Get inspired

GET INSPIRED {TAKE IT OUTSIDE}

TITBITS, TRENDS AND STUFF WE LOVE COMPILED BY MELISSA NDLOVU AND GAIL DAMON PHOTOS: ESTVAN VERMEULEN FOOD ASSISTANT: KRISTEN SCHEEPERS

YOU CANBRAAITHAT?

The char from the braai along with the fragrant, acidic dressing takes the humble sweet potato to the next level.

4-6 sweet potatoes, cut horizontally into 2cm-thick slices Olive oil, for rubbing Salt and milled pepper

Dressing:

Handful fresh coriander, chopped ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil 2 Tbsp (30ml) soy sauce 2 Tbsp (30ml) honey Grated peel and juice (60-90ml) of 2-3 limes 1-2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped

SERVES 6-8

Rub sweet potatoes in oil and season. Grill over medium coals for 5-8 minutes a side until charred. Combine dressing ingredients and serve drizzled over sweet potatoes.

Don’t limit your braai to chops and wors. We get creative with some cool foods you never thought of throwing over the coals. Yip, we tried it… and it’s good!

GRILLED ROMAINE HEARTS WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

SWEET POTATO “STEAKS” WITH CHILLI-LIME AND CORIANDER DRESSING

Smoky, creamy and infused with delicious umami fl avour, you might never eat lettuce any other way again!

2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil 2 Tbsp (30ml) miso paste or hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp (15ml) honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and milled pepper 3-4 romaine lettuce hearts, halved and rinsed Chopped chives and toasted almonds, for serving

Dressing:

1 wedge (100g) blue cheese, crumbled ¼ cup (60ml)

mayonnaise

¼ cup (60ml) sour

cream

¼ cup (60ml) plain

yoghurt

1 tsp (5ml) garlic

powder

Grated peel and juice (30ml) of ½ lemon Honey, to taste

SERVES 6-8

Combine oil, miso paste or hoisin sauce, honey and garlic. Season. Brush basting sauce generously over both sides of lettuce hearts. Grill over hot coals for 5-8 minutes until charred, basting again as it cooks. Blitz dressing ingredients until smooth and season. Drizzle dressing over grilled lettuce and serve garnished with chives and almonds.

Trend alert! Braai waffl es

No meal is complete without dessert, so why should a braai be any different? We see you licking your lips...

PnP strawberry, marshmallow & white chocolate braai waffl es (4s) PnP chocolate & caramel braai waffl es (4s)

Serve these babies with ice cream or get creative and turn them into ice- cream sandwiches. Nom nom nom!

WHAT THE HACK BY LESEGO

A HOME COOK’S GUIDE TO KITCHEN CONFIDENCE

Spring means one thing: it’s time to braai and soak up the sun. Here’s why you should have some lemons handy:

• To prevent fi sh from sticking to the grid, make a bed of thinly sliced lemons to place it on. The citrus will also protect it from intense heat and infuse extra fl avour into your fi sh.

• Grill lemon halves cut-side down on the braai until char marks appear, then add to a blender with some sugar or honey and water and blitz. Pour into a jug, top with sparkling or soda water, and serve your next-level lemonade.

braai until char marks appear, then add to

TOP TIP Burgers on the braai? Make an indent in the centre of the patty with your thumb and place an ice cube in it. As the patty cooks, the ice melts and distributes much-needed moisture. WHAT TO DO IN YOUR ’HOOD Visit any PnP store nationwide or go to Webtickets.co.za to book for these fab events

Reach new heights

If the idea of a gravity-defying drop reaching speeds of up to 100km/h excites you, then this is for you! The Sky-Hi Ride on the roof of Hotel Sky in Cape Town, 146 metres above the city, is the fi rst of its kind in Africa and one of only seven in the world. Give it a go!

Price: R250pp (R50 for observation only)

Take a different kind of journey

The state-of-the-art Rope Adventure Park in Krugersdorp is fun for the whole family. The course, made up of 26 exciting obstacles and six zip-lines, will take you through the trees and over slippery water slides as you climb and foefi e-slide along the 350-metre course. You can even do it at night, as the ropes are neon-lit. Price: R130pp

Travel back in time

Just 45 minutes from Joburg, Maropeng is the visitor centre for the Cradle of Humankind, a World Heritage Site. Here you can embark on a fascinating tour back in time to the very beginning of the origin of the planet and our species. The entry to the centre includes the coolest “boat ride”, and exploring the nearby fossil-rich Sterkfontein Caves is thrilling. Price: R100pp per site

A NOD TO

PINOTAGE

It’s Pinotage Day on 9 October, and as South Africans we are super-proud of this lovely local varietal. We called on PnP Wine Club ambassador Dan Nicholl to answer everything we’ve always wanted to know about this vino

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PnP exclusive

There are many origin tales about pinotage ` and how it came about. Who would you say was the founding father – Prof Perold or CT Theron?

I’d have to go with the Prof on this one!

Do you think this combination of grapes (pinot noir and cinsault) was a chance encounter or intentional?

Divine intervention… There was certainly intent in the experiment but the two grapes coming together as they did, and when they did, was serendipity.

What makes pinotage so special?

The South African heritage is huge for us, obviously, but it’s also a grape that lends itself to varying styles and interpretations, which range from the light and playful to the broad-shouldered and serious.

If you had to describe the notes and mouthfeel to newbies, what would it be likened to?

In the more traditional style, think dark fruit, a hint of chocolate, a slight earthiness, and a big, bold sweep across the palate as you drink it. But every bottle will have its own charm and personality.

Is it true that pinotage can only be grown in South Africa?

Not at all. It’s not often found beyond our borders, but they’re now making pinotage in Canada of all places!

Can it be aged?

The style will dictate for how long but, yes, defi nitely. Lighter, fruitier pinotage will benefi t from a year or two in bottle; a more robust version can easily go a decade and more. I’ve had some that were decades old and delightful.

Food, glorious food! This wine is perfect with…?

Lashings of rich venison stew, preferably beside a roaring fi re, with Barry White playing in the background.

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NEW

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TRY THESE:

1. L’Avenir Pinotage Rosé Cap Classique (the fi rst bubbly made with pinotage), R240 2. Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage Rosé, R75 3. Bellingham Homestead Pinotage Light (low alcohol), R95 4. Beyerskloof Pinotage Reserve, R180 5. Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage, R125

Win wine for a year!

Great Heart Wines is the empowerment project of Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines. With the aim of improving the lives of those who work for the company as well as their families, the Great Heart Wines brand is collectively owned by the winery staff, and a portion of all sales goes directly to them. The African wagtail bird was aptly chosen as the symbol for this project, as in local folklore it is known for its acts of selfl essness and courage in assisting others. One lucky Fresh Living reader will win six mixed cases of Great Heart Wines worth R4 000. To enter, turn to page 105. Keywords: Great Heart

MAKE IT saucy Give your taste buds the flavour they deserve with the all-new Nando’s Garlic PERinaise Sauce

It has the creaminess of a dressing, the spiciness of PERi-PERi and burst of garlicky goodness – all the right flavours in just one bottle! Add the all-new Nando’s Garlic PERinaise Sauce to chips, sandwiches, braai goodies and salads – or simply have it on a spoon! This drool-worthy sauce is available at selected PnP stores, so add it to your trolley and enjoy!

CHILLI BOERIE ROLLS WITH CRISPY ONIONS AND SPICY TOMATO RELISH

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 500g boerewors with Nando’s PERi-PERi Prego Sauce and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Slice 2 onions into rings. Dip onion rings in water, then into a little flour (shake off excess flour and repeat). Heat a glug of oil in a pan and fry onion rings in batches until golden and crispy. For spicy tomato relish, fry 2 diced onions in a glug of oil until soft. Add 2 peeled and diced tomatoes and 2 Tbsp (30ml) Nando’s PERi-PERi Prego Sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Add a pinch of sugar. Serve boeries in 4 halved hotdog rolls, top with tomato relish and crispy onions, and drizzle with Nando’s Garlic PERinaise Sauce. SERVES 4

GOOD IDEAI Serve with spicyi sweet potatoi wedges.i

CHECK IT OUT! Visit nandos.co.za or like and follow @NandosSouthAfrica on Facebook. Better yet, find more ideas at nandos.co.za/eat/recipes