those, I cooked this evening.
In exactly 15 minutes I managed to pop some Eskort pork loins steaks into the oven to grill while I made mash, gravy and vegetables.
How, I hear you say.
All thanks to convenience foods.
Shop with load-shedding in mind
Now, we live in South Africa and honestly, we are no strangers to load-shedding and we should be shopping with convince in mind for at least a few days of the month or for that emergency or end of the month when our bank balance can’t afford to order yet another MR Delivery order for supper.
So, what products do I buy for convenience?
- Fast cooking meat like bacon.
- Processed meats
- and sausages
- Cheeses
- Packet soups
- Packets of smash
- Packets of instant gravy
- Instant pasta sauce
- Two minute noodles ( because as awful as they are they do cook in 2 minutes)
- Tinned vegetables
- Tinned fish
You could also buy things like
- Wraps
- Rice cakes
- Frozen meals
Why cook quickly ?
After a long, exhausting day , by 6pm I’m ready for bed. The day has been long and the thought of cooking more often than not does not excite me. It excites me even less, however, if my 5-year-old is hungry and the electricity isn’t working.
To save myself the stress of precooked meals, to assure myself that his meals are still nutritious ( because a week of toasted cheese sandwiches is not nutritional), and to allow us to stay on our family schedule regardless of Eskoms wheels falling off …I simply plan an easy to make meal.
Most of the time it involves a tin, a packet and popping something into the oven and all of the time my family have eaten in time, are full and the dishwasher is ready to start when the lights come back on.
Tonight’s meal
Tonight’s meal was a delicious 25-minute pork loin steak with mash, gravy and a medley of vegetables.
To recreate this meal( for 4) you will need:
- Eskort creamy pepper pork loins steaks popped into the oven at 180°c for 10 minutes
- A packet of smash mixed with boiling water. ( you can add a little margarine and fresh herbs)
- Some frozen mix vegetables boiled on the stove for 5 minutes
- And an instant pepper gravy mixed with hot water.
Dish up and serve with love.
