My top tips for lockdown so far are pretty pedestrian: drink a crap load of wine and make great food. And carbs. Carbs are great food and they go extremely well with wine. Winning all round.
Let’s start with full disclosure – this is not my photo. I have humbly borrowed it from a lovely blog called Table For Two whose photos kick my photos’ butts. I would have put the pic of my dish side by side with this, but sometimes it’s better to admit defeat.
A couple of months ago I had a rant about naming plantbased foods after the meats that they are supposed to resemble but never do. I arrogantly refused to do it because it sends the wrong message…as in, here carnivores, come and taste this delicious vegan chicken! There’s no such thing.
Don’t you hate it when you’re really busy at work and can’t use your time to write blogs! Kidding – for my colleagues that read this (ok fine, half kidding). I only have enough time for the recipe instead of my usual ironic intro. Some of you might be sighing in relief.
Have I mentioned how much I love Mexican food? It’s hard to pick a favourite cuisine with all the amazing food in the world (I took a moment of gratitude for that – it’s not so for everyone). I think Thai comes out on top for me; I genuinely can’t get enough of it.
Mark and I are hardcore Survivor fans (I think I may possibly have mentioned this once or twice). Along with our friend DT, we have weekly Survivor nights whenever a new season is out. DT comes to us and two out of three times, we make him dinner.
It’s not exactly pasta season here in Cape Town, with temperatures averaging in the high 20s and an unusual amount of clamminess in the air – we are all sweaty Bettys down here and pasta isn’t really going to help our situation. But you can’t eat salads EVERY day.
When I first went vegan, I was a little thrown off my salad game. Summer salads are so easy when you eat meat – roast some chicken, add a little feta and avo and voila! Healthy* (so I thought), good balance of nutrients and calories and of course, absolutely delicious.
I had myself at crispy! Tofu is no longer just for hipsters with scraggly beards and a penchant for ‘artisan coffee’ – as if a cup of coffee in a bohemian cafe really tastes better than in a franchise restaurant (except the Spur – their coffee is made from stale grounds and broken dreams).
Sometimes rummaging in your fridge with zero ideas about what to make produces a cracking dish. I remember watching a Masterchef challenge where the contestants were each given a fridge containing ingredients they’d find in their fridges at home – presumably chosen by their significant other, or maybe they had to write a list before the show started.
Some of my best recipes are concocted near the end of the month when I’m short on ingredients and long on inspiration. Why I’m never as inspired with a packed pantry, I don’t know – maybe it’s too easy to rehash the usual staples. With slightly demented glee, I therefore treat those lean days before pay day as a test of my fortitude.
Back in the day when I still ate meat – ie the vegan version of BC/AD – I was a big fan of one pot meals and pressure cooker dishes. Hearty, tummy-warming and delicious, there are few better options in winter. I’ve been wanting to make a lentil bolognese for some time, but I specifically wanted to make it in the pressure cooker.
My top tips for lockdown so far are pretty pedestrian: drink a crap load of wine and make great food. And carbs. Carbs are great food and they go extremely well with wine. Winning all round.
Let’s start with full disclosure – this is not my photo. I have humbly borrowed it from a lovely blog called Table For Two whose photos kick my photos’ butts. I would have put the pic of my dish side by side with this, but sometimes it’s better to admit defeat.
A couple of months ago I had a rant about naming plantbased foods after the meats that they are supposed to resemble but never do. I arrogantly refused to do it because it sends the wrong message…as in, here carnivores, come and taste this delicious vegan chicken! There’s no such thing.
Don’t you hate it when you’re really busy at work and can’t use your time to write blogs! Kidding – for my colleagues that read this (ok fine, half kidding). I only have enough time for the recipe instead of my usual ironic intro. Some of you might be sighing in relief.
Have I mentioned how much I love Mexican food? It’s hard to pick a favourite cuisine with all the amazing food in the world (I took a moment of gratitude for that – it’s not so for everyone). I think Thai comes out on top for me; I genuinely can’t get enough of it.
Mark and I are hardcore Survivor fans (I think I may possibly have mentioned this once or twice). Along with our friend DT, we have weekly Survivor nights whenever a new season is out. DT comes to us and two out of three times, we make him dinner.
It’s not exactly pasta season here in Cape Town, with temperatures averaging in the high 20s and an unusual amount of clamminess in the air – we are all sweaty Bettys down here and pasta isn’t really going to help our situation. But you can’t eat salads EVERY day.
When I first went vegan, I was a little thrown off my salad game. Summer salads are so easy when you eat meat – roast some chicken, add a little feta and avo and voila! Healthy* (so I thought), good balance of nutrients and calories and of course, absolutely delicious.
I had myself at crispy! Tofu is no longer just for hipsters with scraggly beards and a penchant for ‘artisan coffee’ – as if a cup of coffee in a bohemian cafe really tastes better than in a franchise restaurant (except the Spur – their coffee is made from stale grounds and broken dreams).
Sometimes rummaging in your fridge with zero ideas about what to make produces a cracking dish. I remember watching a Masterchef challenge where the contestants were each given a fridge containing ingredients they’d find in their fridges at home – presumably chosen by their significant other, or maybe they had to write a list before the show started.
Some of my best recipes are concocted near the end of the month when I’m short on ingredients and long on inspiration. Why I’m never as inspired with a packed pantry, I don’t know – maybe it’s too easy to rehash the usual staples. With slightly demented glee, I therefore treat those lean days before pay day as a test of my fortitude.
Back in the day when I still ate meat – ie the vegan version of BC/AD – I was a big fan of one pot meals and pressure cooker dishes. Hearty, tummy-warming and delicious, there are few better options in winter. I’ve been wanting to make a lentil bolognese for some time, but I specifically wanted to make it in the pressure cooker.
