Carey-Anne Kerby’s kitchen is the heart of her home where love is the universal ingredient she adds to simple, budget-friendly and quite frankly delicious meals she cooks in bulk and freezes for her family, furbabies and a couple of strays she’s adopted.
“One should never shy away from preparing large amounts of food at once – it can save you time and money. The key is to choose the right kinds of dishes to cook and freeze, the kinds that are also packed with goodness, especially in winter.”
“Typically, neither of my kids has ever been mad about veggies so I’ve found ways, through cooking, to give them all the goodness they need and, most of the time, they don’t even realise how many vegetables they’re eating in one meal! I like to spend at least one Sunday a month in the kitchen cooking old school favourites and some special treats that I can freeze to eat later in the month. And I’ll be brutally honest, there’s nothing extravagant about these dishes, no over the top presentations. It’s just real food, made real good, with an element of comfort in each dish. I hope you enjoy these recipes.”
Easy Tinned Bean and Bacon Soup
This recipe is inspired by my grandmother’s old fashioned Bean and Trotter Soup. She used to take nearly two days to make this, but I found a way to make this in an hour. It’s perfect for a cold winter’s night and a great meal to cook in bulk and freeze.
You’ll need: 250g bacon bits; 1 tbsp. coconut oil; 1 onion chopped fine; 1 clove garlic chopped fine; 2 bay leaves; 2ml ground roasted coriander; 3ml salt; ground black pepper; 1 Knorr chicken stock pot; 1 tin chopped tomato; 1 tin baked beans; 1 tin cannelloni beans; 1 tin borlotti beans; 1 tin red kidney beans; 1 tin chick peas; 1 tin water
Method: Fry bacon until sticky, add chopped onion and garlic plus spices. Once onion is translucent, add tinned tomato and cook down until excess water evaporates. Add all the other tinned beans and one tin water and cook until it forms the desired consistency, about 30min, but it depends on your preference. Serve warm with your favourite bread and a dollop of butter.
Note: I like to garnish with some sesame seed oil and a dash of lemon juice, but this is optional.
Spaghetti Bolognaise (with loads of veggies)
I invented this recipe for my kids who claimed they did not eat vegetable, but only because they didn’t know I was sneaking veggies into dishes like this one. This sauce helps me make a healthy dinner for the family in less than 30 minutes, and they love it!
For the Pasta Sauce you’ll need: 2 tbsp. coconut oil; 3 onions; 3 cloves garlic; 4 bay leaves; 1 tsp ground coriander; 2 carrots; 2 parsnips; 2 sticks celery; 2 beetroot; 1 medium butternut; 2 tins tomato paste; 2 tins chopped tomato; 3kgs fresh ripe tomatoes
Method: Peel and chop all the veg. Heat oil in a huge pot, fry all veg and spices, except for the tomatoes, over a high heat and allow to brown a little as this adds flavour. Add tinned tomatoes and fry, and then add chopped tomatoes. Do not add water as there is enough water in the tomatoes. Reduce heat and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally. Once all your vegetables have softened, remove from heat, remove the bay leaves and using a stick blender, blend the entire pot. Allow to cool and divide into containers and freeze to use later.
Note: You can make sauce for pizza bases with this same recipe. Just boil it to reduce until it forms a thick paste.
For the Spaghetti Sauce you’ll need: 200g beef mince; 200g chicken mince; 200g bacon bits; 1 tin tomato paste; 2 cups of your homemade pasta sauce; 2 tbsp. coconut oil; salt and pepper to taste
Method: In a large pot, brown the bacon and both minces in coconut oil then add tomato paste and cook through. Add your pasta sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until it’s ready to serve over spaghetti or any other pasta of your choice.
White Choc Chip Scones
I got really bored with traditional scones so I decided to pimp the traditional scone recipe I was taught by adding choc chips and vanilla, I transformed boring scones into melt-in-your-mouth delectable ones everybody loves.
You’ll need: 1 egg; 80ml double cream yoghurt; 3ml vanilla essence; 80ml butter; 2cups flour; 2 tsp baking powder; salt; ½ cup white choc chips
Method: Mix dry ingredients with cold butter to form bread crumbs. Add choc chips, then make a well in the centre. Mix the wet ingredients together and pour into the well. Cut through using a butter knife until the ingredients are just mixed. Don’t over mix! Press the mixture together to form a ball of dry dough. Flatten to about 2cm thick, forming a square shape and cut into 16 equal parts. You can use a cookie or scone cutter to make round ones if you prefer. Place gently on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes at 190°C. Serve hot, break open, add a dollop of butter and devour!
Note: These can be frozen, but allow to defrost thoroughly before reheating in the oven preferably.
Contact: Carey-Anne Kerby on 072 556 2648 or e-mail [email protected]
