I’ve been thinking a lot about this pandemic and how it has changed our lives, as I’m sure many people have.
While we’re all “suffering” in one way or another the truth is that most of us, myself included, are still much better off than many others.
I always knew that people on the Cape Flats were sukkeling and that for many a warm plate of food is not always guaranteed.
And while I don’t condone the actions of kos gangsters looting shops and food delivery trucks, it breaks my heart to see the levels some people have resorted to just to get something to eat.
Food has a special significance right now, during the lockdown as it’s the one thing many of us have found comfort in.
And as Muslims start the holy of Ramadan, for those who are fasting and for those who make food donations, food plays a central role in their lives too.
And it’s no different to local foodie and popular talk show host Abidah Dixon.
While the Dixons keep it simple during Ramadan, Abidah says it’s best to cook foods that stretch.
KEEP IT SIMPLE: Abidah Dixon loves sharing her easy recipes
“It might be lockdown, but it doesn’t make a difference in my house, we just go with the flow. During Ramadan we prepare and make the same food as normal,” she says.
Abidah says she knows what it is to go to bed hungry.
“For people who don’t know what it is, it’s easy to (judge others),” she says.
“It’s a terrible thing to go hungry, I know what it is but that doesn’t mean you have to go out and steal.”
Her advice to those who wish to lend a helping hand: “If you can make an extra bit of food to help the next person then do so. A little goes a long way”.
Abidah shares tons of lekker recipes on her Proe Facebook page, I’ve chosen some of my favourites.
Recipes:
Abidah Dixon's Sago Stew
Ingredients
* 125ml Uncooked sago
* 2 Onions
* 2 Cloves garlic
* 5 Whole cloves
* 5 Whole allspice
* Little oil
* 1kg mutton
* 1 Teasp salt
* 1 Teasp black pepper
* ½ Teasp crushed chilli
* 3-4 Potatoes
* 2ml Nutmeg
* 30ml Chopped parsley
Method
1) Soak the sago in 250 ml cold water.
2) Sauté the onion, garlic, cloves and whole allspice in a little oil until golden brown.
3) Add the meat and cook until almost done then add the potatoes and let it cook further.
4) Then add your nutmeg, crushed chillies and sago with his water.
5) Mix well and simmer until sago is transparent, season with extra salt and pepper if necessary and sprinkling with parsley then serve with rice.
Abidah Dixon's Sago Stew
Hake frikkedels
Ingredients
* 800g Hake fillets
* 1 Teasp fisherman spice
* 1 Teasp white pepper
* 2 Egg
* 125ml Bread crumbs
* ¼ bunch danyah leaves
* Some flour
* oil for frying
Method
1) Remove the skin and any small bones from the fish then flake it with a fork.
2) Add the raw fish, Fisherman spice, white pepper, eggs, breadcrumbs and danyah together in a bowl, mix well and shape into frikkedels.
3) Heat oil in a large frying pan, dip the frikkedels in the flour and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown enjoy!!!
Hake frikkedels
Abidah’s homemade pizza
Ingredients
* 3 pizza bases
* Sweet chilli sauce
* 2 Tablespoons oil
* 1 Onion
* 1 Tomato
* ¼ Red pepper
* 1 Stick cinnamon
* ¼ Cup sugar
* Salt & pep to taste
* R30 Cheese
* 1 Pkt mix vienna & polony offcuts
* 1 Pkt sweet chilli chips.
Method
1) Smoor your onion, tomato, red pepper, stick cinnamon, sugar and salt and pepper in the oil for 5 minutes.
2) Add your vienna and polony mix and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
3) Meanwhile spread the sweet chilli sauce over the pizza bases, then add some cheese, now your vienna and polony mix and top it with the rest of your cheese and the crumbled chips.
4) Bake it for 15 minutes or until your cheese is Lekkerrrrrr melted service hot and enjoy.
TIP: You can make your own pizza bases, I normally do, but I was to lazy the other day.
Ingredients
* 3 Cups self-raising flour
* 1½ Cups plain yoghurt
* Pinch of salt.
Method
1) Mix the ingredients lekker in a bowl then roll it out on a flour surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces of pizza dough and add your toppings.