Are you one of those people who genuinely dislike the art of cooking? Or you tend to get so busy with other things in your life that food and the making of it seem like an uphill task?
What if I told you that all it would take you to make a truly satisfying meal is a loaf of bread and a few accompaniments? And you could have your meal ready in 20 minutes or less.
A lot of people tend to forget just how versatile food can be when they’re overwhelmed. It will interest you to know that majority of food actually takes very little time to prepare if you do a little something called a ‘meal prep’.
And if you aren’t one for prepping meals, then you can use ‘shortcuts’. Don’t look so surprised, everyone could benefit from a shortcut here or there. In today’s world, one of the most readily available food items is bread, and I wonder why most people don’t take advantage of it enough. Bread can be eaten as it is, or transformed into something else entirely. And whether it is eaten hot or cold, it always goes down easy. Here are a few recipes to help you elevate this humble food citizen to the level of the gods:
1. EGG-IN-BREAD ROLLUPS
This recipe uses two of the most commonly used ingredients in every household and transforms it into an adventurous food experience. Between the onions and the peppers packed in this bad boy, it is just loaded with delicious goodness.
You’ll need:
2-3 eggs
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 finely chopped red onion
Finely chopped spring onions
1/2 cup veggies of choice (tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage or
mushrooms)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Premade tomato/pepper sauce
Oil for frying
Sliced bread/Pita bread
Directions for Cooking
a. Break your eggs in a measuring cup. Add in the salt, garlic, pepper, spring onions and thyme. Mix well and set aside.
b. On a flat surface or chopping board, use a rolling pin or wine bottle to flatten out your bread slices. c. Spread the sauce on the flattened bread slices.
d. Put a frying pan on medium heat and add a teaspoon of oil. When it becomes hot, add in a bit of the egg mixture.
e. Sprinkle the chopped onions and veggies on the egg mix immediately.
f. Top with a slice of bread, and leave to cook for about 30 seconds.
g. Flip the whole thing over so that the bread is now on the bottom.
h. Remove and put on a paper towel. Roll immediately into a cylinder.
i. Repeat steps e-g until you have used up all the bread and eggs.
Enjoy your meal with a cup of tea or other beverage of choice.
2. VEGAN FRENCH TOAST
If you love to eat French Toast but you wake up one morning to find that you’ve run out of eggs, welcome to French Toast 2.0. I dare say that if you try this recipe, you just might kiss the conventional French Toast goodbye.
You’ll need:
2-3 eggs
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 finely chopped red onion
Finely chopped spring onions
1/2 cup veggies of choice (tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage or mushrooms)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Premade tomato/pepper sauce
Oil for frying
Sliced bread/Pita bread
Directions for Cooking
a. Add all ingredients into a blender, except the water, bread and oil.
b. Add enough water to just about the halfway point of ingredients in the blender.
c. Blend on the medium high setting until everything breaks down and you have a thick batter. If you find it difficult to blend, add more water and if it’s too runny, add more powdered beans.
d. Pour the mix into a wide bowl and leave to sit for about 10 minutes. Test for seasoning and add a bit more if necessary.
e. Add a few teaspoons of oil into a frying pan on medium high heat.
f. Stir the bean mix, and dip in one bread slice. Make sure every part of the bread is coated.
g. Drop in the hot oil and fry till golden brown on one side. Turn on the other side and fry till golden brown as well.
h. Repeat steps e and f till you use up all your ingredients. i. Serve with tea or beverage of your choice. It’s a perfect weekend meal.
3. STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
You might be thinking, French Toast again? Don’t worry, we’re all about upgrading. These Frenchies will fill you up in a matter of slices, but still leave you wanting more. It’s a little messy to make, but so worth it. The wonderful part is that you don’t even need the stove for this, just small electricity.
You’ll need:
Bread Slices
Melted margarine/butter
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Stuffing (This could be as simple as peanut butter and jelly, chocolate spread or a medley of veggies) Electric toaster/sandwich maker.
Directions for Cooking
a. Using a kitchen brush or paper towel, brush some melted margarine on your sandwich maker. Plug it in and leave to get hot.
b. Break your eggs in a shallow bowl, and add in the salt and pepper to taste.
c. Spread your stuffing on one slice of bread and top with another slice.
d. Dip the sandwich you’ve just formed in the egg mixture, making sure to coat both sides of the sandwich. e. Drain the sandwich of excess egg and place in your sandwich maker.
f. When the light turns green and you can smell the egg cooking, take out the toast.
g. Repeat steps c-f until you use up all of your ingredients. h. Enjoy!
Try any of these bread dishes by yourself, with your kids or with family members. At the very least, it’s a new take on old recipes and you will definitely all have some fun making them. You can also feel free to explore and change up ingredients as you want just to see how different flavours are formed. Don’t forget to give us a shoutout when you do.
Ameenah Oke is a blogger, adventurer and recipe creator. All recipes in this piece are original and have been created by her.
All pictures courtesy Ameenah Oke @foodsbymeenah
