Summer is officially here! The sun is out and everyone is thinking about BBQ-ing/ grilling/ cooking out/ having a braai! The best thing about whacking things on the grill is that you don't have to spend hours slaving over a stove and you can ask the other half to do it for you!! Thinking of a side dish is probably the trickiest thing for me, I usually want something healthy to counteract the unknown meat in hot dogs! In the States, it's all about adding crisps/chips and corn, and baked beans! However, baked beans here are NOT like Heinz Baked Beans of my youth! I knew I had to make my own, and where else could I look but Jamie Oliver! I got the recipe for Baked Beans from his Comfort Food cookbook but I found a similar one online.
Yay or Nay: Yay
I warn you, this is not a quick throw-everything-in-a-pan kind of dish. It is low and slow, at least at the beginning, and actually at the end too! But it is worth it - I think one bird-'s eye chili was enough as you could definitely taste the heat. Also make sure to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes as I didn't and I definitely felt the tomato pang!
As I was prepping for dinner I realised I forgot potatoes, so I frantically searched through my fridge to see what I could come up with. By chance I had a bulb of fennel that I hadn't used for a slaw so I googled what I could make. I didn't even have to scroll that far down before this recipe for Roasted Fennel with Rosemary Breadcrumbs. Sounds like a winning combo with grilled salmon!
Yay or Nay: Yay
Surprisingly, it was fragrant and the mix of crunchy breadcrumbs with the warm aniseed of the fennel was a winner. Note: The breadcrumbs were good mixed in with giant cous cous and feta salad.
