Everyday easy

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Time to clear out your pantry and that canned-food stockpile you’ve accumulated during lockdown. (We know you have one!) Beans, lentils, tuna, chickpeas, corn, tomatoes… you name it, we show you how to turn them into brilliant meals in minutes

Tuna melt pasta bake. Recipe on page 18

PHOTOS: TOBY MURPHY RECIPES & STYLING:

LIEZL VERMEULEN

FOOD ASSISTANT:

ELIZMA VOIGT

TUNA MELT PASTA BAKE

A fi rm favourite in our books! Add tomato paste to the white sauce for a tangy twist.

Glug olive oil 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped ¼ cup (60ml) butter ¼ cup (60ml) fl our 4 cups (1L) milk Salt and milled pepper Juice (120ml) of 2 lemons 4 cans (120g) tuna, drained ½ punnet (10g) fresh parsley, chopped 400g penne pasta, cooked for 6 minutes 200g PnP cheddar cheese, grated Handful cherry tomatoes (optional) 1 tsp (5ml) smoked paprika (optional) Salad and bread, for serving (optional) TRY ME, I’M NEW

JACQUES-STEYTLER SAUVIGNON BLANC, R65

PnP exclusive

SERVES 4

Heat oil in a pot and sauté onion for about 8 minutes or until soft and golden. Add garlic and butter and cook for a minute, allowing butter to melt completely. Add fl our, stir to cover with butter and let the fl our paste bubble for 10 seconds. Add milk gradually while whisking, until all milk is added and the sauce is smooth. Cook for 2 minutes and season. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, tuna and parsley. Combine sauce with pasta and transfer to a large ovenproof dish. Top with cheese, and cherry tomatoes and paprika if using. Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Serve hot out of the oven, with salad or bread on the side.

ONE-POT CHILLI CON CARNE MEATBALLS

These meatballs get added vegetables and beans, which means extra nutrients in your meal. We’ve kept the sauce quite mild, but you can always add more chilli if you like.

Meatballs:

800g beef mince 2 tsp (10ml) each

ground coriander

and ground cumin 1 tsp (5ml) salt Dash milled pepper ½ punnet (10g) fresh parsley, chopped 3 Tbsp (45ml) olive oil or canola oil GOOD IDEA This dish works a charm with avocado slices or an avo-based salad.

Sauce:

1 large onion, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 Tbsp (15ml) each ground coriander, ground cumin and

paprika

1 tsp (5ml) cayenne pepper or chilli fl akes 1 can (400g) peeled and chopped tomatoes 1 can (400g) tomato

purée

1 can (400g) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (400g) corn kernels, rinsed and drained 2 Tbsp (30ml)

Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp (5ml) sugar 1 tsp (5ml) cocoa

powder

For serving:

Fresh coriander or

parsley

Lime or lemon juice Tortilla chips or rice Sour cream (optional)

SERVES 4-6

Combine meatball ingredients in a bowl. Roll mixture into golf-ball-sized balls. Heat half the oil in a large pan over high heat. Fry meatballs in batches until browned and crisp all over, about 3-5 minutes. (Don’t crowd the pan or they will steam instead.) Remove and set aside. Add remaining oil to pan. Sauté onion and red pepper for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and spices, fry for a minute, then other sauce ingredients. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Nestle meatballs in sauce, cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes (or in the oven at 200°C for 10 minutes). Sprinkle with coriander or parsley and dress with lime or lemon juice. Serve meatballs in sauce with rice or tortilla chips and sour cream on the side.

CHICKEN BURRITO RICE BOWLS

All the delicious fillings inside a burrito, without the hassle of wrapping it up! These bowls with zingy lime are fresh and nutritious.

4 (about 400g)

chicken breast fillets

Olive oil, for grilling and dressing 1 tsp (5ml) each ground cumin and

paprika

Salt and milled pepper 1 can (400g) corn kernels, drained and patted dry 1 packet (200g) medley

tomatoes

1 packet (250g)

snacking peppers

1 can (400g) black beans or red kidney

beans

1 punnet (20g) fresh coriander, chopped 3 limes 3 cups (750ml) cooked

white long-grain rice

SERVES 4

Drizzle chicken with oil and rub with spices, salt and pepper. Heat a griddle pan until almost smoking-hot. Grill chicken until tender, cooked through and well charred, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and slice. Wipe griddle pan clean, then toss corn on the grill until charred. Combine charred corn with tomatoes, peppers, beans and half the coriander in a bowl. Dress with olive oil and juice of 1 lime. Season. Flavour rice with remaining coriander and juice and grated peel of 2 limes. Season well. Serve chicken, rice and salad all together in serving bowls. (See Good Idea below.)

GOOD IDEA Missing the wrap? Serve with grilled or deep-fried tortilla triangles for extra crunch.

EVERYDAY EASYEVERYDAY SPRING GREEK-STYLE TOMATOEY BEANS AND FETA BAKE

Caramelised tomato with creamy beans plus spinach added for freshness. Don’t hold back on the garlic bread – you’re going to want to scoop it all up!

2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil + extra for drizzling 2 onions, chopped 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1 packet (50g) tomato

paste

2 cans (400g each) peeled and chopped

tomatoes

2 Tbsp (30ml)

Worcestershire sauce

Salt and milled pepper Pinch sugar 1 can (400g) each butter beans and cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (400g) green beans or 1 packet (300g) fresh beans, cut into 4cm pieces 4 sprigs each fresh thyme and origanum 1 packet (100g) English

spinach

2 discs (80g) plant-based or regular feta cheese Garlic bread, toasted

SERVES 4

Heat oil in an ovenproof pan and sauté onion for about 8 minutes, until soft and golden. Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook until sticky. Tip in canned tomatoes, add Worcestershire sauce, seasoning and sugar, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add all the beans and herbs and stir to combine evenly. Bake at 200°C in the oven for 10 minutes. (Finishing it off in the oven adds a caramelised taste to the tomatoes, but you can also leave it on the stovetop to simmer on medium heat for 8-10 minutes.) Stir through spinach and sprinkle with feta. Drizzle feta with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes until sauce is thick and caramelised on the sides of the pan. Serve bean bake with garlic toast.

Plant-based

TRY THIS Look out for PnP’s braai breads, such as the garlic butter ciabatta (350g). They can also be heated in the oven for a midweek meal.

GOOD IDEA Serve thesei fritters with chakalakaifor even more spiciness.i

GOLDEN CURRIED LENTIL AND CHICKPEA FRITTERS

These fritters are plantbased. Simply swap the yoghurt for coconutmilk yoghurt to make the whole meal vegan.

Fritters:

2 cans (400g) brown

lentils

2 cans (400g) chickpeas 1 onion, finely chopped 2 tsp (10ml) PnP ginger,

garlic and chilli paste

2 tsp (10ml) each curry powder, ground cumin and turmeric ½ -1 tsp (3-5ml) each chilli flakes and salt Dash milled pepper Grated peel of 2 lemons 2 eggs

Dipping sauce:

1 cup (250ml) PnP plain

double-cream yoghurt

Handful chopped fresh parsley, dill and/or

mint

Juice (60ml) and grated peel of 1 lemon

About ½ cup (125ml)

canola and olive oil blend

1 packet (200g) PnP

Tasty Stem broccoli

1 packet (150g) English

spinach

2 red onions, cut into thin wedges

SERVES 4

Rinse and drain lentils and chickpeas. Spread out on a baking tray and dry out in the oven at 180°C for 8-10 minutes. (If you’re short on time, toast them in batches in a dry pan on high heat.) Combine dipping sauce ingredients and season to taste. Set aside. Combine dried chickpeas and lentils with the other fritter ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a chunky mixture. (Don’t over-mix or you’ll end up with a paste.) Shape mixture into 12 fritters. Heat 2cm oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on high heat. Fry fritters in 2 batches

COOK’S NOTE

We’ve kept the fritters light and crisp. If you prefer them more dense and less fragile for easy frying, add an extra egg and 3 Tbsp (45ml) flour.

until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm. Flash-fry vegetables in a glug of oil over high heat until tender but still bright. Serve fritters with greens, onion wedges and dipping sauce on the side.