6 tips for rescuing your dinner during a power cut

Once you’ve stocked up on these loadshedding pantry staples, browse our loadshedding recipes for recipes that are designed to make your life easier in many ways.

The power went off when my cake had been in the oven for three-quarters of the required baking time. Can I save it?

Yes. It’s as easy as scooping out the raw centre, then filling the cake with fruit and ice cream or custard for dessert. Alternatively, turn this “disaster” into a delicious layered dessert by breaking the cake into pieces and arranging in alternating layers in a sundae glass with cream or ice cream. Trifle, anyone?
Try: fruit salad trifle

The chicken has been roasting in the oven for 30 minutes and loadshedding hits. What can I do?
Separate the par-cooked chicken into portions and finish it in a pan of simmering stock over a gas flame. You could also make a chicken-noodle broth: place a pot of water on the gas, add spring onions, celery and carrots, and simmer until the chicken is cooked. Add noodles toward the end to cook for 5 minutes. Shred the chicken into the broth and serve.

I usually whip up a salad dressing in my blender. How do I emulsify when there’s no electricity?
Simply put the dressing ingredients in a glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until the dressing has emulsified. You could also thicken it by adding more chopped herbs of your choice, or by adding a dollop of mayonnaise or mustard.

The chops are ready to grill, and now there’s an outage. And I’ve run out of firewood. Now what?

Disposable charcoal braais are indispensable for picnics, camping… and loadshedding. They’re always handy to have on hand for a quick, impromptu braai. Investing in a portable gas cooker is also a great idea. They’re inexpensive and ready to use at a moment’s notice.

I prepared a hearty soup a few hours before scheduled loadshedding, but how do I keep it warm until supper time?

Make your own home-made Wonderbag by covering the pot with a lid and wrapping it in layers of newspaper, which serve as insulation. Cover the pot with a duvet. The soup will stay piping hot for hours. Decanting the soup into a flask will also keep it warm enough until you are ready to feed your family.
Browse all soup recipes here.