HOME-COOKED MEALS: ON A BUDGET

Makgala Folotsi

@Kgali_Lee

 

It’s the end of the month again and figuring out what will be on the menu next month might be tricky. Wapad has gathered recipes that are affordable and nourishing. Taking the time to plan meals and budgeting the month’s expenses should relieve some stress. We will bring a list of light and hearty meals to try out and sprinkle in some dessert for the readers with a sweet tooth. 

Bohobe (steamed bread) 

Ingredients

• 4 cups of flour
• 1 sachet of yeast
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ jug of lukewarm water

Method:

In a bowl, add all the dry ingredients and mix. Slowly pour the lukewarm water into the dry ingredients, use a hand mix as you pour the water until it is a firm dough. Put the dough in a metal bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel to let it rise. In a big pot, pour water reaching the first knuckle of the finger. Put the bowl in the pot and cover the pot with the lid. Set the stove to three and let it steam for two hours or until a knife or toothpick can come out clean. Let the bread rest before serving with any type of stew of your liking.

Wors with eggs

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or your preferred cooking oil (for cooking the sausages and onions)
• wors or your favourite breakfast sausage chopped diagonally
• 1 medium to large onion, thinly sliced
•  2 tablespoons butter
•  5 eggs
• 1/2 (up to 1 cup) grape tomatoes

• salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the sausages until nicely browned. Clean the pan or at least scrape off the bits and pieces from the sausages. Add another tablespoon of oil and butter. Let the butter melt. Once melted, add the chopped onions, and cook until they are translucent or slightly brown, and caramelized. While the onions are cooking, break 5 eggs into a bowl. Whisk the eggs and add 1 – 2 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Get another large frying pan (other than the one previously used) and add oil to it. Use medium-high heat and wait until you almost reach the smoking point. The key to a perfect and fluffy scrambled egg is high heat. Once the pan is hot enough, pour in the eggs. You know that your heat is exactly right when the eggs sizzle immediately upon contact. Let it set a little (just a few seconds) and then add in all the rest of the ingredients (sausages, onions, and grape tomatoes). Stir until well combined. 

Serve immediately with bread (at least that’s what I’ll recommend), if possible! Enjoy a delicious breakfast!

Rice, oven-baked chicken and veggies

Ingredients

• 1 – 2 cups of rice
• raw chicken
• salt and pepper
• any seasonings of choice
• vegetables of choice

Method:

Firstly, wash the rice, and chicken, and rinse the vegetables. In a pot, add the rice and sprinkle some salt in. Boil water in a kettle, pour the boiling water into the pot and let it cook. Add more water when needed, just above the rice. In a bowl, add the chicken and season it to your liking. Preheat the oven to 180°C and put the chicken in the oven in an oven-safe dish until fully cooked. Prepare selected vegetables according to preference. When finished cooking serve and enjoy.

Blueberry muffins

Ingredients

Wet:

• 1 cup of milk
• ¼ cup of cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Dry:

• 2 cups of flour 
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• ¾ cups of sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups of blueberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl, mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients and slowly sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. If possible, coat the blueberries in cornstarch or a bit of flour before mixing them into the batter to keep them from sinking to the bottom and absorb some of their moisture. In a muffin pan place muffin cups and lightly oil them, so that the muffins don’t stick.  Bake for 22 – 23 minutes. Wait for them to cool down a little before serving.

Just because we are not at home, does not mean tasty food should be sacrificed. Taking the time to make good, nourishing, food for yourself is highly underrated. Set some time aside and write down a meal plan for the month taking inspiration from the above list or Wapad’s meals on a budget article from March and the winter comfort foods article from June.

Edited by Nica-May van Zyl