An Ongoing Love Affair With Food

Chef Mokgadi Itsweng

Chef Mokgadi Itsweng is determined to disprove the myth that healthy food is expensive while showcasing indigenous South African ingredients and plant-forward dishes.

Itsweng – a protégé of the late, great Dorah Sithole – has nearly 20 years of experience in the local culinary industry as a chef, food writer, published author, entrepreneur and activist.

She was also one of the headline chefs at The Plant Powered Show, which took place in Cape Town at the end of May 2022, as both a physical and online event, which allowed visitors from other parts of South Africa, the

African continent and the rest of the world to join in.

Plant-forward is a style of cooking and eating that emphasises plant-based foods but is not strictly limited to them. Meat may be included, although it’s usually not the main feature of the meal.

Itsweng was also one of the guest chefs on the recently screened MasterChef SA where she had the finalists cooking with indigenous ingredients such as foxtail millet, whole grain sorghum, and bambara groundnut.

“My MasterChef SA experience was incredible, and it was a wonderful opportunity to put indigenous ingredients on the map on a big stage,” she says. “Many of the young chefs competing had never used some of the ingredients, yet their creative minds came up with fantastic dishes.”

Last year, Itsweng published her debut cookbook Veggielicious, highlighting plant-forward recipes from the tshemo (garden) of her dreams.

“The book is a guide to adding delicious plants to your plate and demonstrates how easy it is to create amazing plant-inspired meals. Most of the ingredients in the recipes are easily accessible, and are inexpensive items you should have in your kitchen or find at your local supermarket. Eating healthier does not mean you have to spend more money,” she explains.

ACTIVIST FOR PLANT-FORWARD FOOD CULTURE

Chef Mokgadi promotes planetary health, which considers the health of humans and the environment. A plant-forward lifestyle confers improved health and environmental benefits, so

for me, that’s a win-win situation. It involves conscious eating and knowing where your food comes from.

“I believe in good food for all and proudly advocate for it. It is a human right, not just for a few but for everybody. We also need to alert people as to what good food is. Many of our indigenous ingredients are ‘good food’, but we just don’t know it. Many poorer people eat highly processed foods purely because we’ve been conditioned to think it is cheaper.

I want people to understand what real food is and what is easily accessible – that is my advocacy”, she says.

She’s also passionate about showcasing homegrown ingredients in exciting new ways.

“There is so much more to so-called local ingredients than pap and maise, which isn’t really sustainable. Quinoa became popular with consumers because chefs promoted it on television or in magazines, so I believe that education starts with the chefs. If they are educated about local indigenous ingredients, they can become the champions and create ‘sexy’ dishes with them. This leads to a chain reaction – people ask for them in supermarkets, and farmers start growing them because of the demand. The revolution starts with the chefs and our food heroes.”

EASY GO-TO DINNER

“I love anything on a roti, a flatbread or a wrap. For me, a quick meal would be my grilled mushrooms with chimichurri sauce, stuffed in a wrap with a quick slaw made from red and green cabbage, green apple, and dressed with vegan mayo or lemon juice.”

Chef Mokgadi shares her quick and easy recipe for Grilled Mushroom Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce (taken from her book Veggielicious published by Human & Rosseau) which can be taken off the skewer and used in a wrap.

Ingredients

250g mushrooms (of your choice)

20ml olive oil

1 tsp seasoning herb salt

¼ cup (60ml) chimichurri sauce

Method

Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes so that they do not burn during grilling. Wipe the mushrooms with a paper towel to remove excess soil or dirt, then place them in a bowl (do not wash them as they absorb water). Drizzle olive oil over the mushrooms, ensuring they are all lightly coated. Skewer three mushrooms on a wooden skewer. Heat a griddle pan until smoking, and grill the mushrooms for three minutes on each side. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the seasoning herb salt, and arrange them on a platter (or in a wrap). Pour over the chimichurri sauce and serve immediately.

Seasoning herb salt

This salt is my kitchen staple. I use it as I would salt and pepper. The addition of moringa packs in extra nutrients. Makes 1kg.

Ingredients

150ml onion powder

150ml garlic powder

200ml dried rosemary

200ml dried thyme

50ml moringa powder (optional)

500g sea salt or Himalayan salt

50ml black peppercorns, roughly crushed

Method

Blend all the ingredients, and decant them into a jar. Keep sealed and use for general seasoning.

Chimichurri sauce

Use on grilled tofu, bread, and roasted vegetables.

Ingredients

250ml extra virgin olive oil

125ml red wine vinegar

10ml crushed garlic

Handful of flat leaf parsley

Handful of fresh oregano

One large tomato, finely chopped

5ml cayenne pepper

5ml paprika

5ml ground cumin

Seasoning herb salt to taste

Method

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until everything is well combined. Transfer to a clean jar and refrigerate for two hours before serving. Store in the fridge.