Main course: Lean green

Korean-style roasted brinjals with peanuts, chilli & mint

4 medium brinjals, cut into thick chunks

3 onions, sliced lengthways

125ml (½ cup) grapeseed oil

125ml (½ cup) roasted salted peanuts

4 garlic cloves, sliced

1-2 chillies, halved lengthways

250ml (1 cup) tightly packed fresh mint

15ml (1 tbsp) toasted cumin seeds

15ml (1 tbsp) brown sugar, or more to taste

Juice of 2 medium lemons

60ml (4 tbsp) soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a roasting tray, toss the brinjals and onions with the oil, then roast for about 40 minutes or until the brinjals are browning and crisping and onions are soft. Remove from oven, stir in peanuts, garlic, chillies, mint, cumin seeds and sugar. Roast for another 5 minutes, remove and stir in lemon juice and soy sauce, then roast for another 3-5 minutes. Remove, check seasoning and adjust sweet/sour/salt balance to your liking. Much depends on the type of chilli and soy sauce used. Serve immediately with rice and slivered cucumber. Serves 4

Cornmeal-crusted calamari with caper & lime mayonnaise

Mayonnaise (makes about 300ml):

2 free-range egg yolks, at room temperature

250ml (1 cup) mild olive oil (or ½ olive and ½ grapeseed oil)

Juice of 1 lime (or 1 small lemon)

Salt, to taste

30ml (2 tbsp) chopped capers

30ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Calamari:

400g calamari, rings, tubes, heads or a mix

60ml (4 tbsp) white bread flour

60ml (4 tbsp) mielie meal/polenta

10ml (2 tsp) salt

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

For the mayonnaise, place egg yolks in a large bowl with a damp cloth underneath to hold the bowl steady. Beat yolks with a metal whisk until fluffy, then gradually add the oil in a thin stream, whisking vigorously and continuously. Once all oil is combined, beat in the lime juice and add salt to taste. Fold in the capers and parsley, place in a sealed sterilised bottle and store in the fridge.

If using calamari tubes, score them with a sharp knife to prevent soggy interiors. Mix the flour, polenta and salt and place in a small plastic bag. Place the calamari in the bag and shake well to coat evenly. Heat about 3-4cm oil in a large pan. When the oil is hot enough so that a cube of bread sizzles, fry the calamari in batches until golden-brown. Drain on paper towel and serve immediately with mayonnaise and lemon wedges. Serves 4

Indian-style bread salad

Salad:

250g naan, pita or flatbread, torn or cut into rough pieces

80ml ( cup) olive oil

15ml (1 tbsp) cumin seeds, coarsely crushed

5ml (1 tsp) garam masala spice mix

Coarse salt

300g cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 red onion, very thinly sliced

1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed

1 jalapeño chilli (or seeded Thai chilli), thinly sliced

Dressing:

80ml ( cup) olive oil

30ml (2 tbsp) white or red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

5ml (1 tsp) sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 loosely packed cup chopped fresh coriander

½ cup torn fresh mint leaves

Handful whole mint leaves, to serve

Combine bread with oil, cumin seeds and garam masala and toss to coat evenly, then fry or bake until golden-brown and crisp (leave this step out if you have no power). Cool and place in a large bowl, grind salt over and toss with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, chickpeas and chilli. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a jug (or shake in a screwtop jar), pour over the salad and mix well. Serve scattered with whole mint leaves. Serves 4

Raw chilled green vegetable soup with sesame seeds

3 cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped

4 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced

2 green peppers, seeded and chopped

10-12 spring onions, chopped

20ml (4 tsp) grated fresh ginger

125ml (½ cup) chopped fresh coriander

185ml (¾ cup) lemon juice

1 litre water, or as needed

Sugar, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

15ml (1 tbsp) sesame seeds, preferably lightly toasted in a pan on low heat till golden

Combine cucumbers, avos, peppers, spring onions, ginger, coriander and lemon juice in a bowl, then blend in batches in a processor, adding enough water to each batch to form a chunky mixture. (If your power is out, crush batches in a pestle and mortar, then whisk with water.) Place in a bowl and adjust consistency with more water if needed. Season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. Allow to stand (preferably in the fridge) for 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature, topped with yoghurt and sesame seeds. Serves 8