Sonia Cabano - Easy, Simple and Delicious

Published in 2010 by Struik Lifestyle
(an imprint of Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd)
Company Reg. No. 1966/003153/07
Wembley Square, First Floor, Solan Road, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001
PO Box 1144, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa

www.randomstruik.co.za

Copyright in published edition: Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd 2010
Copyright in text: Sonia Cabano 2010
Copyright in photographs: Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd 2010

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and the copyright holders.

Publisher: Linda de Villiers
Managing editor: Cecilia Barfield
Editor and indexer: Bronwen Leak
Designer: Helen Henn
Photographer: Ryno
Food stylist: Brita du Plessis
Proofreader: Laetitia Sullivan

ISBN 9781770078284 (print) | ISBN 9781432303600 (epub) | ISBN 9781432303617 (PDF)

The publishers wish to thank Dastakari for the loan of props for the photography.

Most people seem to think healthy eating entails boredom and deprivation. I beg to differ! Besides providing fuel for energy, food should taste good, and every mealtime should be a celebration. Making little adjustments to your diet as you go along will mean more in the long run than trying to stick to radical regimes, and youre more likely to stick to the changes if you enjoy your food. Try to lessen your dependency on animal protein and cut back on saturated fats, refined sugars and salt. I use lavish amounts of fresh and dried herbs and spices to flavour my cooking, plenty of olive oil, ginger, chilli and garlic, and try to make the most of colours and textures to add plate appeal. Grains are good for you, as are fibre-rich beans, juicy fruits and vegetables, served with plenty of leafy greens, nuts and seeds for their essential mineral content. Alcohol and caffeine give false energy, so youre better off without them. Pretty soon youll discover that without artificial additives, colourants and preservatives your food will taste fresher and lighter, and you will positively sparkle with vitality. Its worth the expense to invest in a juice extractor and food processor, some non-stick pans and natural, organic produce where at all possible. The time saved leaves you free to use your new-found energy elsewhere!

A sparkling citrus treat to brighten up winter-dulled palates.

• 2 ruby grapefruit, 2 oranges and 2 tangerines, all with peel and pith removed and sliced horizontally. Work over a bowl and save any juices that run out.
• handful of fresh mint leaves
• 24 T (3060 ml) pomegranate kernels

1. Roughly chop the fruit into a serving bowl and tear in the mint leaves.
2. Add the reserved juices and pomegranate kernels and serve cold. Seedless green grapes make a good addition.

A refreshing tonic against summer blazes chill the fruit and semi-freeze the juice for a slushy effect.

• juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon
• 2 cups (500 ml) cubed watermelon, green exterior rind removed
• 400 g strawberries, hulled
• 2 cups (500 ml) diced fresh pineapple
• 3 cups (750 ml) cranberry juice
• 2 t (10 ml) grated fresh ginger

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and liquidise until smooth.
2. Pour into glasses and serve chilled.

Oats are a wonder food for anyone prone to energy crashes. This is a super-fast shortcut to muesli and good with any fruit you have at hand, especially stewed dried apricots and peaches.

• 50 g slivered almonds, finely chopped
• 1 T (15 ml) sesame seeds
• 1 T (15 ml) desiccated coconut
• 75 g oat bran
• 1 t (5 ml) vanilla essence
• 2 T (30 ml) honey
• 300 ml chilled Greek yoghurt
• 2 cups (500 ml) mixed fresh berries or any other diced fresh or stewed fruit

1. Mix the almonds, sesame seeds, coconut and oat bran together and toast in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Stir the vanilla essence and honey into the yoghurt.
3. Spoon the berries into serving glasses or bowls, top with the yoghurt and some toasted slivered almonds and serve.

Use fillet if you can afford it, otherwise a nicely matured rump will do.

• 3 T (45 ml) soft brown sugar
• 12 t (2.5 ml) cayenne pepper
• 14 cup (60 ml) Thai fish sauce
• 500 g fillet or rump steak
• 1 t (5 ml) oil for grilling
• 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, deseeded and thickly sliced
• 6 spring onions, thickly sliced
• 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 red chillies, deseeded and minced
• 12 cup (125 ml) fresh mint leaves
• 12 cup (125 ml) fresh coriander leaves
• 100 g rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in warm water until soft
• 12 cup (125 ml) unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

• 12 t (510 ml) deseeded and very finely minced green chilli
• 2 t (10 ml) grated fresh ginger
• 1 t (5 ml) crushed garlic
• 6 T (90 ml) lime or lemon juice
• 2 T (30 ml) Thai fish sauce
• 1 T (15 ml) soy sauce
• 1 T (15 ml) honey or soft brown sugar
• 1 T (15 ml) sesame oil (optional)

1. Dissolve the soft brown sugar and cayenne pepper in the Thai fish sauce and brush over the steak. Leave for 15 minutes.
2. For the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a jug and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a high heat and grill the marinated steak to how you would like it done (for best results the steak should still be pink in the middle). Leave for 10 minutes and slice thinly.
4. Place the steak slices in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients, except the peanuts. Add the dressing and toss to coat.
5. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with the peanuts and serve immediately.

My Greek friend Marina loves grilled halloumi as much as I do and this is her delicious take on the classic saganaki. Serve straight up for a snack or on dressed leaves for a classy starter.

• Approx. 500 g halloumi, sliced into roughly 1.5 cm-thick slices