Kitchen Essential

Eat your vegetables! This little sentence was drummed into all our heads when we least wanted to hear it. But as the universe is strange, when you move from your mother’s home you suddenly start eating vegetables by choice and you may even become a vegetarian! Most veggies are really easy to prepare, and depending on how you prepare them, they are healthy.

Steaming Vegetables

It is almost always better to steam your vegetables as it is the healthiest method for the tastiest vegetables (you taste the vegetable instead of what’s been added to it). Now if you own a microwave there should be no reason for you to ever steam, boil or cook vegetables on the stove. Most vegetables are quickly and easily cooked in the microwave. Consult your manual — it probably has a very useful table giving you preparation and timing details.

You can steam almost any vegetable. Only starchy vegetables (potatoes and sweet potatoes) cannot be steamed. Other veggies, such as aubergines and the like, are just infinitely better roasted, so do keep your wits about you when you go steaming. Bamboo steamers are fairly cheap and are a very useful addition to your kitchen cupboard. You can also use a stainless steel colander which will do the job just as well as a dedicated steamer.

Fill a deep saucepan with 3-5 cm of water and bring it to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and place the steamer (bamboo ‘or colander) over the pot. Cover with a lid. Check your vegetables regularly and remove from the pot when steamed to your liking.

Mashed Potatoes

If you enjoy mashed potatoes buy a masher, if you don’t have one yet, as it just makes the job easier. If you don’t have a masher and cannot afford one, you can simply use a large fork and quite a bit of elbow grease.

Start by peeling and boiling the potatoes. When they’re soft, drain the water and leave the potatoes in the pan over very low heat for two minutes to allow any remaining moisture to dry. Mash the potatoes and beat hot milk into the potato. Allow 250 ml milk to every 750 g potatoes. Now beatbetween one and three tablespoons of butter or margarine into the potato, with salt and pepper to taste. The more butter, the creamier the mashed potato, the more fattening, but what the heck.

Roast Vegetables

This one works a charm when you have to cook for quite a few people, makes an interesting alternative to the normal salad served and is mouthwateringly simple.

Preheat your oven to 180 °C, then slice up a variety of your favourite vegetables (aubergines, sweet peppers — red, green and yellow — baby marrows, patty pans, mange touts and similar) into big chunks and spread them evenly in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil over the whole lot. Now place some fresh rosemary and whole peeled garlic cloves on a cutting board. Using a rolling pin, or empty wine bottle, beat the rosemary and garlic. Yes you heard right, beat them. You want to release the flavour and this is the best way to do it. Add the herbs to your casserole and stick it in the oven for 40 minutes to an hour. Stir about twice to rotate the veggies and spread the herbs. Delicious!

Corn on the Con

This is a quickie. You need a microwave and as many corns on the cob as you have takers for (but don’t cram more than four into the microwave at a time).

Pop them into the microwave, and zap them for 2 minutes on high. After 2 minutes turn them, then zap again for another 2 minutes. After the second 2-minute round, test your corn with a fork. It will probably need another 2 to 4 minutes, so just keep turning and zapping. Don’t overcook — that’s the method behind the 2-minute madness.

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