One tray, one wash-up, a full balanced meal. This is the recipe I hand to anyone who says they "don't have time" to cook properly, because the oven does almost all of the actual work here. 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁-𝗣𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 & 𝗩𝗲𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗸𝗲 Serves 4 · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 45 min 𝘐𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴: ● 4 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on ● 2 potatoes, cubed ● 1 onion, cut into wedges ● 2 carrots, cut into batons ● 1 red pepper, sliced ● Olive oil ● 1 tsp dried mixed herbs ● 1 tsp paprika ● Salt and pepper ● Lemon, to finish 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥: 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Scatter the potatoes, onion, carrots, and pepper onto a large baking tray. 2. Nestle the chicken thighs among the vegetables. 3. Drizzle everything with olive oil and scatter over the herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat. 4. Roast for 35–40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are golden. 5. Squeeze fresh lemon over everything just before serving. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂: This is a genuinely balanced plate in one tray: protein, vegetables, and carbs together, no extra thought required. Chicken thighs are just as nutritious as breast meat (more on that below), and roasting the vegetables in their skins keeps more of their fibre and vitamins intact. 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Buy chicken thighs, not breasts. They're cheaper per kilogram and, honestly, more flavourful because of the extra fat. One tray also means one wash-up.which is definitely worth factoring in when you're adding up the real cost (time and effort included) of a meal. Use whatever vegetables are in season or on special; this recipe doesn't care. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Dark meat chicken, i.e. thighs and drumsticks, actually contains more iron, zinc, and B vitamins than breast meat. So the "cheap cut" is, in some genuine nutritional ways, the better cut. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻: Thighs or breast: team dark meat or team white meat? Tell me in the comments. 👇 (I made chicken thighs tonight - it was YUMMY!!

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺 - 𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘴! 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘰, 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦. Sweet potato is one of the most underrated budget vegetables out there. It's filling, it's naturally sweet without needing anything added, and it does most of the work in this bowl while you barely have to touch it. 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼 & 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗹𝘀 Serves 4 · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 35 min 𝘐𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴: ● 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed ● 1 tin black beans, drained and rinsed ● 1 tsp ground cumin ● 1 tsp paprika ● Olive oil, salt ● Cooked rice, to serve ● Lime, fresh coriander, and plain yoghurt, to top 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥: 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the cubed sweet potato with olive oil, cumin, paprika, and salt. 2. Roast for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until tender and slightly caramelised at the edges. 3. Warm the black beans through in a small pot with a pinch of cumin. 4. Assemble bowls with rice, roasted sweet potato, and black beans. Top with a dollop of yoghurt, a squeeze of lime, and fresh coriander. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂: Sweet potato is loaded with beta-carotene (which your body converts to vitamin A) and fibre, while staying relatively low in calories for how filling it is. Black beans add plant protein and even more fibre, and together they make a genuinely balanced, complex-carb meal that keeps your energy steady right through the afternoon instead of dipping. 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Sweet potato is a proper South African staple and one of the cheaper vegetables around, especially in season. Roast a full tray at once - it holds up well for two or three meals, not just one, so the 25 minutes of oven time works twice as hard for you. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: The orange colour in sweet potato is beta-carotene, which is the exact same pigment that gives carrots their colour, and it's what your body converts into vitamin A, which matters for everything from your eyesight to your immune system.

This is one of those meals that tastes like it should be more expensive and more complicated than it actually is. It's made up of five ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, it only takes ten minutes to make, and it genuinely rivals a restaurant noodle bowl. 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗹 Serves 4 · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 20 min 𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: ● 250g noodles (any noodles - even spaghetti works) ● 3 tbsp peanut butter ● 1 tbsp soy sauce ● 1 tsp honey ● Squeeze of lime juice (or a splash of vinegar) ● Splash of hot water, to loosen the sauce ● 1 garlic clove, crushed ● Shredded carrot, cucumber, and spring onion, to serve ● Optional: chilli, shredded leftover chicken, crushed peanuts, sesame seeds to sprinkle on top 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱: 1. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, then drain. 2. While they cook, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic, and enough hot water to loosen it into a smooth, pourable sauce. 3. Toss the noodles through the sauce until fully coated. 4. Top with shredded carrot, cucumber, spring onion, and crushed peanuts or leftover chicken if using. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂: Peanut butter brings healthy fats and protein to what would otherwise be a plain plate of carbs. This combination keeps your blood sugar (and your energy) steadier through the afternoon instead of spiking and crashing. The raw veg on top adds fibre, crunch, and vitamins without any extra cooking. 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗽: Buy whichever noodles or pasta is cheapest that week. The sauce carries the flavour, so the noodle itself barely matters. Peanut butter goes a very long way as a base for four servings, and this is a great way to use up veg odds and ends, e.g. the end of a cabbage or a carrot that's seen better days. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Peanuts aren't technically nuts at all. They're legumes that grow underground, which is part of why they're such a genuinely affordable source of protein compared to tree nuts. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻: Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?? And don't say "both," pick a side. Tell me in the comments. 👇

Winter's still got a grip on Cape Town, and this is the pot I keep coming back to. Mostly because it makes six portions from ingredients that cost next to nothing, and half of it goes straight into the freezer for future chilly days or when I don't feel like cooking at all (we all have those days). 𝗕𝗶𝗴-𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 & 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗽 Serves 6 (freezes beautifully) · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 50 min 𝘐𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴: ● 1 cup red lentils, rinsed ● 1 onion, diced ● 2 carrots, diced ● 2 celery stalks, diced (or leave out if you don't have any) ● 2 garlic cloves, crushed ● 1 tin chopped tomatoes ● 1 tsp ground cumin ● 1 tsp paprika ● 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock ● Salt and pepper, to taste ● Optional: chilli flakes 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥: 1. In a large pot, sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes until starting to soften. 2. Stir in the cumin and paprika and cook for 1 minute. 3. Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 4. Simmer for 25–30 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft and the soup has thickened. 5. Blend half of it with a stick blender for a creamier texture, or leave it fully chunky — both work. Sometimes I add some cream to make it extra rich and creamy. Season to taste and serve. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶: Red lentils are one of the highest-fibre, highest-protein plant foods you can buy, and they're low-GI, meaning they release energy slowly, so you stay fuller for longer instead of crashing an hour after lunch. They're also a solid source of iron, which matters especially if you eat little or no meat. 𝘉𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘱: Lentils are one of the cheapest sources of protein per gram, full stop. Make this in a big batch on a Sunday, portion it into containers, and freeze half. You'll always have a "backup lunch" ready for the week you're too tired to cook, which is exactly the week takeout usually wins. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: Red lentils are actually split lentils with the outer skin removed. That's why they cook in half the time of other lentils or beans and don't need any soaking at all. Convenience and nutrition in one.

This is the recipe I make when the fridge looks like a graveyard of good intentions - half a bag of frozen veg, some rice from two nights ago, an egg or two. Fried rice isn't really a recipe so much as a rescue mission, and it's one of the most useful things you can learn to make on a budget. 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗲𝗿-𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 Serves 4 · Prep: 10 min · Cook: 10 min · Total: 20 min 𝘐𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴: ● 3 cups cooked, cold rice (day-old is genuinely best) ● 2 eggs, lightly beaten ● 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables ● 2 spring onions, sliced ● 2 tbsp soy sauce ● 1 garlic clove, crushed ● 1 tbsp oil ● Optional: 1 tsp sesame oil, leftover chicken or ham, chilli 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥: 1. Heat a little oil in a large pan or wok. Pour in the beaten egg, scramble quickly, and set aside. 2. Add a bit more oil, then the garlic and frozen veg. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. 3. Add the cold rice, breaking up any clumps with your spatula, and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes until it starts to catch a little colour. 4. Add the soy sauce and toss to coat evenly. 5. Fold the scrambled egg back through, along with any leftover meat if using. Top with spring onion and a drizzle of sesame oil if you have it. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶: Eggs are a complete protein. They contain everything your body needs and can't make on its own. Frozen vegetables are actually flash-frozen at peak ripeness, so they often hold onto more nutrients than "fresh" veg that's been sitting in transit and on shelves for days. And using up what's already in your freezer means better portion control and a lot less food waste. 𝘉𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘱: This is THE recipe for clearing out wilting veg, half-used sauces, and last night's leftover protein. Anything you don't use becomes tomorrow's lunch instead of the bin. It's worth it to cook extra rice on purpose a couple of nights a week so you've always got cold rice on hand (fresh, hot rice actually goes gluey in fried rice. Cold is correct, not a shortcut). 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: Fried rice has been around for well over a thousand years, and it was invented for exactly this reason - to use up leftover rice so nothing goes to waste. It might be the original zero-waste recipe.