The Purple Calabash

In South Africa R&B should stand for Rugby and Biltong! These two are a perfect marriage and any devout fan will vouch for that. I know when rugby season is on, I have to make a trip to the butcher for some fresh biltong and drywors every second weekend. Biltong and drywors are dried meat delicacies very typical to South Africa. You can read more about biltong and drywors here.

The Perfect Marriage

Yesterday was ‘Healthy Eating Day’. We all know that salads are hitched to healthy eating. Cold salads are fitting for warm weather but it has been far from warm here in Pretoria, so I opted for a cozier Autumn salad and as always, I will do anything for a photo.

Biltong straight from the packet.

This one has found it’s way to my husband’s heart.

R&B salad is a marriage made to last. It combines all the ingredients he loves – biltong, spinach, sesame seeds, cheese and spicy roasted chickpeas drizzled with a warm and tangy dressing. I love the spicy roasted chickpeas and sesame seeds that shout “Pick Me”. They can even be served on their own, as a snack.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas and Sesame Seeds.

Yes! He loved R&B salad!

R&B Autumn Salad

It even sounds like a man’s salad. I think it will stick…
With all the rugby on this weekend, this will be a good one for the bar counter.

To all the young ‘chickies’ out there, take some advice from me. I have been married long enough to know that food is a way to a man’s heart.
So, rugby about to start…cozy couch…lots of nuggles, R&B and you have won his heart. At least until the match starts anyway!

R&B Salad – Roasted Chickpeas and Biltong Autumn Salad

For an individual salad:
1 tin of chickpeas, drained and dried ( I only use about a 1/2 cup in the salad)
¼ cup sesame seeds
3 Tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp masala
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp Sea salt
2 large leaves of spinach
1 small tomato, cut into quarters
100g white cheddar, cut into small cubes
½ cup biltong slices.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. In a bowl, mix the dried chickpeas, sesame seeds and the spices with the olive oil.
3. Place these onto a baking sheet.
4. Put into the oven and bake until golden brown and crispy – about 25 minutes.
5. Wash the spinach and dry. Chop or tear into small pieces.

For the dressing:
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic finely chopped
½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tsp chutney
¼ cup water

1. Mix all the liquid ingredients together.
2. Add the garlic, sea salt and black pepper.
3. Mix in the sweet chilli and chutney.
4. Bring to the boil on the stove. Remove and set aside. For now..

Assembling the salad:
1. When the chickpeas are ready, assemble your spinach, tomato, cheese and biltong onto a plate or bowl.
2. Add the roasted chickpeas and sesame seeds to the salad and drizzle with the dressing.
3. You can also mix the dressing into the spinach separately and then assemble the salad.

Enjoy!