Beauty in Every Bite

In all honesty, I think I’m getting a little too round for my liking, after abandoning the whole ‘New Year, New Me’ mantra that everyone was on about at the beginning of January.

This usually includes running yourself hard until you almost collapse and avoiding eating anything with butter, oil or fried (which for me, you know, is near impossible).

But one thing I know for a fact would help is to focus my approach in the kitchen on wholesome foods that are low in carbs and sugars, yet still deliver on taste. Indulge me for one more article – or two.

I was working out what to do with some leftovers the other day, and I thought to myself: for a lot of working people, their sustenance comes from the aunties and memes selling food by the side of the road.

If you ask the patrons of those establishments, they swear by those aunties.

The food is simple, filling and, more importantly, cheap. Each one of them ensures they cook the best food for their customers, and having sampled it myself, I can tell you it’s like a taste of home.

It is our definition of street food.

Nothing says yum and ooh quite like a vetkoek and mince or a simple tomato and onion soup at a morning tea break, after slipping out of the office for a bite or two.

This is what makes our food iconic: simplicity with a huge hint of familiarity. Add a bit of stewed or fried offal in there and you have a winner.

The vessels that carry all the gravy, like the mince, are equally iconic, and our relationship with vetkoek is a long and treasured one.

Back in my rugby-playing days, one thing we were guaranteed in peak winter was vetkoek and mince in the clubhouse after the game. In all honesty, it got a few players interested in rugby.

They came for the food (vetkoek as big as your face) and stayed for the booze. Their bodies were payment enough. So, whether we lost by 45 points or won by a single conversion, smiles filled our faces at the final whistle.

My leftover Sunday roast chicken (whose recipe I should definitely share with you) was the focus of my random Monday lunch. This, along with some vetkoek I bought from one of my aunties, made quite a delectable lunch that filled me up more than I could’ve imagined.

Roast Chicken Vetkoek

Ingredients:

Leftover roast chicken, shredded (I like to combine white and dark meat)

2 vetkoeks

1 onion, thinly sliced

½ a red pepper, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Worcestershire sauce

Soy sauce

A pinch of salt

Oil to fry in

For the salsa
1 whole tomato, diced

1 onion, diced (adjust according to preference)

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Begin by making the salsa. To a bowl, add chopped garlic, tomatoes and onions and mix well.

Separately, mix the dressing of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper before combining with the veg. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly and set aside in the refrigerator.

Lightly fry the shredded chicken in oil until it starts to lightly crispen, then add the onion and continue frying until the onion is cooked.

Add peppers and garlic, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and fry until fully combined. If you want to be adventurous, add a pinch of sugar for a sweet note that enhances the rest of the flavours.

Slice your vetkoeks in half and stuff them with the chicken mix. Serve the salsa on the side, or alternatively, use the break and mix method where you break off a bite-sized piece of the vetkoek, and then combine it with a bit of the chicken and a bit of the salsa for a satisfying bite.

Enjoy with a coffee or ice cold beverage.

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