The perfect Braai Day side dish!

Chat Leave a comment September 22, 2017 nutritionadsa

If you are planning to celebrate Braai Day this weekend, add this delicious, South African Baby Marrow, Feta & Peppadew Salad to your menu. Created by dietitian and co-author of Eat Ting, Mpho Tshukudu, this salad is versatile and goes well with meat, chicken and fish.

Baby marrows are indigenous to South Africa. They make beautiful salads, soups, stir-fries and can also be used in baking to add moisture and fibre to the dish. They are a relatively low kilojoule vegetable and are a source of fibre and vitamin C.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium baby marrows (about 180 – 200g)

1/2 cup (125 ml) peppadew peppers, drained and roughly chopped and 1 Tbsp of the liquid

1 tsp (5 ml) + 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, divided

1 cup (250 ml / 220 g) halved cherry tomatoes – use different colours if available

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh thyme

3 Tbsp (45 ml) chopped chives

(60 g) feta cheese, broke into small pieces or cubed

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Preheat grill to medium. Slice baby marrow into 1/2 cm rounds.

Toss the baby marrow with 1 tsp (5 ml) oil.

Lay the baby marrow on a hot grill and turn once water droplets form on top, and there are slight char marks on the heated side.

Place the baby marrow on a cooling rack to cool, in a single layer to prevent them going too soft

In a large bowl, toss together baby marrow, peppadew peppers, tomatoes, chives and thyme.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic and black pepper.

Add the dressing to the vegetables and toss to coat.

Add feta cheese.

 

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS PER SERVING

This recipe serves 4.

 

Energy: 113.75 kCal / 477.75 kJ

Carbs: 9.7 g

Protein: 4.2 g

Fat: 8.2 g

Sodium: 197.8 mg

Fibre: 1.5 g

 

Get ready for National Braai Day!

Chat Leave a comment September 22, 2016 nutritionadsa

In celebration of one of South Africa’s favourite past times (braaing) and the day dedicated to it (National Braai Day) our dietitians, Monique Piderit and Brigitte Leclercq, have put together some practical tips for a healthier braai:

• A braai is a great excuse to get your greens in. Be creative when doing this, such as making interesting salads.
• Try alternate your protein sources instead of only eating red meat, which may become boring after a while- try something like stuffed fish (stuff with nectarines for something different)- always make sure you are making a sustainable choice such as choosing fish from the green SASSI-approved list.
• Grilled chicken and vegetable kebabs are an easy way to get your vegetable intake, without anyone noticing.
• Have a healthy snack before you go out for a braai. This will prevent you from being overly hungry when you arrive and less tempted to over-eat on snacks. If you are hosting the braai, be sure to start your fire early enough to eat at a reasonable hour. The later the lunch, the longer you may sit mindlessly nibbling away on unhealthy snacks.
• To keep your guests cool in the summer sun, serve cold water. Add colour and flavour using mint, lemon slices or strawberries, and top with lots of ice.
• Choose chicken or fish over red meat. Select barbeque basting to still ensure flavour. Flavour your food with fresh herbs and spices, and limit the use of salt.
• Leave condiments and toppings off starters, salads and side dishes. Substitute for flavour with lower fat condiments such as lemon juice, pepper, mustard, salsa and Tabasco. Make a potato salad with low-fat mayonnaise, or mix half mayo with low-fat yoghurt for a creamy alternative.
• Surprisingly, even salads at a braai can be laden with unnecessary calories by the addition of croutons, bacon bits, cheeses and salad dressings. Look for garden salads with more vegetables than high fat ingredients. Fill up half of your plate with healthy salad and veggies.
• Request that the host not dress the salad or ask for a portion before doing so. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and some black pepper instead of a pre-prepared salad dressing. Alternatively, offer to bring a salad to ensure you have a healthy option of veggies at the braai.

The weather promises to be amazing, so join friends and family to celebrate our heritage and braai!

 

Celebrating Heritage Day with Food!

Chat Leave a comment September 20, 2016 nutritionadsa

In celebration on Heritage Day (24 September), ADSA member Mpho Tshukudu and food writer Anna Trapido, authors of the wonderful cookbook EAT TING, share one of their many ‘traditional recipes with a modern twist’ with us!

EAT TING will make you fall in love with timeless African flavours – while also improving your health and well-being. Lets celebrate our heritage and get cooking:

Modernised Dikgobe Salad of Red & White Sorghum, Fennel & Radish

Ingredients

(Serves 8)

2 cups wholegrain sorghum (red, white or a mix), rinsed

salt

1/2 cup cowpeas or letlhodi (mung beans)

1 large fennel bulb, cut lengthwise into thin slices

2 tbps olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

1/2 cup olive oil

5 large radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup olives, pitted and halved

2 tbsp finely chopped fennel fronds

1/2 cup fresh dill sprigs

Method

Place sorghum in a pot, add water to cover by about 3cm and season with salt. Place cowpeas in a separate pot and add water to cover. Bring both pots to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until tender and water is absorbed (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). Add additional water to the cowpeas if needed. Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Toss fennel slices and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to coat. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread fennel slices out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until fennel is crisp-tender and beginning to brown in spots, about 18 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

Whisk orange juice, lime juice, chopped shallot, dill and orange zest in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside.

Mix cooked sorghum and cowpeas in a salad bowl; add fennel and juices on baking sheet. Add radishes, olives, fennel fronds and dill sprigs. Drizzle vinaigrette over and toss to coat.

GI is lowered by the ascorbic acid in the fruit juices.

Nutritional values per serving

Energy: 834,6 kJ

Carbohydrate: 25,6 g

Protein: 6,3 g

Fat: 9,9 g

Unsaturated fat: 8,5 g

Saturated fat: 1,3 g

Fibre: 2,6 g

 

Quinoa & Fig Salad

1 Comment April 24, 2015 nutritionadsa

With beautiful weather forecast for most of the country for the long weekend, our latest NutritionConfidence recipe “Quinoa & Fig Salad” is the perfect meal. We love the combination of sweet, salty and sour in this recipe. A lovely vegan main meal containing a good combination of protein, carbohydrate and healthy mono-unsaturated fats. Also perfect as a side salad for a braai this weekend!

Our Dietitians Say

Quinoa is a good source of fibre, folate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and B vitamins. It has an amino acid score of 106, which indicates a complete high-quality protein. Quinoa is also a good source of carbohydrate and contains roughly the same amount of carbohydrate than a 100 g portion of cooked brown rice.

And importantly, figs are currently in season here in South Africa and available at most grocery stores.

RECIPE

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup white quinoa

2 cups water

8 purple figs, cut into quarters

100 g walnuts, raw & unsalted

200 g mixed salad greens (rocket, baby spinach, watercress)

1/2 cucumber

120 ml extra virgin olive oil

50 ml white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

How to make it

– Preheat the oven to 150 deg C.

– Put the quinoa & water into a medium saucepan on a medium heat. Cook the quinoa for about 20 minutes until it expands and opens slightly. Cook with the lid on. Remove from the heat and strain the excess water from the quinoa. Season with a pinch of salt and leave the quinoa to cool.

– Roast the walnuts on an oven proof tray for about 10 minutes, check on the walnuts now and then to make sure they don’t burn. Remove the nuts from the oven and leave to cool.

– Using a peeler, peel the cucumber to make long thin ribbons. Peel around the cucumber using only the firm outside parts. Discard the middle part of the cucumber with the seeds or eat as a snack.

– To make the dressing: whisk the vinegar, honey & mustard in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl, while continuously whisking to combine.

– Assemble the salad greens on a large plate or platter. Sprinkle the cooled quinoa over the salad leaves. Arrange the figs and cucumber ribbons on top of the salad. Sprinkle the roasted walnuts over the salad and drizzle with the dressing.

– Serve as a light main course or as a healthy side salad to your favourite dish.

The Nutritional Value serves 4

Energy: 2689 kJ

Protein: 11.3 g

Carbohydrate: 51.3 g

Total Fat: 44 g

Dietary Fibre: 41 g

Sodium: 8 mg

Spinach, Beetroot & Pomegranate Salad

Chat 5 Comments December 19, 2014 nutritionadsa

Just in time for the festive season a brand new NutritionConfidence recipe! A delicious Spinach, Beetroot & Pomegranate Salad from chef, Vanessa Marx.

We love it because the colourful salad contains a powerhouse of nutrients. ‘Good for you’ fats from the seeds and oil; phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fibre from the deep coloured veg; paired with a creamy, lower fat alternative to regular hard (previously known as) Greek style feta. And we love it because it looks so festive!

Good For You!

Deep coloured vegetables like beets and spinach contain many “non-nutrient” compounds called phytochemicals. These are biologically active, natural occurring chemical compounds which also provide the colour, taste and aroma to fruits and vegetables. In relation to cancer, phytochemicals help metabolise drugs, toxins, carcinogens and mutagens.

Also, beetroot juice may improve the performance for some athletes in some situations due to its high nitrate content.

 

Ingredients

100 g baby spinach

1 medium beetroot

50 g Danish feta cheese (lower in fat than Greek)

1 Pomegranate, or 100 g fresh pomegranate arils

50 g radishes

30 g baby spring onions

30 ml olive oil

10 ml raspberry or red wine vinegar (or other of your choice) – optional

 

How to make it

– Boil the whole beetroot, with the skin on, until soft (you should be able to pierce the beetroot with a knife effortlessly).

– Wash the baby spinach and pat off the excess water with some paper towel, or spin in a salad spinner if you have one.

– Wash the radishes and thinly slice them.

– Once your beetroot is cooked, leave it to cool slightly. While it’s still a bit warm, use your hands to rub the skin off the beetroot. Give the beetroot a rinse to remove the excess skin. Cut into small cubes.

– If you have a whole pomegranate, cut it in half. Hold the pomegranate half in your hand with the cut side toward your hand, leaving a gap between the pomegranate and the palm of your hand, by gripping the edges of the pomegranate with your fingertips. Hold the pomegranate over a large bowl, and using a large spoon, whack the back end of the pomegranate and the seeds will release from the shell. Repeat this until you have retrieved all of the jewels.

– On a plate or serving platter, arrange the baby spinach.

– Assemble your salad by adding the chopped beetroot, crumble over the feta, add the slices radishes, sprinkle over the pomegranate jewels and baby spring onions. Drizzle the salad with olive oil & vinegar & serve

Serves 2

Add this NutritionConfidence recipe card to your collection!