Skip the Meat, just for November
The value of so called “Veggiedays”
Meat lovers’ paradise
Most South Africans grow up on meat. We have some of the best steaks in the world, and we know hoe to braai them just right. (Can you hear the sizzle…?)
Now, you know we would never presume to TELL you what to do. We are more about making suggestions and giving options…So, here goes:
What about a month-long moratorium on meat?
We are not talking about anything drastic, nor are we talking about making any life altering changes (yet). We simply want to explore some no-meat November options and tell you why we think they make sense?
Budget
As much as we like to boast about our local meat industry, that doesn’t necessarily translate to our steaks being cheaper. While local meat is more affordable than certain high end imported meats, it is by no means “cheap”. Local is lekker, but it’s also lekker expensive, né?
That is why, with the silly season approaching, we like the idea of a saving some bucks in the month leading up December The figures vary, but it is estimated that by limiting their meat consumption a family of four can save significantly on their grocery bill. (At least R500 per week, or R2000 per month depending on eating habits.)
For a great look at real household food budget, read this.
Health
South Africans are naughty when it comes to what our plates look like. We eat, on average, twice as much meat as we should and three times less veggies than we should. The impact of these eating habits on lifestyle diseases, obesity and general health is immense.
For a deep dive into our eating habits, read this.
Broaden your pallet
South Africans tend to have limited pallets when it comes to what we like to eat. We eat tomatoes, onions, potatoes and carrots. Add a bit of cabbage or pumpkin and that’s about it. Are you interested in eating more plants? Feeling adventurous, Here are some of the most unusual vegetables and how to make them taste great.
Get creative
Meatless doesn’t mean flavourless. In fact, if you do it well, a vegetable-based meal can give you better, more richly complex flavour profiles than any meat heavy dish could.
This crowd-pleasing veggie-meal will tick all the craving boxes and fill up the family on healthy, meat free magic.
We suggest a light and comforting vegetable curry with sambals and crispy poppadoms A true fusion meal, this veggie curry is customizable based on whatever you have in your fridge or know that your family likes.
This recipe is a guideline based on what works for us. You do you, ok?
Vegetables:
Cubes of potato, sweet potato/butternut and carrot as the bulk of the curry.
Add fine green beans, cauliflower and broccoli if you want. Chopped spinach and a hand full of frozen peas also work well.
The secret to this meal is not to overcook your veggies, while still allowing your flavours to get jiggy with each other.
Add-ons:
- Your favourite curry spice blend. This will depend on your heat tolerance and preferences.
- A bit of oil for frying
- Coconut milk (vegan) or dairy cream (Lactovegetarian)
- A packet of poppadom’s, ready for frying.
- Cooked basmati or short grain rice. (This goes well with Couscous or Quinoa as well!)
Sambals:
- Finely dice tomato, cucumber, yellow pepper and red onion, season with salt, sugar and black pepper
- Chop ripe mango, pineapple and a few strands of saffron or a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
Top tip: Make your sambals ahead of time and leave them in the fridge to “infuse”.
Now for the cooking:
Layered flavour is your friend. Achieve this by toasting your spices in a dry pan (just don’t scorch them) before you do anything else.
Then, add oil to the pan, and brown the root veggies in the oil and spice mix. (This is not to cook them, but just to flavour them.)
Now add your coconut milk or dairy cream and allow the root veggies to soften a bit and your sauce to start bubbling away. Once your potatoes are very nearly soft, add the other veggies that have a shorter cooking time, and cover. The steam and heat of the bubbling sauce will cook them in no time.
Once tender, take the pot off the heat and allow your curry to stand and infuse without cooking further while you fry your poppadom’s in shallow oil, following the instructions on the package.
For extra protein you can add any canned bean or other legume of your choice. Butterbeans, chickpeas and cannelloni or red kidney beans work well.
Serve with brown basmati rice, sambals and shards of crispy poppadom. Don’t forget the Mrs Balls Chutney.
This curry just gets better with time, will feed an army and have your glowing with that veggie-vitality!
If a curry isn’t your style, try our Vegan Braai options or simply serve up a fully loaded salad.
