POLOKWANE – A vegetarian Braai Day does not have to be dull and unimaginative with these eight delicious recipes.

With the help of Taste by Woolworths, we have compiled a list of recipes that cover from starter to main, and even dessert.

Veggies for the braai:

Exotic mushroom kebabs with mozzarella:

Brush exotic mushroom kebabs and king oyster mushroom steaks with 50g melted butter. Season and add fresh thyme. Braai over hot coals, turning until golden. Tear over pieces of bocconcini till they melt and serve hot.

Baby brinjals with yoghurt :

Grill 12 baby brinjals in the coals or over a flame. Blister until blackened and soft. Dust off any ash, then drizzle with olive oil and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Season and serve with two tablespoons plain yoghurt, one teaspoon nut butter, fresh coriander and toasted sesame seeds.

If you look at a piece of steak, the biggest thing to note is the large surface area. Using this as a guideline, you’ll be able to turn any vegetable into a ‘steak’, provided you can prepare it with this large surface. Cauliflower and broccoli are easy to do this to. Keeping the root intact, slice down to cut out 2-3 steaks. If any florets fall off, simply roast them for a crispy garnish, or save to use in another dish. If you’ve got large aubergines, you can slice them lengthways. Big brown mushrooms have done all the work for you, and are pretty much ready to be used. – Woolworths

Main course:

Roast cauliflower with parsley oil (serves 4):

Ingredients:

• 2 cauliflower heads, sliced into steaks
• ½ cup almond oil, plus 2 T for drizzling
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 80 g Grana Padano, grated
• 60 g parsley, leaves picked
• Caperberries, fried, to garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss the cauliflower steaks in the almond oil and seasoning. Roast for 10 minutes, then sprinkle over the Grana Padano and roast for a further 20 minutes until tender but still firm.
2. Meanwhile, make the parsley oil. Blanch the parsley for a few seconds, until the leaves are bright green, drain and refresh in iced water. Squeeze out any excess water. Transfer to a blender, blend with the remaining almond oil, then strain through cheesecloth.
3. Serve the cauliflower with a drizzle of parsley oil, topped with the fried caperberries.

Grilled broccoli steaks with white beans, red onions and anchovy butter (serves 4):

Ingredients:

• 1 head broccoli
• 1 T olive oil
• 4-6 anchovy fillets
• 100 g softened butter
• 1 x 400 g can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 red onion, sliced
• Mint, for serving

Method:

1. Cut the broccoli head into steaks and rub with olive oil. Grill for 5 minutes a side, until chargrilled but still slightly crunchy.
2. Smash the anchovy fillets with softened butter. Place in a pan to brown slightly, then add the can of drained cannellini beans and sliced red onion. Season to taste.
3. Remove from the heat and serve warm spooned over the broccoli.
4. Garnish with mint.

Mushrooms with gorgonzola and breadcrumbs (serves 4):

Ingredients:

• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 100 g Gorgonzola
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 T thyme, chopped
• 4 large brown mushrooms
• Olive oil, for drizzling

Method:

1. Mix breadcrumbs, Gorgonzola, crushed garlic clove, chopped thyme and season.
2. Spoon the mixture onto four large brown mushrooms.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 200°C for 15–20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and the stuffing is golden.

Delectable sides:

Smoky corn with spring onion cream cheese and maple syrup:

Ingredients: 

• 8 corn cobs, in their husks
• Olive oil, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• Woolworths spring onion-and-chive medium-fat cream cheese, for serving
• Spring onions, sliced, to taste
• Maple syrup, for drizzling

Method:

1. Place cobs corn, in their husks, on a grid over medium coals and braai, turning often, until the husks have blackened and the corn has steamed – about 15 minutes.
2. Remove the husks, rub the corn with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and char slightly over the coals for a few minutes for a smoky flavour.
3. Serve hot with a dollop of Woolworths spring onion-and-chive medium-fat cream cheese, sliced spring onion and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Butternut stuffed with spinach-and-tomato couscous

Ingredients: 

• 1 butternut
• 1 T olive oil
• Sea salt, a pinch
• 80 g baby spinach, chopped
• 1 cup couscous
• 4 T Woolworths’ tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
• Radishes, sliced, for topping
• Spring onions, sliced, for topping
• Chilli, grated, for topping
• Hard cheese, grated, for topping

Method:

1. Halve one butternut and remove the seeds. Rub with 1 T olive oil and sea salt, wrap in foil and braai over medium-heat coals until cooked. 
2. Mix 80 g chopped baby spinach, 1 cup cooked couscous, 4 T Woolworths’ tomato-and-basil pasta sauce, then spoon into the cooked butternut.
3. Top with sliced radishes, spring onions, chilli and grated hard cheese.

Dessert: 

Charcoal-caramelised s’mores:

Ingredients:

• 80 g dark or milk chocolate
• 150 g plain savoury crackers
• 150 g marshmallows

Method:

1. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler.
2. Dip one edge of the biscuits into the melted chocolate and allow it to run down one side of each biscuit. Place on a serving dish and allow the chocolate to set.
3. Once the chocolate has set, top each biscuit with a marshmallow. Gently press a hot piece of charcoal held in a pair of tongs onto the marshmallow.
4. Once the tops of the marshmallows have caramelised, remove the charcoal and serve immediately.

Sources: Woolworths and Taste