Real food

I don’t know about most people, but I need to eat real food every day. With the availability of so many fast-food options, one can easily get trapped into eating two or even three meals out.

But for me, I really need to have home-cooked food every day. It's not easy, but if you have ingredients on hand, it will always be easy for you.

One-pot meals are the best and very wholesome, if we are talking about provision soup, or beef and/or chicken with noodles, and even a hearty bowl of chili. With so many flavouring options available we can create new twists on old favourites.

Remember to keep canned beans and tomatoes in your pantry, frozen ground beef or lamb, boneless chicken or beef, frozen provision, there are also frozen provision packs to make your life easier, dried peas and beans also, and good quality rice, brown or regular rice.

Buy fresh seasoning and vegetables each week. You will always be able to create lovely, hearty and nourishing one-pot meals for your family that can extend into take-along lunches the next day. Happy cooking!

Vegetarian Sancoche

1 cup yellow split peas

6 ochros, sliced (optional)

8 cups vegetable broth

1 cup chopped pumpkin

1 cup chopped carrot

2 onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh thyme

2 tbs fresh chopped celery

2 pimento peppers seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic

3 tbs vegetable oil

1 hot pepper or hot pepper left whole

2 lbs mixed provision (sweet potatoes, yams, eddoes, cassava) etc

plantain, half ripe, peeled and thickly sliced

12 dumplings (see recipe above))

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel provision and cut into 2-inch pieces, place a bowl and cover with water until ready for use.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil, add onions, garlic, celery, pimento pepper and thyme. Sauté until fragrant add split peas, ochroes if using, carrots and pumpkin and stir. Add broth and simmer until split peas are cooked to a nice thickness, about one hour. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add provision, and hot pepper.

Cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Drop in dumplings and add plantain, cook until dumplings and plantain is cooked about 10 minutes. Serve hot with or without the hot pepper.

Serves 6 to 8

Beef with Vegetables and Noodles

1/2 lb egg noodles

12 ozs beef, sliced in to 1/4-inch thin slices

Marinade

2 tbs. soy sauce

1 tbs rum (optional)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp corn starch

Sauce

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs cornstarch

5 tbs vegetable oil

Seasonings:

3 tbs minced chives

1 tbs minced ginger

1 tbs minced garlic

2/3 lb mixed vegetables cut into 11/2-inch pieces

Cook the noodles until tender according to manufacturers’ directions, drain and set aside.

Combine marinade ingredients and combine with beef. Marinate for about 1 hour or overnight.

Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat a wok and add 2 tbs oil, add beef and stir-fry until it loses its pinkness, remove.

Clean pan, heat one tbs oil and add seasonings, stir fry until fragrant

Add the vegetables and cover to steam for a few minutes. Add sauce and stir well until thick. Add beef slices, toss to coat and remove from pot

Heat a large frying pan, add one tbs oil, when hot add noodles and press into pan to form a solid mass. Flip the noodle cake and brown on the other side.

Remove from heat to a serving platter, spoon the beef and vegetables over the cake and serve.

Hot and Spicy Chili with Lamb and Black Beans

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 lb ground lamb

14-oz tin black beans

14-oz tin whole tomatoes with juice

2 large onions, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped chives

1 tbs ground, roasted geera

2 tbs good quality chili powder

1 Chipolte chili in Adobe sauce (optional)

1 red-hot pepper, optional

1 tsp salt or to taste

1/4 cup chopped chadon beni or cilantro

In a large heavy skillet heat oil, add lamb and brown until fat runs off, remove from fire and pour off fat, return to heat and add garlic and chives, combine. Add onions and green peppers.

Add chili powder and geera. Continue cooking for about two minutes.

Add black beans in their juice, hot pepper, salt and tomatoes cook until chili begins to bubble.

Cover and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Sprinkle chadon beni just before serving Serve with bread.

Serves 6