This recipe is inspired by this wonderful campaign to save water in Cape Town.
I decided to do a proudly African platter with fresh and vibrant ingredients that celebrate our local produce. Making a meal without using any water is a great way to get back to our roots and cook on the fire or the grill. Keeping the ingredients crunchy, vibrant, and full of all the wonderful nutrients we need from them.
This grilled platter of African goodness- is my tribute to saving water.
Prep Time 25mins
Cooking Time: 30mins
Serves: 4-6 people
Ingredients:
Mange tout or sugar snaps
Broccoli
Zucchini
Sweet corn
Lemons X 3
X 2 Sirloin/rump steaks
Feta cheese
Bunch of fresh parsley
Big red chillies
Dressing:
Olive oil (a big glug)
Mustard X 1tsp
Garlic cloves X 2
Red wine vinegar (a splash)
Squeeze of honey
Method:
You can do this over the open fire or just using a grill pan, whatever you have at home. We just need to use something that is going to give us some charcoal’d vibes.
The first thing we do is prep all the vegetables, cut it however you feel, I like to cut it n all different sizes so when we plate it, it looks beautiful on the plate, also think about presentation.
This is literally a matter of grilling each veg and setting it aside.
When you are grilling the veg think about timing and start with the veg that takes the longest. I usually start with the corn and broccoli, then move on to the other quicker cooking veg (baby marrow, snap peas, etc).
The chillies are completely optional, grill them or keep them fresh, they add a heaty kick which it great with this dish.
The lemons, half them and pop them on the grill. These are great to serve on the side to squeeze when eating- and they will have a more intense flavour when cooked like this.
There is no stress about keeping the veg warm. Cold or room temperature works with this dish, it’s totally up to you.
The last item we need to cook is our beautiful piece of nyama (meat).
This is also flexible so use what you like. Chicken, lamb or pork works. Or just do veggie vibes.
I cook the meat medium rare, 3-5mins on a seriously HOT grill (on each side) and allow it to rest before slicing. I lay these slices over the veg and let the juices flavour our veg.
Lastly the garnish, I like to use a creamy feta and a bunch of flat leaf parsley to sprinkle over the top. Since this dish it on the healthy side, a little creamy spoil works so well.
For the dressing, it’s just a matter of finding an empty jam jar that you have lying around, putting all the ingredients into it and giving it a good shake. I pour this over right at the end, when the platter is ready, or let your guests add their own dressing.
Get creative and take pride it the presentation. This dish really personifies fresh and vibrant, something we don’t get when boiling or steaming food, allowing us to create something yummy without using our precious water to do it.
P.S You can also save water by having a crisp glass of wine to accompany this delicious dish!