All Braai’d Out!
September 25, 2011 in Uncategorized
Due to a slight change of plan, we had our braai yesterday instead of today. I’m really pleased we did, as it’s much better trying recover on a Sunday than on a work-day!
I’ve learned one very big lesson since my last post … NEVER NEVER NEVER let Younger Teen have free rein at choosing the meat for a braai, unless I’m planning on feeding the entire neighbourhood instead of only 6 people.
I unpacked the groceries when we returned from the supermarket to find:
- 2 packs of Boerie
- 7 Porterhouse steaks
- 6 lamb chopes
- 2 packs of pork sausages
- 1 giant pack of Pork Texas steaks
- 12 peri peri mini chicken drumsticks
- 12 BBQ mini chicken drumsticks
On the bright side, I won’t need to cook again for at least the next 2 weeks!!
Sue arrived early to give me some really great tips on turning normal food photos into ‘food porn’ – most of the pics below were taken by her, but I hope that my future pics are able to do justice to what she taught me yesterday.
On the menu (apart from the obscene amount of meat) was the following:
Balsamic-roasted Rosa Tomatoes & Spring Onions – recipe adapted from one by Jamie Oliver
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Finely slice 4 large cloves of garlic & roughly tear a handful of fresh basil – sprinkle over the bottom of an ovenproof dish.
Empty 2 medium punnets of Rosa cherry tomatoes over the basil/garlic & add 1 pack of spring onions, sliced into 1-2″ lengths.
Season with freshly-ground salt & pepper then pour over 200ml cheap balsamic vinegar & 3 tblspns olive oil.
Tuck 8 bay leaves between the tomatoes & cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
These can be served hot as a side vegetable or either warm or at room temperature as a salad (which is what I did).
Green salad with home-made Italian herb dressing (recipe from a free Robertsons hand-out I got the other day)
Whisk together 1 tblspn Robertsons Italian Herbs Paste, 60ml olive oil, 1 tblspn lemon juice, 1/2 tblspn sugar, 2 tblspns water & freshly ground black pepper.
Creamy potato & onion bake
Garlic bread
Pork sausages, which I rubbed with Dijon mustard then wrapped in streaky bacon before cooking.
For pudd, we had some yummy Choc-Mint Caramel Fridge Tart, which I found on Tigger’s blog & which went down a real treat! Click here for the recipe.
A late edit: browniegirl has just pointed me in the direction of Cook Sister‘s annual event, Braai, the Beloved Country – I’ll definitely be going back to that site for inspiration for my next braai, once the entries to this event have been posted! 
BagLady
Bits of Carey
Butter Fingers
Cath Shone
Chef Caro
Food and the Fab
Food24 Ed
HealthyVegetarianFoods
I Love Cooking
Janice Tripepi
Just Chef
Kitchen Diary
Kitchen Shrink
Lyndatjie
My Kitchen Confessions
Pink Polka Dot
RumTumTigger
SashaSuppers
Sue Chef
FleurinFrance said on September 25, 2011
So happy to see you celebrated braai day
A lovely post.
Wishing you a happy start to your week.
BlondeCook said on September 25, 2011
Hey there, Flower! Thanks – I hope you have a great week too
Collywolly said on September 25, 2011
This is an awesome post blondie….please wont you enter it into the event that I entered….over at cooksister.com???? The event is Braai the Beloved Country….All looks and sounds so YUMYUMYUM!!! xxxxx
BlondeCook said on September 25, 2011
Eish, Coll, I’m a newbie at this whole cooking-blog thingy! I’ll go & have a look-see …
Collywolly said on September 25, 2011
Here is the web address for cooksisters event…
http://www.cooksister.com/braai-the-beloved-country-2011.html
Collywolly said on September 25, 2011
Its a wonderful way of getting known by other foodies…you’re great at what you are doing. Dont worry about being a newbie. xxx
BlondeCook said on September 25, 2011
Thanks – I’ve done it, muttering very loudly about the whole WON’T cook part of my blog title!! *grin*
Collywolly said on September 25, 2011
YEEHAAAH!!
xxx
Sous-Chef said on September 25, 2011
I hate to tell you this but the only pic that is mine is the sausages, the rest are all yours!
Thank you for a lovely lunch, so pleased you have migrated to town.
BlondeCook said on September 25, 2011
Our photos are all in 1 album on my laptop, so I can’t prove you wrong – but if any of them are mine, they’re there thanks to you!
I’m glad I’ve migrated to the city too … it’s great being able to get together like this!
pinkpolkadot said on September 25, 2011
Wow, Blondie the food looks utterly delicious!!
BlondeCook said on September 25, 2011
Thanks, Dottie … Sue’s turning me into a food-pornographer! *grin*
mitzireddy said on September 26, 2011
Delish looking food – luv your pics.
janicetripepi said on September 26, 2011
Hahahaaa … my boys would do exactly the same in terms of braai shopping!!! Your food AND pics are absolutely awesome xxxx have a great day xxx jan
Zabwan said on September 26, 2011
Good grief…that is a obscene amount of meat. I take it said teen is a boy?!!! Delicious food and photos!
BlondeCook said on September 26, 2011
Thanks, Mitzi – I had a great teacher (who brought some amazing props with her)!!
BlondeCook said on September 26, 2011
I’m NEVER letting him near the meat section again! I’m going to be living on left-overs until Christmas!
Thanks for the compliment – I hope your day has been great too!
BlondeCook said on September 26, 2011
You guessed right … and now he’s pushed off to stay with his dad, leaving me with a mountain of left-over meat!
Thanks for the compliment – Sue gave me some amazing tips on food photography.
Cooksister said on September 29, 2011
LOL – I lov that – a public saftey anouncement about why not to let teens do the shopping! That is an impressive amount of meat – very Atkins diet
Love the recipes – those tomatoes look good enough to leap off the screen – and hey, there’s a god old peppermint crisp tart for dessert! Thanks so much for taking part in this event 
BlondeCook said on September 29, 2011
My younger son is NEVER getting carte blanche in the supermarket again! My bank manager is probably even more impressed than Atkins at my purchases!
The tomatoes are seriously delish, either hot or at room temperature.
Thanks for the visit & lovely comment.
BlondeCook said on September 29, 2011
Oh, wow!! Thanks for including me in your round-up … I certainly didn’t expect that!