Make every braai a plant-based feast!
Try a plant-based feast with family and friends this National Braai Day on the 24th of September!
If you are new to the concept of meatless feasting and think it will be a bit of a schlepp, we have put together a starter kit so good you and your vegan and vegetarian guests can really enjoy a cruelty free day.
There is however a significant difference between these two-lifestyle food-groups for a host to keep in mind. If you are a bit lost with your friends’ eating lifestyles, let us get a dictionary out before the braaiing grill is warmed up.
The Mirriam-Webster Dictionary explains that the word vegetarian sprouted up in 1839. Fruitarian (a person who lives on fruit) ripened by 1893. In 1944, vegetarians who consume no animal, dairy or chicken products began calling themselves vegans. Then, in 1993, those who eat fish, but no other meat chose pesce, the Italian word for "fish," to create the designation pescatarian. Another recent dietary word is flexitarian, a person who follows a mostly vegetarian diet but occasionally eats meat or fish.
For some of these animal-friendly lifestyle food-groupings, it is all about principled and compassionate choices you make every time you walk into a supermarket to buy ingredients, eat out or prepare supper at home.
With meat production contributing to the climate and farmed
animal crisis, such principled consumers hold a powerful key to deciding the fate of millions of farmed animals and the planet by making informed choices about plant-based lifestyles.
A #EatKind lifestyle can be created by going towards an animal-friendly lifestyle step by step. Why don’t you start at the braai grill to begin your journey towards a more compassionate lifestyle with animal welfare in mind? With a bit of creativity, you can keep everyone happy and celebrate with a plant-based feast – no animal products required:
- Sosaties or kebabs from fruit and vegetables: tasty combinations include eggplant cut into cubes put on a skewer with tofu cheese. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and rosemary. Grill on medium to hot coals until soft.
Braai hint: Baste and rotate until smoky brown.
- Mushroom medallions: Mix breadcrumbs with garlic and thyme, spoon the mixture onto large mushrooms and drizzle with olive oil. Close up in foil and braai for 15 minutes on the side of the braai grill.
Braai hint: Open the foil those last minutes to catch all that smokiness.
- Sweet treats: Fruit tastes sweeter on the grill. So, try grilling bananas cut up in half lengthways on medium heat on a clean grill after marinading them in coconut milk. Serve with a sprig of mint. Lovely grill marks make this easy on the hungry eye!
Braai hint: Place above the embers and keep your eyes on them as fruit burns easily on a braai-grill.
- Plant-based braai look-alikes: There are many plant-based products available that are styled to look like meat products but have no animal ingredients at all. A great one to try for a braai is products styled to look like sausages that do not contain any meat, preservatives, or genetically modified ingredients.
Braai hint: Plant-based alternatives can easily become very dry on the braai grill. Turn these frequently and brush with olive oil after each turn.
- Butternut beauties: Slice butternuts open and remove the pips. Marinade for 15 minutes with olive oil mixed with origanum and salt and pepper. Wrap the butternuts in foil and place on the coals for half an hour.
Braai hint: Place foil parcels around the edges of the grate. This roasts the butternuts without charring.
- What is a braai without a potjie? Spice things up a bit by getting a vegetarian potjie going - cup for cup, layer by layer. Put a potjie over moderate coals and spoon some olive oil in. Add a cup of baby corn, a cup of diced carrots, a cup of zucchini cubes and a cup of button mushrooms. Add water to cover vegetables. Drain a tin of beans of your choice and add with a cup of rice. Season with salt and pepper. Mix half a cup of olive oil with herbs of choice and the water from the beans. Throw over the vegetables and let it simmer with the lid on. 30 to 40 minutes for crunchy veggies on moderately hot coals and an hour for mushier and softer veggies on warm coals.
Braai hint: The difference between ‘potjiekos’ and a ‘bredie’ (stew) is that a ‘potjie’ is never stirred while cooking on the coals. Once you have put on the lid, you will not lift it again unless it is time to serve up.
