As can be seen in the Healthy Plate, the main part of our diets should begrains. These grains should always be eaten whole or ground but not refined.This means that none of the outside husk, which contains the minerals,vitamins and fibre, should be removed. When grains are sold to you as super-refined, the healthiest part of the grain has been taken out and used to makeanimal feeds. The cows get the best bit! The germ or heart of the grain shouldnot have been removed. This is used by the milling industry to producecooking oil and contains the essential fatty acids which make grain so healthy.Grains are the best source of blood sugar or energy-giving fuel for our bodies.Of course we can use some other starches and carbohydrates mentionedbelow, but grains, with their higher protein and vitamin content, are the bestfuel.

Maize, Africa’s new love

In southern Africa the most commonly used grain is maize. In Zimbabwe itis ground and used as our main staple, sadza. This is a stiff porridge that ispressed into a ball, eaten in the hand and served with a relish like beans ormeat and vegetables. This is our most common meal: “sadza, nyamanemuriwo”. As it becomes ever more difficult to afford food, many peopleare eating sadza on its own and saving their meat or vegetables to eat later.This is alright if your protein source is meat, but if your source is beans orpulses, which are cheaper, they should be eaten at the same time as sadzato make complete protein. Whole-ground maize with beans or peanut butterprovides the same quality of protein as meat.

Cooking sadza is a skill that most of us learn when we are young, but it isnot easy. The heat must be right and the stirring correct. If sadza is overcookedor undercooked it can be indigestible. We all know how easy it is to burn thebottom. (If you look in our section on cost-saving, you will find a cheaperand easier way to make perfect sadza).

Ground maize can also be used to make a thinner porridge with peanutbutter stirred in or served with lacto (sour milk). This is especially good forchildren or people with digestive problems. You can also eat maize as freshcorn on the cob – mealies, just the word is enough to make your mouth

THE STAPLES: GRAINS ANDOTHER STARCHES (50%)

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water! Boiled, steamed or roasted over an open fire, any way is delicious.But have you ever baked mealies? If not, you are in for a treat. Remove theouter layers of the husk and the silky hair, leaving just a layer of inner leaves,and bake in an oven or a cast-iron pot (See Baking bread on Page 24). Greatfor kids, well, for everyone, actually. Maize can also be puffed into maputi,which is like popcorn. It is a favourite, nutritious snack.

Maize meal can also be mixed half-and-half with wheat flour to make acheaper dough for bread. Make sure that the dough sets for several hoursbefore cooking. A delicious way to turn sadza into a complete meal is to addground soya beans (See the Cooking soya section on Page 56).

Maize is also the staple of the American Indians. They prefer to eat it asbread. Mexicans and South Americans make a flat bread, or tortilla, whichthey fill with left-over refried beans, fried onions and chillies or spices.

One way of making maize bread or tortilla is to soak the maize overnight witha teaspoon of dolomite or agricultural lime and then grind or mash it andmake a dough with a little salt and water. Cook in a cast-iron pot or otherheavy-bottomed frying pan.

Another way to make them is like this:

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1/2 cupmaize meal

1 1/2 cupswholewheat flour

1 cup warm water

TORTILLAS

MAIZE

MEAL

FLOUR

1 2

4 partsmaize meal

1 part water

roasted ground nuts,coconut, fresh orange peeland juice of one orange

Tortillas (makes 12)

BRAZILIAN SADZA

3

4

1

2

MAIZE

MEAL

Place the flour and maize meal in a bowl,

Make a hole in the centre and add the water a little at a time, kneadingconstantly until the mixture can be rolled out.

Make 12 small balls, flatten them and roll on a floured board until about15cm round.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and cook for one minute on each side.

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21

MAIZE

MEAL

COCONUT

CO

CO

NU

T

COCONUT

CO

CO

NU

T

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left oversadza

water (2 parts to1 part left oversadza)

handful of maizemeal orwhole wheatflour or groundmillet

Soak overnight four parts of maize meal to onepart of water.

Cook with roasted groundnuts, coconut and freshorange peel and juice of one orange. It’s great servedcold in the morning.

Take left-over sadza and break into pieces. Add two parts of water to onecup of left-over sadza.

MAHEWU

2

1

I don’t think that anyone throws away sadza these days.It can be reheated with a little water, or made into mahewu.It can also be cut into slabs and fried.

MAIZE

MEAL

1

21

1 2

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The traditional grains

Why are these grains being neglected? They fetch a higher price than maizeat market; they require fewer inputs and give more to the soil than maizedoes. Some farmers do not plant these crops because the birds enjoy themas much as people do. However, birds can be scared away by strips of foiltied at the end of sticks so that they blow in the breeze. Before the colonialistsintroduced maize to Southern Africa the traditional grains were widely grown.Those used for making sadza or porridge are:

Sorghum (mapfunde) has a slightly stronger taste than maize, and containsmore B vitamins, protein, iron and calcium. Mapfunde can be boiled andused whole. Combining one part of groundnuts (nzungu) with five parts ofMapfunde makes perfect protein in one pot. (Find cheaper ways of cookingand saving fuel on Page 79.)

Finger millet (zviyo) is a delicious dark-brown grain with a much strongerflavour. It is especially good for weaning young children or people with stomachproblems and as soft porridge in the morning. Granny used to give it to uswhen we had diarrhoea.

Bullrush millet (mhunga) is a highly nutritious greenish-brown grain with adifferent flavour.

People who are used to flavourless, refined white maize may find these grainstoo strong at first, but it is worth re-educating the taste buds as your bodygets strong and reaps the rewards of nutritious alternatives. All traditionalgrains can be cooked whole, like rice, which is a tasty alternative and cheaperand easier to cook than ground meal.

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Bring to the boil and use a whisk (kusika) to beat the mixture into a thinporridge.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add a handful of uncookedmaize meal or wholewheat flour or ground millet.

Cover with a cloth or lid and let it stand overnight. The mahewu can bedrunk the following day and it's a delicious, nutritious traditional drink forall the family.

3

4

2

Granny would mix and cook different grains together for taste and variety.Oriental medicine tells us of the great health benefits gained from eatingwhole grains. Modern nutrition supports this practice and modern researchendorses the importance of dietary fibre. Most of these grains are sold inbuckets at the local markets. They can be ground at the nearest grinding mill(chigayo) and are cheaper and healthier than shop-bought produce even ifthey take more time to buy.

Amaranth and quinoa: “the ancient ones”

Used originally by the Indians in South America, these twograins are popular today because of their high nutritionalvalue. They provide lysine, an amino acid not usually found ingrains.

Amaranth grows in Zimbabwe. The leaves are used as a vegetableand the seeds, which are black, can be cooked. To cook amaranth,cover the grain with water and boil for a few minutes; drain thecooking water, rinse with cold water and then cook it like rice.

Quinoa is a small, light-brown grain originally grown in the Andesmountains in South America. It is not yet grown in Zimbabwe,but is likely to do well in the Eastern Highlands. It is one ofnature’s most nutritious foods, containing the quality of proteinand a percentage of fat comparable to soya beans. The seedsand leaves are rich in minerals and vitamins.

These grains can be cooked like rice, either alone or with mhunga, or groundto make flour for bread.

Wheat

Give us this day our daily breadThis prayer did not refer to the anaemic loaves of white and brown bread webuy in the shops today. The bread then was probably a flat, slightly leavenedwholewheat loaf like they still bake in the Middle East. Bread made fromrefined flour is much less nutritious, and wholewheat flour is equal to maizein terms of energy and nutritional value.

23

3 parts floursalted to taste

1 part water (orlacto or yoghurt)

just enough oil forbottom of pan

FLAT BREAD

FLOUROIL

SA

LT

24

Wheat is the next most common starch after maize in southern Africa andhas become a major part of our diet in the last fifty years. The Essenes, asect that flourished in the Israeli desert at the time of Christ, made a flat breadwhich is different to the flat bread we recommend. These early Palestiniansallowed the wheat to sprout before grinding it to make the dough and thenbaked it in the sun. This gave it a special flavour and extra vitamins andenzymes. They carried it with them wherever they went as their basic sourceof energy.

Our favourite way of making flat bread uses only wholewheat flour, salt andwater and does not need yeast. It is cooked in a heavy-bottomed pan on thestovetop and is much like the bread that Granny used to bake between twohot stones. The bread is as easy to make as sadza.

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1 2

To make our flat bread: wholewheat flour, salted to taste, is mixed withwater and kneaded thoroughly to make the dough. Use about three partsof flour to one part water, adding the water little by little just until thedesired thickness is achieved; it should feel soft, like the lobe of your ear,but not sticky.

Let it set for several hours. Make dough the night before for the morning’sbread.

Flatten it into a round shape to fit the size of your pan. Cook it in a heavy-bottomed or cast-iron pan with just enough oil to prevent it from sticking.Brown on one side, pricking it all over with a fork to spread the heat rightthrough. Then brown the other side.

The thickness of the bread is a matter of choice. Some people like it asthick as a thumb; others prefer it thinner and crispy. If it is thick, cook oneside on medium heat and on the other on low heat so that it is cookedthoroughly. This makes it heavier and more filling.

1

2

3

4

Another tasty way to make flat bread is to replace water with lacto or yoghurtto make the dough. This is called “sour flat bread” and provides completeprotein.

Our favourite way to eat flat bread is to slice it through the middle while stillhot and spread inside with peanut butter and a little honey. The tasty, drippingresult is an irresistible family treat.

Flat bread takes only minutes to produce, so you can make it every morningand evening for the family, with left-overs to take to school or work. Preparedthis way, it is always fresh, not like the expensive store-bought bread, whichis often stale.

Serve flat bread for breakfast. Just add fruit, sour milk or peanut butter tomake a balanced meal, or serve it with an egg. For the price of a shop-bought loaf you can make eight loaves of flat bread. What is more, the wheatthat you buy to grind for flour is much cheaper. Don’t pay the baker!

There are other ways to use wheat. Cooked whole like rice, it is more nutritiousthan flour, and stronger, sweeter and generally tastier. Wheat can be poundedroughly to make a porridge, sold as Brekweet in the supermarkets. It makesthe perfect start to a day if served with lacto or yoghurt and fruit. Wheat flourcan be mixed with millet or maize meal to make them go further, thicker and 25

to add flavour. Last but certainly not least, a delicious sadza can be madefrom wholewheat flour. Try it, you’ll like it!

Pasta

A popular new staple, which comes from Italy, pasta makes a tasty variation.Most pasta is made from refined white flour, but some kinds are made fromwholewheat. It can be used with many different sauces.

The simplest sauce for pasta is pesto with grated cheese added for protein.This is cheap and easy to prepare.

PESTO

Crush the basil, nuts and garlic to a fine paste with a pestle and mortar.

Add a sprinkling of cheese and a little oil and crush the mixture again.Repeat the process until the oil and cheese are finished. Add salt andpepper to taste.

1

2

26

1 2

OLIVEOIL

PE

PP

ER

SA

LT

2 handsful of basil,shredded

3 Tbsp macadamia nuts(or other tree nuts)

2 cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp gratedcheese

1 cup olive oil or anycold pressed oil, and saltand pepper to taste

OLIVEOIL

PE

PP

ER

SA

LT

To make the sauce, mix soya mince in a bowl with hot water and stockcubes, Worcester sauce or tomato puree, and leave to soak.

In a pan over medium heat, fry chopped onions, garlic, herbs and paprikauntil soft, not brown.

Pesto is great with pasta. Simply stir a couple of tablespoons of pesto intothe cooked pasta, and ... hey presto!

The best-known pasta dish is Spaghetti Bolognese. While the Bolognesesauce is traditionally made with minced beef, soya mince is a cheaper andhealthier way to prepare it. You can save even more money and gainnutritionally by using roasted okara for mince. (See Cooking with soya onPage 56)

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE SOYA

WO

RC

ES

TE

RS

AU

CE

soya mince

stock cubes

worcester sauceand tomato puree

chopped onions

garlic

paprika and herbs

grated carrots andchopped tomatoes

sliced mushrooms

1

2

TOMATOPUREE

27

1 2

WO

RC

ES

TE

RS

AU

CE

TOMATOPUREE

Pasta should be cooked in plenty of slightly salted, boiling water until justtender. It should be firm and not overcooked. Drain the water and serve thepasta with the sauce. Use a small tin of tomato puree if you don’t have freshtomatoes. Soak dried mushrooms or mufushwa (dried vegetables) with thesoya mince beforehand. Instead of soya mince, mix a can of tuna, tinnedpilchards or other cooked fish into the same basic recipe. Like mushrooms,fish adds taste and nutritional value, but it is expensive.

I like a simple meal of wholewheat spaghetti served with any green vegetable,such as pumpkin leaves (mubora) or spinach, chopped onions and herbsand grated cheese with salt and pepper. Wholewheat spaghetti topped withtwo fried eggs, salt, pepper and butter makes a cheap and easy meal.

3

4

5

6

28

5

43

6

PE

PP

ER

SA

LT

Add grated carrot and chopped tomatoes and cook gently until the carrotsare soft.

Stir in the soaked soya mince and continue cooking the mixture until thesoya is tender.

Add sliced mushrooms or a green vegetable such as spinach, lightlycooked, to the sauce for added flavour and nutrition.

Season with salt and pepper.

Rice

A very popular staple is rice, which comes white or brown. Polished whiterice is the type usually found in the stores. Milling takes away most of theinner husk and the germ. Brown rice, by contrast, is less finely milled so asto keep the germ and some of the inner husk. Brown rice is much healthierthan the polished variety, with more B vitamins and protein. Rice grown inthe rural areas can be called brown rice. Old Mill Stream brown rice fromSouth Africa is sometimes seen on supermarket shelves. It is delicious butexpensive.

In Japan, China and India, rice is the staple food. Today most Easterners eatpolished rice instead of the brown rice they ate in the past. They also consumelots of sugar and foods and drinks containing sugar. As a result people inthese nations now suffer from tooth decay, deformities due to calciumdeficiency, obesity and malnutrition.

It is easy to cook rice. Just add one part of clean rice to two parts of waterin a pot. Add a pinch of salt to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat andsimmer gently with the lid on until all water has been absorbed. Try it fortexture: if not quite cooked add a little water and continue cooking. Do notstir the rice; this will make it sticky. Take it off the heat when it dries andshows holes in the top, or it will burn the bottom of the pot.

Rice, like sadza, goes well with different types of food. It can be served asa staple with meat, vegetables and relishes. Most people cook only plainboiled white rice. This, to me, is similar to the refined maize meal used forsadza. It has no flavour except for the relish it is served with. However, riceabsorbs whatever flavours are cooked with it, so that adding spices, herbs,stock cubes, soya sauce or cooking with other ingredients makes the riceitself a tasty part of the meal. You can make a whole dish in one pot with riceand vegetables, herbs and protein-rich foods. (See the recipe for risottounder Cost-saving tips on Page 82) Rice can also be cooked with peanutbutter or lentils to make a complete protein.

Favourite recipes from other countries include Indian curry and rice. The riceis usually cooked with turmeric to make it yellow, cinnamon, cloves andcardamom, cumin or coriander and sometimes grated coconut or coconutmilk. Often raisins or chopped nuts are added in before serving. Then the

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Oats

Scotland’s oldest staple is oats. Wherever there are Scots – and that is almosteverywhere - there will be oatmeal. The grain is highly nutritious, being richin protein and an important source of soluble fibre. In Zimbabwe there aretwo types of oatmeal, high-fibre and regular. My family prefers high-fibre.

Oats are easy to prepare. Add two parts of water to one part oats, with apinch of salt. Cook gently over medium heat, stirring frequently to preventburning, until thick. The consistency is a matter of choice: you can make itquite runny or very stiff. It is often cooked with a little peanut butter to boostthe protein content. We also enjoy it served with lacto or plain yoghurt andbananas, raisins or mangoes.

My family favourite is “porridge pudding”, for which the oats are cooked withmilk instead of water and need to be stirred continually to prevent burning.For added taste, stir in a spoon of honey and a few drops of essence –banana, vanilla or coconut are best. Keep the cooked oats in the fridge fora few hours and serve with cream or yoghurt for a delicious dessert.

rice dish is served with deliciously spicy curried meat, vegetables or fish.(See the vegetable curry recipe in the section about vegetables on Page 44.)

In Afghanistan rice is often cooked with sliced carrots and a few raisins and almonds. The dish is called kabuli, after the nation’s capital.

In Chinese cooking, rice is often cooked with soya sauce or miso (a fermented soya bean paste) and served with stir-fried vegetables, fish or meat.

In Vietnam rice and fresh peas are cooked separately and then combined with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little oil to create a dish called risi-bisi.

Thai people like to cook sticky rice, while Westerners prefer thegrains drier.

Of course, there is the old standard way to serve rice. I once asked,“What is the national dish of Puerto Rico?” The reply was rice andbeans.

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Mix dry ingredients and add liquids, stirring carefully to avoid lumps.

Bake in a medium oven at 160 deg. Celsius until crunchy. Add raisins orother dried fruit after the granola has cooled.

GRANOLA

1

2

1 2

I often use fortified porridge for people who are underweight or weak andwith a poor appetite. Cook the oats with milk as above, adding three heapedtablespoons of full-cream milk powder and some groundnuts or peanutbutter, stirring constantly. This porridge should be made less stiff than normal.Once it has boiled, briskly stir in a beaten raw egg with half a cup of plainyoghurt. This is a tasty and easily digestible protein booster.

For a special treat with oats, you can make granola. Most of the granolafound in the shops contains sugar. Try this sugar-free recipe.

3 cups oatmeal 3/4 cup choppedpecan nuts orany other nuts

1/4 cup wholewheat flour

FLOUR 1/2 tsp cinnamonand a pinch of salt

2 Tbsp cold pressed oil

1/2 cup water

OAT MEAL

OA

T M

EA

L

CIN

NA

MO

N

SA

LT

OIL

Granola is usually eaten as is or with milk. It is useful to take on trips or whenyou cannot get a cooked meal. It should be stored in an airtight containerto prevent it going soggy. You can add protein value and flavour by replacingthe oatmeal with okara (see Cooking with soya on Page 56).

1

2

Peel the plantains or bananas and put to boil with a little water on a gentleheat. Keep on checking and adding a little water at a time until the bananasare cooked through, but not too soft.

Add a pinch of salt and mash the cooked bananas thoroughly, to servewith a relish and protein like beans or meat in the same way as sadza.

bananas

MATOKE

SA

LT pinch of salt

METHOD 1:

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Vegetable staples

We get some carbohydrates from “ground produce”, or vegetables that growbelow the ground. They include potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro (madumbe),cassava and yams. They are tasty additions to our staples, but should notmake up more than 20 percent of our overall staple intake because they donot have the same food value as grains. However, taking into account therising cost of bread, sweet potatoes make an ideal and cheaper substitute.

These vegetables are best when combined with pumpkin, butternut or carrots.Mash cooked vegetables together with salt, pepper and butter to taste. Thismakes a colourful and delicious version of mashed potato with addednutritional value.

In Uganda and other parts of East Africa a type of green banana called“plantain” is used to make a staple called matoke. In Southern Africa plantainsare not always available, but firm, green bananas make an excellent substitute.Every family in Uganda has its own favourite. The easiest and tastiest way Iknow is as follows:

1 2

SA

LT

The sauce is made by chopping onions and a clove or two of garlic andfrying gently until soft in a little oil or butter. Add a teaspoon of groundginger and, if you like, some chopped tomatoes.

Add the sauce to the matoke and cook slowly until it tastes ready.

A more tasty way is to cook a separate sauce, which is combined with thematoke and cooked slowly until it tastes ready.

1

2

METHOD 3:

chopped onions

GIN

GE

R 1 tsp groundginger

a clove or twoof garlic

chopped tomatoes

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1 2

GIN

GE

RMETHOD 2:

1 2

pumpkin orbutternut

1/2 cuppeanutbutterP

EA

NU

TB

UT

TE

R

1

2

I like plantain or bananas served with a sauce of chopped pumpkin orbutternut instead of tomatoes. Add half a cup of peanut butter and a littlewater and continue cooking till all the ingredients are soft enough tomash.

Add this sauce to the cooked bananas and continue cooking for anotherhalf-hour or more, depending on which kind of banana is being used.Mash the mixture thoroughly and return to a gentle heat for a further 10or 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Serve with green vegetablesor other relish.

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Symbols used in this and the succeeding charts listing comparative food valuesare as follows:

- No information available( ) Values are reported without confidence because they are based on a

limited number of sourcesTr Only a trace of the nutrient is known to be present0 No detectable amount of the nutrient was known to

be present.

Measurements for food values are reported in units of 100 grams per edibleportion. Energy is given in kilocalories (kcal); protein, fat and carbohydrates ingrams (g) per 100g. Values for the minerals - calcium, iron, potassium and sodium– and thiamin, riboflavin, niacin Vitamin C and Vitamin B6 - are expressed inmilligrams (mg) per 100g. For Vitamin B12 the values are reported in micrograms(mcg) per 100 grams. Vitamin A values are represented in micrograms retinolequivalent per 100g.

35

A NOTE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING CHARTS

EN

ER

GY

PR

OT

EIN

FAT

CA

RB

OH

YDR

ATES

CA

LC

IUM

IRO

N

MaizeMealies - corn 89.0 3.0 1.60 18.4 2.5 0.7on the cob boiledSadza - wholegrain/ 356.3 9.5 3.77 2.8 16.3 3.0straight-run(mugaaiwa)Roller meal - 363.2 8.3 1.8 78.6 8.5 3.160% refinedRoller meal - 356.2 4.5 2.1 84 7 1.6super-refinedWheat (flour, bread,pasta etc.)Whole grain, raw 332.8 13.1 2.0 70.3 40.9 4.7Flour wholemeal 334.6 12.5 1.8 71.3 41.5 4.4Brown 348.2 11.7 1.6 72.9 23.6 2.6Household white 355.7 12.7 1.0 75.4 17.6 1.5Pasta (white macaroni) 108 3.8 0.5 22.5 8 0.5Rice (white raw) 357.4 6.8 0.6 80.6 8.6 1.2Rice (brown) 357 7.6 1.6 77.5 15.9 1.9Oatmeal (raw) 389.0 131.1 7.2 68.6 48.8 4.2Oatmeal (boiled) 54.3 1.9 1.0 9.6 7.5 0.6Potatoes (boiled) 69.8 1.9 0.1 16 5.8 0.5Sweet potatoes (boiled) 104 1.3 0.4 24.6 29.7 0.7Traditional grainsFinger millet(zviyo)whole grain 333.6 7.2 1.6 75.7 350.6 9.6Finger millet ground 120 2.0 0.7 26.0 120.0 2.0Bullrush millet(mhunga) whole grain 354.6 12.4 4.9 71.4 31.3 9.6Bullrush millet ground 130.0 4.0 2.0 23.0 8 2Sorghum (mapfunde)whole grain 356.4 10.7 3.2 73.4 27.4 5.8Sorghum ground 120.0 3.0 1.5 23.0 10.0 2.0

COMPARATIVE FOOD VALUES OF POPULAR STARCHES(Food value per 100 g)

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What would life be like without vegetables and fruits? As can be seen fromthe picture of the Healthy Plate, they should make up one-third of your diet.Take at least five portions of vegetables and fruit every day. Of these at leastthree portions should be vegetables. A portion means one cup of uncookedvegetable or half a cup of mufushwa (dried vegetables).

Vegetables are usually divided into three groups: yellow, white and green.Each group has different vitamins and minerals, and by combining them youare providing your immune system with the weapons it needs to fight disease.Yellow vegetables include pumpkin, carrot and butternut as well as yellowsweet potatoes. White vegetables include cauliflower, white cabbage, andthe bottom parts of leeks, onions, parsnips and turnips. Green is any darkgreen vegetable like rape, covo, spinach, tsunga and the leaves and flowersof broccoli and the leaves of cauliflower and beetroot and pumpkins.

Try to select from all three groups regularly. In Granny’s time the people atea wide variety of vegetables and fruits which, with the complements andstaples, supplied all the vitamins and minerals their bodies needed.

Dark green vegetables supply iron, folic acid, calcium and Vitamin A. Yellowvegetables are among the best sources of Vitamin A (beta carotene), whichis essential for immunity, eyesight, skin and hair. White vegetables are usuallya good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Sadly, our soiltoday - and the vegetables it produces - is less rich in these nutrients becauseof the way we farm. Local and wild vegetables and fruits, like blackjack,hibiscus flower, leafy derere and amaranth, are free for the picking and arenutritious, some containing more iron and vitamins per portion than the“foreign” vegetables like covo and rape. They grow everywhere, even in thetownships.

People who eat a diet consisting mainly of refined starches and sugars requiremuch more calcium. Magnesium, which is lacking in our soils and thereforein vegetables that grow in them, is also important. The need for these mineralscan be met for less than a dollar a day by taking a teaspoon of dolomite(nature’s best source of these two nutrients) daily. Other essential mineralsusually not found in sufficient quantities in foods are selenium and zinc. (See‘Supplement to the Healthy Plate’ Page 14.)

VITAMIN BOOSTERS:VEGETABLES AND FRUITS (30%)

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Most people have fond memories of eating fresh fruit from trees when theywere young. Favourites include marula, mazhanje, mangoes and bananas.Adding bananas to bread and peanut butter makes a special treat, as doesadding some chunks of mango to porridge and lacto.

Normally up to two portions of fruits in season should be eaten daily. A portionconsists of one fruit like a banana, a mango or a slice of melon or paw-paw.If you are suffering from thrush, you should limit your fruit intake because thesugar content will make the ailment worse. While all fruits are rich in VitaminC, melon and mango also provide generous amounts of Vitamin A.

Fruit is best eaten raw. Most vegetables are usually cooked. Fresh, rawvegetables, used in salads, contain almost as much Vitamin C as fruit, butthe goodness is destroyed in the cooking process. Raw is usually healthier,but root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, yams and beetroot need to becooked in order to yield their full nutritional benefit. An exception is raw carrotwhen juiced. Most of these root vegetables provide delicious greens that canbe picked and cooked even while they are growing.

While we can grow many of the vegetables we need, even in a small garden,they tend to be seasonal. Granny made sure that a bountiful harvest lastedall year by drying surplus vegetables (mufushwa). Why have we lost this skill?Mufushwa has all the same vitamins and minerals as fresh vegetables, exceptVitamin C. Mufushwa can be easily stored and used all year round.

At the end of this chapter you will find a chart showing the different vitaminand mineral contents of most of our common vegetables.

Cooking methods for vegetables include steaming, boiling, frying and baking.The less cooking, the better this preserves the texture, taste and food value.Boiling vegetables till they are too soft and then throwing away extra watermeans you are throwing away most of the nutrients you paid for. Boil vegetableswith as little water as possible until they are tender but crisp, and put theextra water into your soup, stock or stews.

The best way is to steam the vegetables. Do this by putting them in a sieveor grid above the boiling water in a pot, allowing the steam to soften them.Cooked this way the vegetables keep their colour, flavour and texture. Youcan let root vegetables or even meat boil in the bottom part, saving fuel. Thejuices from the vegetables steaming on the top will add to the flavour below. 39

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vegetables and soya sauce

STIR-FRY VEGETABLES

The Chinese use a round-bottomed frying pan called a ‘wok’ to stir-fryvegetables, but you can use an ordinary flat-bottomed pan. Chop thevegetables small and cook with very little oil, seasoning with salt, pepperand herbs. Vegetables that take longest to cook, like carrots, are cookedfirst, adding the others a few minutes later. They should be stirred constantlyand cooked lightly so that the vegetables remain crisp. A dash of soyasauce will keep the vegetables crisp and gives a delicious flavour. Thesecret is to use very little oil, cooking quickly and stirring thoroughly.

Serve with boiled or steamed rice or potatoes.

Vegetables can be baked in an oven or cooked by wrapping them in cookingfoil or banana or avocado leaves, and baking them in the embers of a fire.They can also be baked in a three-legged cast-iron pot on a fire or in claypot buried in embers. All that is needed is a metal grid to prevent the foodbeing burned in the bottom of the pot. Vegetables prepared this way shouldbe cooked in the skins to retain their vitamin content. The vegetables canbe peeled after cooking, but baked potato skins and butternut skins arehealthy and tasty.

OIL

SOYASAUCE

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Why have we come to believe that vegetables should always have cookingoil added? Granny did not have cooking oil. She used peanut butter (dovi),and this is the most delicious way of serving vegetables, including mufushwa.It also means that you are adding to your protein intake (See “Bad” fats onPage 69 and 70).

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Herbs and foodYou may think that herbs are used only to flavour food, which they certainlydo! I like rosemary with chicken or fish. Basil and marjoram are great in anysauce containing tomatoes, and parsley goes well with just about everythingand is more nutritious than most green vegetables. Oregano and chives gowell with eggs; thyme enhances any meat dish. Experiment with differentcombinations to find which herbs your family likes best. Herbs are alsonutritious and have medicinal uses.

Most herbs, like parsley, basil, rosemary and chives, can be grown easily,even in small spaces such as plastic bags or old buckets. They grow all yearround and need little water. Grow them around a garden tap or outside thekitchen door and water them with the washing-up water.

Strongly flavoured herbs like garlic and chives are effective insecticides, andif planted in between the rows will keep slugs, snails and other pests awayfrom your vegetables. The leaves of garlic and chives make a fragrant herb.Use them in stews, soups and scrambled eggs. Harvest garlic leaves whilethe bulbs are growing.

Garlic is a “magic” food. It is nature’s own antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-fungaland antiseptic and it has a great flavour. Try it roasted whole with some ofits skin left on. You can never eat too much garlic. The strongest 85-year-old man that I have met ate so much garlic that even mosquitoes would notbite him. He started taking it in his sixties, when he was a very sick man.Three cloves a day truly keep the doctor away.

Garlic is easy to grow. Break a whole garlic bulb into separate cloves andpush these into the soil with your thumb and water them a little. When theleaves turn brown and die, the new bulb is ready to harvest.

See the section in Hard Times on Page 91 for ways to use other herbs.

Another useful herb that grows like a weed from one small root, needs littlewatering or cultivation and looks pretty around the edge of a vegetable row

or flowerbed is comfrey. The furry leaves can be harvested year round andmake a wonderful feed for rabbits and chickens, turning egg yolks to a richorangey colour, unlike the anaemic-looking eggs we buy in shops. Its smallinner leaves can be chopped and used – but not too often! - to flavour soupsand stews and to add vitamins, iron and folic acid.

Comfrey can also be brewed now and then as a tea, with boiling water, alittle lemon juice or lemon grass and fresh mint. This cleanses the liver andkidneys and is excellent for controlling nausea (see Hard Times on Page 96and 97).

potatoes orsweet potatoes

onions carrots

POTATOES AND VEGETABLESIN CHEESE SAUCE

pumpkin orbutternut

parsley andoregano

leeks

cauliflowerand broccoli

peas

This tasty, inexpensive dish is quick to cook. It combines yellow, green and whitevegetables, carbohydrates and complete protein in one dish.

Chop potatoes or sweet potatoes into chunks with chopped onions and slicedcarrots, pumpkin or butternut, chopped parsley and oregano. Bring the mixtureto the boil in a pot half filled with water.

After 10 minutes add chopped leeks, using both the green and white ends,or add cauliflower and broccoli, breaking them into small sections. Continueboiling for further five minutes, add peas and boil for a few minutes more.Drain the cooking water into a bowl and put it aside.

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In a clean pan melt a heaped tablespoon of butter and add two tablespoonsof wholewheat flour, with a teaspoon of mustard for flavour. Stir the flourmixture over medium heat until it becomes like dry breadcrumbs andturns golden brown.

Add a cup of dairy or soya milk a little at a time, stirring the liquid thoroughlyinto the flour mixture until it is smooth and sticky like dough. Add thevegetable cooking water to the flour mixture a little at a time, again stirringconstantly until it is smooth and creamy.

Add a cup of grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until thecheese has melted.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables and potatoes and mix. What a delicioustreat!

BUTTER FLOUR1 heapedTbsp butter

2 Tbspwholewheatflour

1 tsp mustardMUSTARD

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1 cup gratedcheese P

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salt andpepper

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VEGETABLE CURRYBUTTER

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butter or coldpressed oil

onions andgarlic

parsley

chives 1 tsp currypowder

tomatoes

butternut,gem squash,pumpkinor carrots

potatoesleeks, spinachor other greenvegetables

cauliflowerpeas orsweetcorn

sweetpeppers

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Another tasty way with vegetables comes from India. Put a little butter orcold-pressed oil into a heavy-bottomed pan. Add chopped onions, crushedgarlic, chopped parsley and chives and a teaspoon of curry powder or,if you prefer, half a teaspoon each of coriander, cumin, cinnamon andturmeric with a little chilli or cayenne powder. Stir the mixture and fry itgently until the onions go soft, but not brown.

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Sprouting

Most beans, grains and seeds can be sprouted. Sprouts are the stalks thatappear when the bean or seed is starting to grow. Sprouting increases thevitamin and protein content of the foods. It also adds valuable amino acidsand enzymes that make the food easier to digest. Using sprouted foods cutsdown on cooking time, saving fuel. In traditional African culture millet andsorghum are sprouted and used to make beer.

Other common sprouts are from mung beans, alfafa (lucerne), wheat andmustard.

Sprouting is an easy and cheap way of growing your own fresh food. Youdo not need a garden. Soak the beans or grains for four to six hours andspread them over a layer of cotton wool or a thick towel placed in a tray. Thisis kept slightly wet and put in a cool, dark place until the shoots are grown.Another easy method is to soak the beans or grains in a wide-topped jar forfour to six hours and then pour off the water.

Every morning and evening fill the jar with water again and shake it up andpour the water off until the sprouts appear. They can be used when theyhave grown to between 2cm and 4cm long. They can be cooked whole, orsnipped off and added raw to salads, or cooked lightly in stir-fry dishes orsoups. They add nutrition and a lovely, delicate flavour.

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- - 120.41 107.50 0.01 0.22 0.90 - -234 12.8 11.23 44.90 0.05 0.04 0.30 0.15 0

162.1 10.5 8.55 34.20 0.04 0.04 0.27 0.10 0306.0 17.7 8.78 72.40 0.08 0.08 0.60 0.20 2.0156.8 9.3 4.42 9.20 0.04 0.20 0.13 0.11 0

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