So ‘n rukkie terug het ek tog te heerlik gekuier op George by hul jaarlikse landbouskou saam met die Suid-Kaap se lekker mense. Ek demonstreer ‘n paar geregte uit my boek, Lekker en Goed, ons proe van Carmien Tea se gewildste tees en word tussendeur vermaak met musiek. Daar is selfs tyd vir bietjie rondloop. Ek verkyk my aan ‘n ou trekkerversameling en toe die dorsmasjien “opgestart” word, dink ek nostalgies terug aan strooptyd op die plaas.
Die Suid-Kaap is deesdae ‘n gewilde blyplek en selfs ‘n dorpie soos Groot-Brakrivier het sy vlerke wyd gesprei met huise hoog die heuwels uit met praguitsigte oor die see. Daar is selfs ‘n paar lekker eetplekke. Die statig gerestoureerde Edwardiaanse huis wat nou die eetplek, Twin Trees, huisves, vang ons oog. Hul fokus veral op wafels, maar die res van die spyskaart is net so aptytlik. Ek kies Mediterreense vis saam met geroosterde groente en Lodewyk verlekker hom aan ‘n Hoender Milanese met ‘n parmesaankors en suurlemoenbottersous. Die volgende aand kuier ons saam met ou vriende, Marius en Charlotte van der Westhuizen by die gerestoureerde treinstasiegebou, TransKaroo, neffens die treinspoor. Hul vleisdisse is veral aan te bevole en ons keuses val op lamsnek, varklies, lamskerrie en teriyaki kortrib. Vooraf peusel ons aan skilpadjies en viskoekies. Heerlik versadig groet ons laataand ons vriende. Môre is dit langpad vat terug Langebaan toe.
BUTTER CHICKEN DE LUXE
This flavoursome dish is super easy to make, ready within minutes and helps with gut health. The tasty sauce is creamy but not rich as it is made with creamy yoghurt, not cream, and lots of Carmien’s Gut rooibos tea with lots of probiotics and prebiotics with a lovely fennel and vanilla flavour, working wonderfully with the butter chicken. Carmien Gut Rooibos is a blend of green rooibos, chicory inulin and probiotics, specially formulated to promote gut health. This blend supports healthy digestion and overall gut health.
The probiotic, Bacillus coagulans GB1-30,6086 is a safe spore-forming probiotic which helps with digestion and protein absorption. The B30 has a protective shell, which means it can survive extreme temperatures and can also survive stomach acid until the probiotics arrive in your gut, where it teams up with your own bacteria. The chicory inulin is the prebiotic that feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut and helps to reduce inflammation. Fennel helps with various digestive problems, including heartburn, intestinal gas and bloating.
Serves 4—6
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
3-4 bags Carmien Gut rooibos tea
250 ml (1 c) boiling water
500 ml (2 c) double cream yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, grated
30 ml (2 T) grated ginger
15–20 ml (3—4t) butter chicken spices or breyani masala
About 750 g deboned chicken thighs or breasts, halved
salt
15—30 ml (1—2 T) oil
2 onions, sliced
3—4 baby sweet peppers, cut into chunks
About 125 g brown mushrooms, halved
About 400 g passata or tomato puree
Quarter of a head broccoli, broken into florets
Quarter of a head cauliflower, broken into florets
4 baby marrows, cut into chunks
Huge handful of chopped coriander
SAMBAL
4 mini crisp cucumbers, sliced
1 Roma tomato, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
20 ml (2 T) chopped coriander
Dash apple vinegar
Sprinkling of sugar
TO SERVE
Yoghurt oat bread or basmati rice
1 Place the rooibos tea bags in a jug and add the boiling water. Let steep till strong, press out all liquid and remove the bags from the tea. Keep aside.
2 Place the yoghurt in a large bowl, add the garlic, ginger and butter chicken spices.
3 Season the chicken pieces with salt and add to the yoghurt mixture. Marinate for at least one hour, otherwise overnight in the fridge (then cover).
4 Heat the oil in a large pan (with a lid) and add the onions, sweet peppers and mushrooms. Stir-fry till soft.
5 Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for a few minutes.
6 Add the rooibos tea and passata or tomato puree and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer till the chicken is almost cooked, stirring every now and then.
7 Add the broccoli, cauliflower and baby marrows and simmer till the veggies are cooked, but still very crisp.
8 Season to taste with salt as needed and sprinkle over the coriander leaves.
9 TO SERVE Mix all the ingredients for the salsa.
10 Spoon the chicken and veggies on a large platter, reduce the sauce and ladle over the chicken and veggies. Top with a sprinkle of coriander leaves.
9 Serve the butter chicken and veggies with bread on the side and with the salsa.
CHIA-JOGURT-EN-VRUGTE-GLASIES
Dit smaak nes poeding met die chia-saadjies wat so lekker dik raak in die jogurt. Heerlik saam met die vars vrugte en ideaal vir ontbyt, veral omdat jy die meeste werk die vorige aand doen. Dit is net so lekker vir ’n inpakete.
Ek maa kook deesdae ‘n vinnige bloubessie-konfyt met chia-saadjies en bittermin suiker. Die roer ek sommer so deur die jogurtmengsel.
Trek die groen Turkish Delight-tee in koue water vir ‘n kort rukkie, verwyder dan die teesakkies. Anders word die tee bitter.
Maak 10–12 klein glasies
JOGURT
500 ml (2 k) natuurlike volroomjogurt
6 sakkies Carmien Turkish Delight, in 250 ml koue water getrek
45 ml (3 e) bruinsuiker
125 ml (½ k) chiasaad
BESSIE-KONFYT
750 ml (3 k) bloubessies
Halwe pynappel, fyn opgekap
60 ml (¼ k) suiker of na smaak
Sap en fyngerasperde skil van 1 suurlemoen
Handvol basilieblare
45 ml (3 e) chia-saadjies
VRUGTE
Vars aarbeie en kruie soos kruisement of basilieblare vir afronding
1 CHIA-JOGURT Meng die jogurt en tee saam. Voeg dan die bruinsuiker en chiasaad by en laat staan 30 minute tot ‘n uur of selfs oornag tot die mengel lekker dik is.
2 VRUGTE Kook die bloubessies, pynappel en suiker saam met die suurlemoensap en -skil en basilieblare tot sag. Maak fyn in die NutriBullet. Roer die chia-saadjies by en laat afkoel. Verkoel (kan ‘n week lank hou in die yskas).
3 SAMESTELLING: Skep ‘n lagie jogurtmengel in ‘n glasie, dan ‘n bietjie van die konfyt, vervolg met die konfyt, vars aarbeie en ‘n basilieblaartjie.
Carmen Niehaus 