One Pot – Cookbook for South Africans
Louisa Holst
Human & Rousseau
Review: Karen Watkins
Louisa Holst, the award-winning Blouberg author of the popular South African Air Fryer Cookbooks, is back with another clever concept.
Cooking dishes in one pot on a stove-top has much appeal, especially the idea of having less dishes to wash up afterwards.
After unwrapping the comfortingly soft-back book and having a quick flick through, I created a list of 12 recipes to try.
The Broccoli and Cheese Pasta was first with its cream cheese sauce and was delicious.
Golden ready-made gnocchi in a yummy brinjal and cherry tomato sauce went down well with friends who’d been invited to taste.
The book includes some classic dishes, with a twist, including bobotie, beef stroganoff, jambalaya, vegetable paella, ostrich stew and lasagne.
Compiled during load shedding with no electricity to use air fryers, Holst writes that she wanted an easy supper time solution, whether there’s electricity or not.
Each one-page recipe is illustrated and provides serving quantity, preparation and cooking times, ingredients – sometimes with alternatives – and simple method. The recipes are uncomplicated, quick to prepare and economical, often made with ingredients already in the fridge or store cupboard. They are also easy and suitable for beginners, students and teenagers.
Apart from shopping list and cooking tips, the book is divided into comforting one-pot wonders: stir-fries, pasta, bread-based meals, batch cooking for the freezer, rice meals and even some stove top sweet treats.
The book is ideal for busy people, families and young adults, as well as for week night meals and camping trips. Even vegetarians and vegans will enjoy the many non-animal recipes or can swap these with the many plant-based substitutes in supermarkets.
Holst has been a food consultant, recipe developer and food editor for over 20 years. This is a must have cookbook.
