— See Steph de Sousa in Frugal Foodie on SBS Food and SBS On Demand from 20 May. —
The kitchen is Steph de Sousa’s happy place – but she knows not everyone feels the same, and she’s built a big, happy online community of people who love the way her recipes make cooking less stressful and more affordable.
“I think I'm the minority in that I love cooking dinner. It's my favourite part of the day. I think for most people that ‘what's for dinner’ is really stressful ... So, if they can make something that is quick, easy and delicious, and it's not going to fail because it's easy to do, it really takes a lot of the pressure off them,” she says when SBS catches up with her to talk recipes, food memories and the importance of community.
“There’s this thing that we say, ‘Is it doable?’ It's one of the questions that I ask myself, is this a doable recipe? Because dinner needs to be doable.”
Known for her bright shirts and approachable food, de Sousa first caught Australia’s attention in the 2019 season of Masterchef. Since then, she’s become the author of three cookbooks, including the recently released No Stress Recipe Queen, hosted TV series The Frugal Foodie, developed a meal plan subscription service, and has a social media community of more than a million followers who love her cheery attitude and approachable food.
Her cooking has been shaped by many influences, including growing up on a farm, spending time in Vanuatu many years ago, cooking for a family, and by the food her husband has brought into her life.
“I lived there for a couple of years when two of my babies were particularly small, and imported food is really expensive over there. So, you kind of learn to live on the food from the market, what's fresh, what's available and seasonal. That really changed the way that I think I developed as a family cook. You know, cooking dinner at home, it was minimal ingredients, cooking what was in season, which is always cheaper, ultimately.
“My husband was born in a place called Goa in India, which was ruled by the Portuguese. So he has this really interesting influence of the Portuguese on his Indian cooking, which is just fabulous and delicious. And I think when I met him, I didn't really cook with much spice before I met him, and he's really introduced me to that side of my cooking. And there's not many recipes that I cook that don't have some kind of herb or spice in them. It just makes such a difference in in flavour… Growing up, we were very much a meat and three vegetable kind of family. We grew up on a farm and were pretty self-sufficient with our meat and our fruit and vegetables and dairy, so that was kind of just how we ate. So, meeting him just opened up my world, which I just love.”
There's not many recipes that I cook that don't have some kind of herb or spice in them. It just makes such a difference in in flavour.
These days, she shares her recipes and tips with very engaged on-line community. “It’s really touching, it’s lovely,” she says. With busy lives and scattered families leading to less time spent sharing meals around a table for many Australians, does social media help maintain some of those ties?
“Absolutely, there are people, when I go through my comments, they will have been on my page every day, and they would have commented, and they'll even be having a chat with other people within my community that they would have only met there and have this para-social relationship. It's lovely, actually, especially I think as people get a bit older. My audience is a little bit older, and I think life can get a bit isolated as you get a bit older, too. So, I think it's a really nice way for people to be able to still communicate with people. And from an accessibility point too …I have a quite a strong audience. And I know this through meeting people in real life, [there are] a lot of people that are carers, either professional carers or, circumstantially caregivers, including for people that are neurodivergent. My recipes are apparently really good for them, because they're quite easy to read, very straightforward, not a lot of measuring involved.”
Try Steph's recipe for Spanish-style choizo rice, a hearty one-pan meal ready in 30 minutes.
On her website, she talks about recipes for “tired nights” and it’s a phrase many of us can likely relate to. Even if you do love cooking, life can make the meal decisions feel like a lot! So what are her top tips for people who might be stressed, super busy or trying to cook good meals while watching their budget?
Planning ahead, and low-effort recipes, she says.
“The secret really is planning. And I know they've probably been told that before, but it really is the secret. It's doing a meal plan. You have to know what you want to cook during the week, and you have to shop for it, and you kind of got to stick to it if you want to save money, and if you want to watch what you're eating, making sure your nutrition is there. You have to plan for it, because the Friday night you needs to depend on the Sunday afternoon you that's doing your meal plan. Because you are not as tired on that Sunday when you're doing that meal plan, … But if you haven't done the prep, that Friday night you is going to go for takeaway.”
...if you haven't done the prep, that 'Friday night you' is going to go for takeaway.
And what about those who know meal planning is great but are really tired and stressed, or just don’t have the energy for it?
“Cook once, eat twice, is a really good one: double a recipe and have it in the freezer or for another night or another use. I think that's a really important one if you don't like cooking, or if you're new to it.”
“Another really good one is, if you're not good at planning, you could sign up for a menu plan. Or Hello Fresh and things like that. Although you know, they're a bit more expensive, I think if you are not doing your planning and you're really not committed to it, those things can actually save you money. So, investing in a meal plan or a subscription to get you back into the routine of cooking and planning, if it's just for a month, it can really get you into some good habits and some really good meal ideas.”
Try Steph's one-pan Greek-style chicken bake recipe.
When it comes to good recipes, one-pan dinners are an eternal favourite; there’s an episode devoted to them in her Frugal Foodie TV show, plenty in her new cookbook and her social media community loves them, too.
“I think they love it for a few reasons,” she says. “One is because they're usually fairly minimal ingredients. They're quick to make. But also, the cleanup is pretty easy as well with one pan, especially if you've got a nice pan that you can actually just take it from the stove top or the oven and bang it straight on the kitchen table, where everybody can get in and share. It's just so easy.”
De Sousa also encourages cooks to change recipes to suit their preferences, dietary needs or what they have on hand – again, lowering the stress.
“Swap in, swap outs. You know, that's one thing that I think my recipes are really good for, is, you know, if you don't like beef, just use chicken instead. You know, if you don't like onion, don't use it. That's okay, you know, just, I think you have to give yourself permission in order to go all right, I can adjust this. And I think that comes with kitchen confidence. Probably, when you're starting out, you don't feel like you can do those things, but I the more you cook, the better out you get at those things. And I think also feeling sort of supported by having a good recipe to start with.”
She’s also a fan of the baking, and the comfort that can bring.
“I think memories form comfort as well. I did a post on my social media the other day, and I asked ‘If you could get your mum to cook you one thing right now, what would it be?’. And I had such a huge response. And it's that thinking about, what you used to eat and how it makes you feel, I think is really important. A lot of desserts come from that space as well, which is lovely.”
The new book includes a recipe for chewy choccy cookie bars (get the recipe here), with an intro that says “sometimes all you need is a cookie to turn your day around … no fancy gear needed – just mix, bake and try not to eat the whole lot in one go!”.
In sweet coincidence, it turns out it’s not one she’s inherited, but it has become a favourite with her family.
“It's not actually a family recipe, but I actually have a batch of it at home right now. It's such a favourite with the kids. And you know why? Because some of my kids like chewy cookies, and some of them like crunchy ones. So, the ones that like the crunchy ones, they eat all the outside bits, and the ones that like the chewy ones, they eat the inside bits, and they're just perfect.”
Find more from Steph de Sousa at her Easy Recipe Gang website and on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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