Article from the September 2015 issue of Food and Home Entertaining Magazine.
We all want to be able to celebrate heritage day, no matter what our foodie preference. And braais are by no means for meat – lovers alone! We’ve put together a braai day banquet for all you trusty vegans out there…
White bean and baby marrow burgers with cashew mayo and a sprout salad
Serves 4 easy 15 – 30 mins
The flavour combination white bean and baby marrow burgers
1/2 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained
30ml (2 tbsp) flaxseeds
30ml (2 tbsp) chia seeds
30ml (2 tbsp) ground almonds
5ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika
zest of 1 lemon
4 baby marrows, grated
30g sunflower seeds salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Vegan cashew mayo
100g cashews, soaked for 10 minutes in boiling water, drained and water discarded
30ml (2 tbsp) water
15ml (1 tbsp) Dijon mustard
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
10ml (2 tsp) white vinegar
To serve
4 burger buns, halved and toasted handful lettuce leaves
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced lengthways
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into rings
handful sprouts of your choice lemon wedges, to squeeze
How to do it
1 Prepare a braai to grill the burgers over medium-high heat.
2 For the burger patties, place all of the ingredients – except the baby marrows, sunflower seeds and seasoning – in a blender and blitz until just smooth. Remove from blender and stir in the grated baby marrows and sunflower seeds. Season well to taste.
3 Divide the burger mixture into 4 and shape into patties. Grill on the braai until slightly charred, 3 – 4 minutes.
4 For the vegan cashew mayo, place all of the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Season to taste.
5 To assemble the burgers, place a dollop of mayo on each burger-bun half. Top with some lettuce, a patty, avo slices, tomato slices, red onion slices and sprouts. Close the burgers and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Braaied spiced aubergine and tofu skewers
Serves 4 easy 30 mins
The flavour combinations
2 aubergines, cut into 2cm cubes
1 x 297g block tofu, cut into 2cm cubes
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, each
snipped into 2
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
1,25ml (1/4 tsp) dried chilli flakes
5ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
5ml (1 tsp) ground coriander
5ml (1 tsp) sumac
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
fresh bay leaves, to garnish (optional)
How to do it
1 Prepare a braai to grill the skewers over medium-high heat.
2 Thread the aubergine cubes, tofu cubes and rosemary onto 4 metal skewers. Drizzle with the olive oil.
3 In a separate bowl, combine the chilli flakes and spices. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the assembled skewers and season well to taste.
4 Place the skewers on the braai and grill until slightly charred, about 20 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with fresh bay leaves, if desired.
Braaied flatbreads with hummus and spring greens
Serves 4 easy 30 mins
The flavour combination
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
zest and juice of 1 lemon
5ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
5ml (1 tsp) ground coriander
125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Flatbreads
300g cake flour
2,5ml (1/2 tsp) salt
15ml (1 tbsp) baking powder
5ml (1 tsp) cumin seeds
5ml (1 tsp) dried rosemary
45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
90ml warm water
100g asparagus spears, blanched
100g frozen peas, thawed
pea shoots, to garnish
How to do it
1 For the hummus, place the chickpeas, garlic, lemon zest and juice, spices and the 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil in a blender, and blitz until almost smooth. Season to taste and set aside.
2 For the flatbreads, sieve together the cake flour, salt and baking powder. Stir the cumin seeds and dried rosemary through the dry ingredients. Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil and water into the well and gently start to incorporate the dry and wet ingredients until smooth and elastic, 5 minutes. Set the dough aside to rest for 10 minutes.
3 Prepare a braai to grill the flatbreads over medium heat.
4 Divide the dough into 8 balls and, using a rolling pin, roll out to 0,5cm thickness. Place the flatbreads on the braai and grill until slightly charred, 3 minutes on each side.
5 To serve, place the hummus on a plate and top with the blanched asparagus spears and peas. Garnish with pea shoots and serve alongside the flatbreads as a shared snack.
Braaied bananas with toasted coconut and coconut- caramel sauce
Serves 4 easy 30 mins
The flavour combination coconut-caramel sauce
230g sugar
60ml (1/4 cup) water pinch salt
1 x 400ml tin coconut cream, chilled and unshaken
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
4 bananas, unpeeled and sliced in half lengthways
50g coconut oil
30g castor sugar
small handful coconut shavings, toasted, to serve fresh mint, to garnish
How to do it
1 Prepare a braai to grill the bananas over medium heat.
2 For the coconut-caramel sauce, place the sugar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, not stirring at all. Cook until golden brown in colour, about 7 minutes.
3 While the caramel cooks, open the tin of coconut cream and carefully scoop the thick, creamy layer off the top (it should equal around 175ml). Reserve the creamy layer and keep the water layer remaining in the tin for another meal (it makes a delicious addition to soups!).
4 When the caramel is ready, remove from heat and add the coconut cream (thick layer). Return to the heat and stir continuously, 5 minutes. Once the caramel is ready, stir in the vanilla essence and set aside to cool a little.
5 Dot the bananas with the coconut oil and a sprinkling of castor sugar. First, toast the skin side of the bananas on the braai, 3 minutes, then turn them over and toast the flesh, 3 minutes.
6 To serve, sprinkle the bananas with coconut shavings and fresh mint and serve alongside the coconut caramel.
Berry and pecan crumble
Serves 6-8 easy 45 mins
The flavour combination
350g frozen berries
5ml (1 tsp) sherry vinegar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence pinch salt
100g sugar
125g cake flour
175g brown sugar
60g rolled oats
120ml canola oil
50g pecans, chopped
fresh berries, to serve icing sugar, to dust
How to do it
1 Prepare your closed braai (braai with a lid) to bake: open the lid and bowl vents and arrange glowing briquettes on each side of the charcoal grate. Pour a little water into a drip tray and place it between the glowing briquettes. Replace the cooking grate and close the lid.
2 Grease a 20cm-diameter round ovenproof dish.
3 Combine the frozen berries, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, salt and sugar. Place in the oven dish.
4 For the crumble, mix together the cake flour, brown sugar, rolled oats and canola oil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the berry mixture and bake in the closed braai until the topping is golden brown, 20 – 30 minutes. Serve the crumble with fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar.
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