Angela Day
When you’re a student, cramming study, part-time work and a bit of fun into your life, food can come low on your list of priorities. You might indulge a great deal in frozen or fast foods.
But there is no need to. All young people should master a repertoire of simple dishes they can produce for themselves, friends and family.
Few people could be as busy as 19-year-old Ntando Duma, who is studying media practices at a Joburg college.
She is presenter on the Craz-e youth show on e.tv, having landed the gig after a presenter search about a year ago. She also bagged a role on the network’s soapie, Rhythm City, playing the part of Zinzi, a feisty daughter in the Dandala family.
This beautiful, confident young woman – her shaved head has given her an edgy, distinctive look – is a rising star, so we loved having her in our kitchen to rustle up some accessible dishes.
I found out that Ntando was raised in Orange Farm by her mom, a single mother of four children, and a grandmother. In 2011, she moved to stay with her aunt and uncle in Sandton.
Her motto should be: “No guts, no glory.” This happy and free spirit put herself out there, and it has paid off.
Understandably, Ntando does not have much free time to spend in the kitchen – she is also a maven on social media – and admits to not being a good cook.
She loves eating, though. Her favourite foods are amasi and phuthu and she is addicted to chocolate and Iron Brew. When she eats out, she likes to order a chicken-mayo tramezzini. (As young as she is, she can indulge without having to work out.)
We asked Ntando to come up with a menu she was confident she could make for her family, and these are the dishes she came up with: mince and macaroni, a mixed salad and a trifle.
MACARONI SURPRISE
Serves 4-6
45ml olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
10ml chopped garlic
500g beef mince
10-15ml barbecue spice
10ml dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper
60g butter
60ml flour
500ml milk
500ml grated cheddar cheese
300g macaroni, boiled until tender and drained
Heat the oil and fry the onion, peppers and garlic until soft.
Stir in the mince and fry, breaking up the lumps with a spoon. Fry until nicely browned.
Add the spice and herbs and season well.
In a separate pot, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens.
Remove from the heat and mix in half the cheese and season well.
Add the cooked macaroni and mince mixture.
Spoon the mixture into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
MIXED SALAD
Serves 4-6
1 pillow packet of washed lettuce leaves
1 Mediterranean cucumber, halved, seeded and sliced
250g baby tomatoes
125g feta cheese, cubed
DRESSING
60ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
5ml chopped garlic
3ml Dijon mustard
5ml honey
salt and pepper
Arrange the salad ingredients on a serving plate.
DRESSING: Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a screw-top jar.
Shake well to mix the ingredients, then pour over the salad before serving.
TRIFLE
Serves 6-8
2 packets of jelly, made up and set according to the directions
6-8 finger biscuits
500g strawberries, halved
500ml cream, whipped
CUSTARD
90ml custard powder
90ml sugar
1 litre of milk
10ml vanilla essence
Set the jelly in the base of your serving dish.
Cover with the custard. Add the finger biscuits, reserving a few for the top.
Add half the strawberries. Top with the whipped cream.
Decorate with the remaining strawberries and grate a few finger biscuits on top.
CUSTARD: Combine the custard powder and sugar with enough milk to make a runny mixture.
Put the rest of the milk in a pot and bring just to the boil.
While stirring, add the hot milk to the custard mixture. Return the mixture to the pot and cook, stirring, over a medium heat until the mixture thickens and boils.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Cool completely before using in the trifle.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.