Stop fussing about supper

 

Like a lot of people I know the moment my eyes open I start thinking about what I am going to cook my family for dinner.

I start to visualize what I have in the fridges and freezers, what is ready to be picked and used from the garden, who will be in or out that night and so it goes until I find myself going crazy. I keep strange working hours as a Chef and I either cook a meal at my business the CooksPlayground and take it home, or I cook at home before I leave for work. Lots of fussing goes into the planning of meals.

Most of us don’t have the luxury of being able to linger at fresh produce markets and specialist delicatessens, followed by a few hours in the kitchen, dreaming up menus to delight our families at mealtimes. If we’re lucky, it’s a dash to the nearest supermarket to grab a few items for trusted, but boring everyday meals.

At worst, its fast food, leaving your family soaked in MSG and Trans fatty acids and you full of guilt! There must be a happy middle ground. Enter ‘Fuss-Free Suppers’. So when I saw this gorgeous little book ‘Fuss-Free Dinners’, written by someone I trust in the kitchen, I thought pick it up and take a look. Chapters include chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish, pizza and pasta, vegetarian and side dishes.

Jenny Kay has worked in the food industry for almost three decades, with baking and teaching featuring prominently. She is currently The Star’s ‘Angela Day’ and is a perfectionist when it comes to cooking, striving to make all her recipes accessible and user-friendly.

Elinor Storkey has been involved with food for the past 30 years. Her first job was with Your Family magazine back in the early 1980s, and latterly with The Star newspaper, where she worked as the ‘Angela Day’ helpline co-ordinator, sourcing and developing recipes, food styling and assisting with cookery classes. Presently Elinor runs a small catering business and does recipe consulting.

Elinor and Jenny have co-authored two other successful food titles, ‘101 Fuss-free Bakes’ and ‘Braai’, both published by Struik Lifestyle.

Let’s cook!

 

Rustic meatloaf

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:

• 4 pork sausages
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 500g beef mince
• 30ml chopped fresh parsley
• 45ml tomato pesto
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 x 410g can chopped Italian tomatoes
• 30ml sweet chili sauce
• 30ml chopped fresh basil

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Slit the sausages down one side and remove the sausage meat. Combine the sausage meat, onion, mince, parsley, pesto, salt, pepper and egg in a bowl. Mix well. Line a baking tray with foil and oil lightly. Shape the mixture into a free-standing meat loaf and place on the baking tray. Gather up the sides of the foil to form a dish. Combine the tomatoes, sweet chili sauce and basil, and pour over the meat.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the beef is cooked. Served with mashed or baked potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

©Fuss-Free Suppers Jenny Kay & Elinor Storkey

Lamb Casserole

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 8 lamb neck chops
• 60ml seasoned flour
• 30ml olive oil
• 1kg potatoes, thickly sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 onions, sliced into thick rounds
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme or lemon thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 125g streaky bacon, chopped and fried
• 15ml tomato paste
• 500ml beef stock

 

Method:

Coat the chops in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and brown the chops on both sides over a high heat. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180C. Arrange half of the potato slices, carrots, onions and thyme in a deep, heavy-based ovenproof dish.

Season to taste and add half of the bacon. Layer the chops on top and cover with the remaining potatoes slices, carrots, onions, bacon and thyme. Mix the tomato paste and stock together and pour into a dish. Cover and cook for 2-2 ½ hours, or until the potatoes and chops are soft.

©Fuss-Free Suppers Jenny Kay & Elinor Storkey