Senidlile Kodwa? is the third cookbook from Zanele van Zyl. Based on the isiZulu phrase, which means ‘have you eaten yet?’, a question asked by every mother, aunty or grandmother when you enter their home, Senidlile Kodwa? is an expression of Zanele’s identity, her love language, and the joy she finds in preparing food for other people. Filled with 100 simple yet tasty recipes, the book is a celebration of food, whether you’re cooking for yourself or the people you love. Expect everything from bright and cheery breakfasts; wholesome veggies; meaty mains with heart; a signature Sunday spread; traditional village favourites; simply delicious sides; and, of course, something sweet to round it all off. And, in true Zanele fashion, these recipes all show that cooking beautiful food can be fun and unintimidating!
INDEX
Pulled Pork Belly Burger
Serves: 4
1 kg boneless pork belly
1 medium onion, finely chopped
½ cup apricot jam
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2 red chillies, seeds removed, and finely chopped
½ cup white grape vinegar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp chicken spice
1 tsp paprika
TO SERVE
4 hamburger buns
2 cups shredded rainbow cabbage
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Place the pork belly in a big enough pot, add the onion and cover with water. Boil for 30–45 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the pork belly from the water and set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the apricot jam, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, ginger, chillies, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, chicken spice and paprika. Cook over low heat until the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze.
Place the pork belly in a roasting dish. Remove the skin. Pour the glaze over the pork belly, making sure it is coated all over. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until tender enough to easily shred or pull apart.
Use two forks to shred the pork belly. Divide the shredded pork and cabbage evenly among the 4 hamburger buns, and serve.
Rump Steak
with Mushroom Sauce
Serves: 1
FOR THE MUSHROOM SAUCE
1 Tbsp flour
100ml milk
30g butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
250g white button mushrooms, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup fresh cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
FOR THE STEAK
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp dried origanum
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
30g butter
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 × 300g rump steak
For the mushroom sauce, mix the flour and milk in a small bowl or jug, then set aside.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 2–3 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and thyme, and stir until the mushrooms are golden brown. Pour in the fresh cream and lower the heat. Stir in the flour and milk mixture. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To prepare the steak, make a dry rub by mixing together the ground black pepper, chilli flakes, origanum, garlic powder, brown sugar, paprika and salt. Rub the mixture all over the steak.
Add the butter to a pan and melt over high heat. Add the garlic cloves and sprigs of thyme, and fry for 1 minute. Place the steak in the pan and fry for 3 minutes on each side, or to your liking (see Tip). Remove
from the pan and allow the steak to rest for 5–7 minutes, to allow the juices to distribute.
In the meantime, reheat the mushroom sauce over low–medium heat. Then, pour the sauce over the steak and serve.
TIP
I prefer my steak medium, but follow the cooking times below to cook the steak to your preference.
Rare = 2 minutes per side
Medium = 3 minutes per side
Well done = 6 minutes per side
Brown Rice and Halloumi Salad
Serves: 4
1 Tbsp olive oil
200g halloumi cheese, cut into strips or cubes
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
FOR THE DRESSING
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat a pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the halloumi and fry on all sides until golden brown. Remove from the heat.
In a salad bowl, gently mix the rice, onion, cucumber, ginger, coriander and fried halloumi. Alternatively, place the halloumi on top of the other ingredients.
To make the dressing, mix all the dressing ingredients until well combined. Pour over the salad and toss to coat.
Chicken Breast
coated with couscous
“I’m always thinking of new ways to elevate my dishes. Recently, I wanted to make crumbed chicken and I realised I didn’t have any breadcrumbs, but I spied the couscous in my pantry. The rest is history. Paired with a Coleslaw, it’s perfect.”
Serves: 2
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme, plus extra sprigs to garnish
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp chicken spice
2 cups oil
2 chicken breast fillets
2 eggs, beaten
In a bowl, mix the couscous, garlic powder, thyme, cayenne pepper and chicken spice. Set aside.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat.
Dip each chicken breast fillet in the beaten egg, then coat in the seasoned couscous mixture. Deep-fry the chicken fillets until cooked through and golden brown. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Oreo Ice Cream
Serves: 6
2 cups fresh cream
½ cup condensed milk
8 Oreo cookies, crushed
In a bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whisk the cream until it is thick. Fold in the condensed milk and crushed Oreos. Cover with cling wrap, making sure that it touches the surface of the mixture. Transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2 hours, or until set.
Recipes extracted from Senidlile Kodwa? by Zanele van Zyl, out now.
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