Recipes For Nerds

 ‘I’m sorry sir, but your card has been denied’.

Horror! Shock! There must be a mistake! I just made a payment last week! Do you know anybody who admits they maxed the card because they used it twice a day to order food from Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats?

The appetite doesn’t have a limit but credit cards do, even if you carry five. Take-out is supposed to be a treat, like ordering food because there’s a snow storm or it’s Friday. In 2020, when the pandemic began, we made everyday a Friday.

HOME COOKING BASICS

Have you tried cooking? We all have stoves and microwaves. Let’s leave out microwaves for a second. Some people like my sister Khosi, can cook a 3-course meal in the microwave. I use it to warm milk and defrosting.

Obviously you have pots if you have a stove. You also have tomatoes and onions, the main foundation for simplified cooking. You chop them and slowly cook in olive oil with a little salt for 10 minutes. This basic foundation will help you make many meals.

1. Place chicken pieces on the foundation, add some water and cook slowly for 15 minutes.

2. Cut liver into medium size pieces. Place them on the foundation, pump up the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Eat with bread, Italian polenta or stiff corn meal.

3. Open can of baked beans, place on foundation, cook for 5, eat with bread or rice.

4. Soak beans overnight or a few hours. Cook for 40 minutes, depending on type of beans. Place them on top of foundation and simmer for 15. Eat with bread or rice.

5. Defrost peas, place on foundation and cook for 6. Don’t overcook, you’ll lose crunchiness. Eat with rice or orzo, tiny pasta also called risoni.

6. Place salmon or white fish on foundation, pump up heat, cook for 5, serve with rice or orzo.

7. Place sliced mushrooms on foundation, pump up heat and cook for 5. Mushrooms have a lot of water, that is why you’re cranking up the heat.

8. Place sliced beef on the foundation, add a cup of water. Cook slowly for 15. Eat with bread, rice, pasta or stiff corn meal.

Salads: mix chopped lettuce with tomatoes and cucumber in a salad bowl or tin foil. Add blue cheese salad dressing and mix with a wooden spoon.

Potato salad: Boil potatoes in salted water for 10. Boil eggs for 5. Leave to cool. Peel eggs, chop’um and throw them in chopped potatoes. Marry everybody with fresh cream, mayonnaise or light salad dressing.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.