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Themed Virtual Proudly South African Dinner Party Sorted for the Long Weekend
As the long-weekend approaches South Africans are in lockdown no doubt trying to find creative ways to keep themselves entertained. With this in mind, here are some ideas to celebrate family day the lockdown way.
Video chat platforms like Zoom, Facetime and House Party are all great tools to remain connected with family, loved ones and friends. So, why not use the long weekend to host a couple of themed dinner parties with delicious food, company and upcycled décor.
Add some true South African spirit into your virtual themed party with these delicious Rhodes Quality recipes: vegie bunny chow, boerewors and mash with chakalaka and Cape Malay style pickled fish – three proudly SA dishes with some crafty suggestions of ways to use your leftover tin cans.
Veggie Bredie Bunny Chow
Inspired by Durban’s iconic bunny-chow, this recipe is great for all the lockdown tinned foods in the cupboard. What could be more South African than a bunny chow?
Create tin can tea lights by cleaning the tin, then piercing holes into patterns and placing a candle inside. A map of Africa, your family initials or motivating catch phrases are sure to add some light and ambiance to your virtual dinner.
| INGREDIENTS (serves 4-6) | METHOD |
| 1 x 410 g can Rhodes Quality Mixed Vegetables in Brine, drained1 x 410 g can Rhodes Quality Green BeansCross Cut in Brine, drained1 x 410 g can Rhodes Quality Tomatoes Chopped & Peeled1 x 410 g can Rhodes Quality Butter beans in Curry10 ml (2 t) sunflower oil1 onion, chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed2 cm piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated15 ml (1 T) garam masala5 ml (1 t) ground turmeric5 ml (1 t) ground cumin15 ml (1 T) ground coriander45 ml (3 T) fruit chutneysalt and pepper2 loaves fresh white unsliced bread, halved and hollowed out (keep removed dough for serving) | 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Fry the onions in the oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and chutney and fry together for 1 minute.2. Add the Rhodes Quality Mixed Vegetables, Rhodes Quality Green Beans Cross Cut, Rhodes Quality Chopped & Peeled Tomatoes and Rhodes Quality Butter Beans in Curry.3. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.4. Season the mixture to taste and spoon into the hollowed-out bread. Top with the removed pieces of bread and serve. |
Boerewors and Mash with Chakalaka
Easy and budget friendly, this recipe is the perfect solution for a hearty family meal.
| INGREDIENTS (serves 4) | METHOD |
| Boerewors1 x 410 g can Rhodes Quality Chakalaka Hot & Spicy500 g boerewors30 ml (1 T) sunflower oil1 large onion, slicedMashed Potato1 kg potatoes125 ml (½ C) milk45 ml (3 T) butterSalt and freshly cracked black pepper | Peel the potatoes and chop into quarters.Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of salty water and bring to the boil.Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are soft and can be poked through with a knife without resistance.Drain in a colander.In the same saucepan, place the milk and the butter and bring to the heat.Return the drained potatoes to the saucepan, and over a low heat, mash with a potato masher, incorporating the milk and melted butter until the mash is smooth and creamy.Season the potato mash to taste with the salt and pepper and set aside.Fry or grill the boerewors until cooked and browned on both sides.Remove from the pan and set aside.Drain excess fat from the pan.Heat the oil in the same pan and fry 1 large sliced onion until softened.Add the Rhodes Quality Chakalaka Hot & Spicy and bring to the boil.Cut the boerewors into smaller pieces and add to the chakalaka mix.Heat through and serve hot over the mashed potato. |
Crafty Tip: Create Spekboom planters by cleaning the tin cans and painting them with the South African flag, Shweshwe designs or anything uniquely South African. Use them to plant succulents or Spekboom. You could even gift them to family after lock-down.
Cape Malay Style Pickled Fish
Enjoy the flavour of the Cape with this quick and easy dish – a South African favourite and perfect for the long-weekend. The secret? Apricot jam. This dish will keep fresh in the fridge for up to a week. The fish is cooked first and is then pickled and served cold.
Bread lovers can also consider baking some delicious mini bread loaves in the leftover jam cans to serve with your pickled fish. And if you still have jam left, Rhodes Quality jam cans are fridge friendly, so with a handy snap cap, you can store in the fridge after opening.
| INGREDIENTS (serves 6-8) | METHOD |
| 30 ml (2 T) Rhodes Quality tinned Apricot Jam1 kg firm white fish, skinned and debonedjuice of 1 lemonsalt and pepper to tastesunflower oil for frying2 onions, thinly sliced190 ml (¾ C) white wine vinegar125 ml (½ C) water15 ml (1 T) mild curry powder2.5 ml (½ t) ground turmeric2 bay leaves6 peppercornsgrated rind of 1 lemon10 ml (2 t) brown sugar | Trim the fish into even-sized pieces and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.2Heat some oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft. Remove from the pan and set aside. Fry the fish in oil in the same pan for a few minutes on both sides until just cooked, then set aside.3In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, curry powder, turmeric, bay leaves, Rhodes Quality Apricot Jam, peppercorns, lemon rind and sugar. Bring to the boil, whisking well then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.4Place the fish and the onions in a large jar or dish and cover with the sauce. Cool and refrigerate overnight before serving. |
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