We had such spectacular weather on saturday it was impossible not to take part in South Africa's favourite past time braaing (or barbecueing as the rest of the world say).One may think this is not a very vegan activity but it is an excuse to eat processed soy (vegan junk food), garlic bread (properly chosen) and loads of salads. On the processed soy front I have to make a special mention of Fry's products without whom I would be lost on the braai front. I often go to braais where the death eaters scoff at my lack of blood and gore yet I never have leftovers to take home. On the garlic bread front Pick 'n Pay Garlic and Onion Braai Breads are made with margarine, not butter and are delicious.
Salads of course are vegan haven. I have noticed that death eaters and ovo/lacto vegetarians are in a major salad rut. It seems as long as the salad has feta in it, it must be fantastic. Look, I am not inhuman, I like danish feta as much as the next person (other than my obvious ethical objections) but it is getting to the stage where on e can put danish feta on lettuce and call it a salad. This applies to green salads, all other salads may contain any item drenched in mayonaise. This means that mayonaise coated cardboard may reasonably be called cardboard salad. There are so many glorious things to put in a salad but nonvegans are so reliant on dairy and eggs for flavour that so many good foods get forgotten.
My Favourite Green Salad
Salad leaves (these should at a bare minimum include rocket and baby spinach)
Cherry tomatoes
Baby mealies (corn)
Snap peas
Croutons (yes I know they are deep fried white bread)
Pimento stuffed green olives
Pumpkin seeds
Baby carrots
Avo
Gherkins (pickles)
Other yummy things to put in green salad include nuts, herbs, sweet bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, lightly steamed green beans or asparagus and roasted brinjal. I don't have any amazing recipes for dressing I really just enjoy good old balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Tomorrow I will post the only way to make potato salad, whether you are vegan or not! Remember it is Raw food Monday!
very thin slices of raw butternut in a salad also rock!
ReplyDeleteas do pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries and of course, coriander and chilli.
I just made a basic chilli oil, a little bit poured over a salad (or fruit) is soooo good.
we've also recently started collecting the leftover oil from sundried tomato bottles, adding chilli and keeping to pour over black mushrooms, salad, pasta etc etc etc!