Braai fan? Here's a healthy festive dish to add to your next grill

The festive season is a time for indulgence, but it doesn’t have to mean unhealthy eating. With the right mindset and recipes, you can enjoy delicious treats and meals while sticking to healthy habits.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) principles, which are widely recognised for their cardiovascular benefits, can guide the public towards balanced eating even during holiday celebrations, says Pharma Dynamics spokesperson Nicole Jennings. 

“The DASH diet emphasises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. It’s a perfect approach for festive feasting, as it allows you to enjoy flavourful meals without the guilt.” 

Here’s how you can embrace a heart-healthy festive season, featuring a recipe from the award-winning Cooking from the Heart by Pharma Dynamics in partnership with well-known cookbook author Heleen Meyer, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of SA.

PORK SOSATIES

Ready in: 2 hours ( including an hour of marinating time).

Serving size: 4-6.

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh origanum
• ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• black pepper to taste
• 500g leg or shoulder of pork, all fat removed and cut in cubes
• 1 onion, cut in pieces
• 1 green or red pepper, seeds removed and cut in pieces
• ½ pineapple, cut in pieces

1. Mix lemon juice, oil, origanum, salt and pepper.
2. Place meat in a shallow dish and pour marinade over. Stir through to coat the meat.
3. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Thread meat with onion, pepper and pineapple onto sosatie sticks.
5. Braai over medium coals for 8-10 minutes on each side or until the meat is cooked, but still juicy.

HELEEN'S TIPS

1. Fry these sosaties over a medium heat in a frying pan using the marinade. This marinade can be used to make chicken or fish sosaties.
2. If available, dried prunes or apricots are delicious on these sosaties.
3. Add 1 tsp curry powder to the marinade, if preferred.

LEMON AND HERB MARINADE

A versatile marinade for almost any fresh ingredient, from meat, fish and chicken to veggies. Lemon is such a wonderful and natural seasoning that it can enhance the flavour of almost any ingredient. The combination with fresh herbs is always delicious.

Ready in: 15 mins.

Serving size: makes about 125ml, 8–10 portions for ±1.5kg meat.

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and season with black pepper. Only season meat once ready to braai, with no more than 1½ tsp (7.5 ml) salt per kilogram of meat.
2. Place the meat, chicken or fish in the bowl and mix well with the marinade to make sure it is well coated.
3. Allow to marinate for 1-2 hours or overnight in the fridge. Fish should not marinate for more than 30 minutes.
4. Braai over medium coals until cooked to your preference. Cooking time will depend on the type of meat used. Brush with any extra marinade while braaiing.

HELEEN'S TIPS:

1. Use dried herbs if preferred. Use ½-1 tsp (2.5-5 ml) each.
2. This marinade is best to be made and used straight away, as the fresh herbs tend to discolour after some time.
3. Replace half the lemon juice and rind with orange juice and rind.
4. Salad ingredients, like cucumber, green beans, tomatoes and even avocado will be delicious with this marinade as a dressing. Or serve over lightly cooked green veggies.
5. Toss butternut, baby marrows or veggies of your choice in the dressing and roast at 180 ˚C.