What to eat during load shedding

Of course load-shedding is bad for businesses, fish in oxygenated tanks and patients in the intensive-care units of hospitals, but on a grass-roots level it affects the everyday Joe by something as simple as food spoiling in the fridge or not being able to cook a simple dish without a gas stove.

Eskom has just announced that they will implement stage two load-shedding from 10:00 which is likely to continue until 22:00. Read more here.

In dark times like these, it is necessary to take precautions and stock up on non-perishable food, like canned tuna, beans and jalapeños (yes, they exist!). These foodstuffs are usually already cooked or there is no need to cook them.

Here are Lowvelder’s seven simple (and surprisingly healthy) dishes to surprise your family in the dark.

1. Wraps

Fill soft tortillas with some canned tomatoes, a drop of mustard and mayonnaise and the last little bit of the vegetables in your fridge before they spoil. If you need some meat in your diet, fill the wrap with canned meat or tuna. You will find you don’t need an oven or microwave for this.

2. Tuna salad

Mix a can of tuna with canned three-bean salad, some vinegar, olives, chopped onion and green pepper. Canned chickpeas will add volume, but if you prefer the lean option, stick to the basics. Salt and pepper to taste and voila!

3. Bean salad

Butter beans, baked beans, kidney beans and string beans work together wonderfully when added with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

4. Mango-and-beetroot salad

It might seem like a strange combination but these two sweet foods complement each other perfectly. You don’t really even need to add anything else but if you are feeling creative and have a few ingredients in the fridge that need to be eaten as soon as possible, add some feta cheese and mint leaves.

5. Pot bread

All you need for this proudly South African dish is a fire and a cast-iron pot. You can make the dough from flour, water, some milk and salt. Knead the dough, add canned tomato relish in the centre and fold it closed. Leave on a cool fire for 20 minutes and you have yourself a dish.

6. Braai

We might not be able to generate power, we might not know how to behave in parliament, but if there is one thing South Africans know what to do, it is to build a proper fire and throw some raw meat on it. It is a simple and delicious dish and can even double as a social event with friends. And, since you don’t have a cold fridge, toss your beers in the swimming pool. That is how we party.

7. Smores

What is life without dessert? Everyone needs to smile every now and then. Just spread some Nutella or melted chocolate between two tea biscuits, place a marshmellow in the centre and let it melt over the fire for a few seconds. Smores are easy to make and delicious in all its simplicity. Your kids will love you.