Swap the vleis for veg, thanks to SA's most loved vegan brand: Fry's

Swap the vleis for veg, thanks to SA’s most loved vegan brand: Fry’s

We all know it. South Africans are known for chowing down vleis. That’s right. We love our meaty eats, our carnivorous sustenance. Well we are here to provide an alternative, thanks to Frys.

Elite South African Ironman Africa Champion, Kyle Buckingham, who is an avid plant-based eating enthusiast, is challenging you to go veggie with these simple swap recipes!

Whether you want burgers or boerewors simple swaps, Kyle and Fry’s have everything you need. Fry’s have been gracious enough to share some of their most delicious recipes with us, so here are our top pics:

Big Fry Boerewors with Polenta and Chunky Roasted Red Pepper Salsa (serves 2)

Ingredients

Red Pepper Salsa

Olive oil
2 large red peppers, cored, deseeded and sliced into quarters
3 Roma tomatoes, halved1 red onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 ml) chilli flakes (optional)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh coriander
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

Polenta & Boerewors

Olive oil
1 x box 320 g Fry’s Family Big Fry Boerewors
2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegan BBQ sauce (optional)
1 C (250 ml) polenta, cooked according to the packaging
Vegan Parmesan-style cheese (optional)

Method

Red Pepper Salsa

Set the grill on full. Add the red peppers, tomatoes and red onion to a bowl; drizzle with olive oil to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Lay the ingredients onto a foil lined baking tray and grill on full until the peppers skins are well-charred and the tomatoes and onions are starting to char.

Remove the tray from the oven and carefully place the peppers into a plastic bag to steam. After 10 minutes, carefully peel the charred skin off the peppers and discard. Chop the peppers, tomatoes and onion roughly and then place into a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to combine. Season to taste.

Polenta & Boerewors

Cook the polenta according to the package instructions. Tip: You can opt to use the same quantity of vegetable stock in place of water as indicated to add extra flavour. Once cooked, you can also opt to add in a little vegan butter or mild olive/avocado oil for richness. Season to taste.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron griddle pan and cook the boerewors for 8 minutes, turning often. During the last 2 minutes of cooking time glaze with your favourite vegan BBQ sauce.

Serve the boerewors with soft polenta topped with chunky red pepper salsa. As an option you can serve with a grating of vegan Parmesan-style cheese.

Balsamic Caramelised Onion Burgers

Ingredients

2 Big Fry Burgers , defrosted
30ml of oil for frying the burgers
2 large red onions, cut in half and then sliced
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
4 slices vegan cheese
1/3 cup of water
2 fresh buns

Method

Make the balsamic caramelized onions: Put your sliced onions and balsamic vinegar in a large skillet with a tight fitting lid. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

Take off the lid and continue to cook, stirring every few minutes, until there is no liquid left.

Once this happens, the onions will start to caramelize. You’ll then add 1/3 cup of water, stirring again until there is no liquid left. Repeat this process until the onions are fully cooked and caramelized. Set aside.

Cook the burgers: Heat 30ml of oil on high in a non-stick pan. Add the defrosted Big Fry Burgers and reduce to medium heat. Fry for 9 minutes, turning occasionally.

Add the vegan cheese slices then allow them to melt slightly.

Assemble the burgers: Add the burgers to buns, top with the balsamic caramelized onions and the top of the burgers.

Enjoy!