BEEFING UP BREAKFASTS
I asked my family what they regarded as a typical South African or their own favourite breakfast. My eldest son answered: ‘Boerewors, pap, tomato, onion and eggs.’ My second eldest son said, ‘Meaty! I’m the butcher’s son, so sausages with hash browns, eggs sunnyside up, macon, sour dough rye, baked beans and avocado – something to keep me going until dinnertime.’ My youngest son agreed, ‘All of the above plus those macon cups from your first book, Ma, they’re the best!’ My daughter shook her head: ‘No question, eggy bread, without a doubt!’ And my husband, loyal as ever to my mother (OBM), said: ‘Nana’s stewed fruit, nothing better!’ And as for me, well it’s a cup of rooibos tea and a homemade rusk!
However, ask the majority of South Africans what their favourite breakfast is and they’ll probably say ‘umphokoqo’, which is maize meal cooked to a crumble and covered with amasi or maas (fermented milk in a calabash that could almost be compared to cream cheese or plain yoghurt). The thick liquid is poured over the crumbled maize meal porridge commonly known as pap. This was Nelson Mandela’s favourite meal and he could tell if the maas was fermented one day too early or one too late. As they say, you can swap the rural life for an urban environment, but your roots will never leave you.
I’m sure you’ll find your favourites and something special among the recipes that follow.
A Sunday morning surprise when you have challah left over from the day before!
Slice a piece of challah bread, about 1.5cm thick, but not all the way through; stop approximately 1cm from the bottom. Cut the next slice all the way through, so that you have 2 slices of bread joined together at the base. Repeat until you have 4 double slices.
In a bowl, combine the cinnamon, crushed nuts and jam, then spread it generously between each set of slices.
Beat the eggs and milk and dip the stuffed slices of challah into the mixture, making sure both sides are well coated with the egg mixture.
Fry each sandwich in a portion of butter over a medium heat until golden-brown. Remove carefully from the frying pan and drizzle with syrup. Slice into triangles and serve.
There are so many spreading options for stuffed challah: raisins, bananas, blueberries, chocolate spread, peanut butter and jelly … the list is endless. You could even try cream cheese spread on either side of the bread before dipping in the egg (as pictured here).
MAKES: 4 BUTTERFLIED PIECES OF FRENCH TOAST
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Combine all of the ingredients, except the cranberries or raisins, until well mixed and coated. Spread onto a baking tray and shake the tray to space the ingredients more or less evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden-brown. I usually remove the granola from the oven after 20 minutes, toss it a bit so that it doesn’t all clump together, and return to the oven to continue baking.
Once toasted to the perfect crunch, toss and then allow to cool. Add the cranberries (if using) and shake once more. Store in an airtight container.
MAKES: 1–1.5KG
Sorghum (mabele meal as it’s also known) is an ancient, African cereal grain. All sorghum is gluten free with a low glycaemic index (GI) and low glycaemic load (GL). It really is an under-appreciated grain; if you’re looking for a breakfast that will keep you going until dinnertime, this is probably it.
Always on the hunt for gluten-free recipes, I found this one to be a hit not only as a porridge. but as flapjacks too. It was a real ‘flashback’ moment, because this is the porridge my coeliac baby lived on, whether with added apple sauce, peanut butter or chicken soup. So when my grandchildren slept over one Saturday night and woke me up at 6am on a cold winter’s morning begging for crumpets, I had an instant flashback to 34 years earlier and gave them their dad’s favourite porridge, but in flapjack form with banana-cinnamon syrup. They enjoyed them, but said Daisy’s crumpets at the shul brocha were better!
Banana-cinnamon syrup
To make the flapjacks, combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another (but keep some of the peanut butter aside for spreading later). Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix well.
Lightly grease a frying pan with olive oil spray and heat to a medium heat. Drop a quarter cup of batter into the pan and spread out lightly with the back of a spoon. Wait until bubbles form on the top and the mixture no longer looks raw. Ensure that the flapjack is cooked all the way through before turning it over otherwise it may crack or crumble. It will probably need 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining batter. As each flapjack is complete, smear it with peanut butter or cream cheese and spoon over the banana-cinnamon syrup.
For the banana-cinnamon syrup, sprinkle the lemon juice over the banana rings, then fry them in a pan over a medium heat in butter or margarine. Add the cinnamon and syrup and stir carefully.
MAKES: 6–8
This one-skillet dish of eggs poached in a spicy, harissa-infused tomato sauce is one of my daughter Eden’s favourite meals. Actually a North African dish that was taken to Israel by Jewish immigrants, it can be served for breakfast, dinner or any time in between. There are a number of versions, but I am sharing a meat recipe. Another version replaces the tomato sauce with a rich spinach and cream sauce loaded with green vegetables and cheese. For convenience, the tomato sauce may be prepared up to 2 days before serving.
Shakshuka is traditionally prepared in a cast iron pan (although most pans will do the trick), but make sure it’s clean and presentable, as it should be served straight from the pan for all to enjoy.
Tomato sauce
Spread the hot mealie meal or polenta over the base of a 10 × 15cm baking tray. Cover and refrigerate. This can be prepared a day in advance.
To make the tomato sauce, fry the peppers, onions and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the harissa paste, tomato paste, sugar, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens. Finally, add the thyme, parsley and salt and pepper.
Remove the mealie meal or polenta from the fridge. Slice into fingers (or triangles), lightly oil a grilling pan, brush each side of the fingers with olive oil and pan-sear until golden-brown (3–5 minutes per side), then set aside.
Meanwhile, fry the sliced boerewors or sausage in a large frying pan until lightly browned (don’t overcook, just brown for colour). Add the tomato sauce to the sausage and keep it warm over a low heat.
Make 6 openings in the tomato sauce and sausage mixture for the eggs. Crack each egg open into a little bowl and then place each egg into the opening created in the sauce. Continue cooking on the stove top until the egg whites start to form and the yolks are done to your preference (although the yolks should be soft).
Place the seared mealie meal or polenta fingers in the tomato sauce, sprinkle with coriander or parsley and serve immediately.
SERVES 6
Occasionally I wake up in the mood for a different breakfast; something a little more indulgent than my usual fishpaste on low-GI bread. I do accept that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, however, fat-free, sugar-free, taste-free granola that requires a high-pressure hose to ensure that my teeth are grain free before my next meeting, doesn’t work for me on a daily basis. No, I want something that tastes amazing, that I can enjoy with a cup of tea and that keeps me feeling full until dinnertime. And something that doesn’t need an entire roll of floss to make me cross!
Well, I’ve found it; it’s Gila’s Cinnamon Roll Cake, which her husband Mendy swears works even better made gluten free! This recipe isn’t, but you can substitute cake flour with gluten-free cake mix if you like. A good day to have it is normally a Friday morning. That way I know that it will last me until Shabbos dinner. Ooooh boy, is this good, and if there’s any left over, serve it for breakfast on Shabbos.
Topping
Glaze
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20 × 30cm baking tin.
Place the 3 cups of flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla extract into the bowl of a mixer and mix. Once well combined, add the melted butter and pour into the prepared baking tin.
To make the topping, cream the butter, sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter already in the baking tin, then use a knife to marble through the cake batter. Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out NEARLY clean.
For the glaze, mix the icing sugar, milk and vanilla together with a whisk in a medium-size bowl. Drizzle evenly over the still-warm cake and serve warm or at room temperature.
SERVES 8–10
My mother was famous for her vanilla and cinnamon tea compote with yoghurt and brûlée topping. It was so delicious that it became known as ‘Jill’s bestest break’fast’ (breaking of the fast) on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Not only is it delicious, but healthy and comforting too. There is always some in our fridge.
Allow the tea bags to draw in the boiling water. Squeeze the bags to ensure maximum flavours are released, then discard the bags.
Place the fruit in a large saucepan and cover with the brewed tea. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Mix the custard powder in the cranberry or pomegranate juice, then add to the fruit. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Don’t stir too much as the fruit will break up. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Once cool, cover the fruit mixture with the yoghurt and sprinkle over the sugar. Either brûlée with a blow torch or place under the griller until golden-brown and bubbling.
SERVES 8