Loadshedding Meal Ideas

As South Africans, the irregular power cuts by Eskom have made us accustomed to the fact loadshedding can strike at any time. Power cuts affect the way we cook, work, live, and entertain ourselves and those around us. An obvious concern for most families is how they will prepare dinner, right? It is not practical to always buy takeaways every time there is loadshedding. Well, there is a much easier way of cooking tasty and nutritious meals that don’t require as much of your time and costs. Try these three great recipes that require zero electricity. They’re fresh, simple, and perfectly suited for a delicious dinner by candlelight and cozy evenings.

Lemon and Herb Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients:

• 2 halved lemons
• 60 ml olive oil
• 2 roughly chopped fresh leaves picked from 4 thyme sprigs
• Leaves of 4 fresh sprigs of marjoram
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Wooden skewers

Method:

1. Soak wooden skewers in cold water for 10 minutes.
2. Juice the lemons, cut each lemon in half, and half again.
3. Place all the ingredients in a Ziploc bag.
4. Add 6 chicken fillets to the bag and marinate for 1 hour.
5. Bring the chicken to room temperature and slice it into cubes.
6. Cut your meat in 1.5 cm cubes; otherwise, it will take too long to braai.
7. Thread the chicken onto the soaked bamboo skewers. Allow 100g chicken per kebab.
8. One of the secrets of a good kebab is not to pack the skewers too tightly. Leave some gaps around the meat so it can braai through thoroughly.
9. Braai over a medium-hot direct fire for 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Baste with the leftover marinade.

Tip: Ziploc plastic bags come in handy when marinating meat pieces. Simply add the marinade to the meat, seal it, and refrigerate it until needed. When marinating with lemon juice, you have to be careful as the lemon juice will cook the meat.

Hemp Seed Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ cup shelled organic hemp seeds
• 1 can organic beans (butter beans, red beans, etc.)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the oil, lemon, parsley, and spices. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Add the beans and the hemp seeds.
3. Toss well.

Zucchini Carpaccio

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, lemon juiced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese for shaving
• 1 baguette or gluten-free loaf, sliced for serving

Method:

1. Shave the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices (use a sharp vegetable peeler).
2. Arrange the slices on a platter.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour the mixture evenly over the zucchini slices.
5. Allow it to sit for at least 15-60 minutes.
6. Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices of Parmesan over the zucchini.
7. Serve with fresh baguette slices.

Enjoy!