10 international picnic food and drink recipes for Global Brain-Injury Awareness Day

Pack a picnic on Global Brain Injury Awareness Day: 10 easy picnic recipes for ice-cold drinks and munchies from other countries!

Whatever the weather in your part of the world this weekend, everyone is invited to participate in a Global Picnic to mark Global Brain Injury Awareness Day 2022.

The international event aims to raise awareness of a worldwide need for standardised treatment and care for brain injury survivors.

With an estimated 69 million people suffering traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year [1], event organisers, GBIA INC, believe it is vital we all understand ‘the disastrous and overwhelming life consequences’ of TBI when it happens.

GBIA INC Co-director Annie Ricketts said, “All the while people are unaware of the prevailing gaps in the medical system, they also suffer the same kinds of experiences as millions before them. 

 

   We want to create public understanding, so everyone knows there is help available and where to find it.   

 

Annie stressed comprehensive rehabilitation was vital in supporting people back to living “a purposeful life” after brain injury. 

She added, “We all know there is a need for change. Every person affected or working in the field wants the opportunity to talk about this.”

So, what better than a Global Picnic – shared with others outdoors, indoors or via an online video link – as the perfect opportunity to start that conversation?

But, before you do, how about pepping up your picnic with recipes from the homelands of GBIA INC supporters taking part in this year’s gathering?

Here are 10 of our favourites to help you go truly global at your Global Picnic on Global Brain Injury Awareness Day on Saturday, the 23rd of July…

(*Please remember to check for dietary restrictions in your picnic party, such as allergies or religious choices, before serving food or drink!) 

 

Algeria’s makroud el louse

You will go nutty for these Algerian melt-in-the-mouth, sugar-coated almond cookies, so here is a recipe to make lots! 

To make 20-24 cookies:

 

• Make the dough by mixing in a bowl:
• three cups of ground almonds
• one cup of sugar
• the zest (yellow part of the skin) of four lemons
• three eggs
• Roll the dough into a ball and divide it into four equal pieces.
• Roll each piece into the shape of a sausage, about two centimetres thick. 
• Lightly dust your worktop area with cornflour.
• At an angle, cut each ’sausage’ into three-centimetre diamond-shaped pieces.
• Bake on a middle shelf in a pre-heated oven at 175°F/ 190°C/Gas Mark 3-4 until pale gold in colour.
• For a sugar syrup coating, mix in a pan:
• one cup of sugar
• juice from half a lemon
• two cups of water
• Simmer the syrup for ten minutes and cool.
• Using a fork, dip each cooled cookie into the cooled syrup.
• Allow any drips to drop off, then dip each cookie into a bowl of icing sugar to coat it all around.
• Let the cookies set for five minutes, then dip them in the icing sugar again. 
• Serve in paper cases. Scrumptious!

 

Australia’s Santa Claus punch

Warmer Christmas weather in December in Australia calls for cooling drinks, even for Father Christmas.

But with its feast of iced fruit ingredients singing hot summers to us here in Britain, Australia’s Santa Claus punch is perfect for any picnic.

To make 25 servings:

 

• Mix in a bowl:
• 125 grams of strawberries, hulled, washed, and cut into halves
• 75 grams of raspberries
• 75 grams blueberries
• Half a ripe kiwi fruit, peeled and finely chopped
• Divide the fruit into ice cube trays, cover with water and freeze for four hours or longer until set.
• Mix in a jug:
• 500 millilitres of cranberry and raspberry juice
• 125 millilitres of pineapple juice 
• 500 millilitres of chilled lemonade
• Add the iced fruit and a handful of fresh mint leaves, stir, serve, and slurp!

 

 

Canada’s maple tarts

It bears the leaf of the maple tree on its national flag and flags maple syrup as one of its sweetest exports.

Canada: home to ‘the maple belt’ and producer of over 75 per cent of the world’s maple syrup. It also created the following recipe for mouth-watering maple tarts…

To make 12 tarts:

 

• Pre-heat oven to 375°F/ 190°C/Gas Mark 5
• Mix in a bowl:
• Three eggs
• One cup of maple syrup
• Two-thirds of a cup of brown sugar
• One-third of a cup of melted butter
• A pinch of salt
• Divide between 12 pre-made sweet pastry tart cases.
• Bake on the lowest oven shelf for 20 to 25 minutes until set. Dig in!

 

Egypt’s limonana

If ever there were a cool cat among the slush puppies of the iced drink world, this is it.

Egypt’s limonana is a sophisticated slushy awash with the frozen freshness of lemons and mint. 

Freeze it in water bottles, two-thirds full, to help keep the rest of your picnic cool too!

To make four servings: 

 

• Mix in a saucepan:
• Half a cup of sugar (or to taste)
• One and a half cups of water
• Simmer on medium heat, constantly whisking until the sugar has dissolved and allowed to cool.
• Mix the following ingredients for one minute in a blender: 
• The cooled sugar water
• One cup of fresh lemon juice
• One cup of fresh mint leaves
• Three and a half cups of ice
• Three-quarters of a cup of water

If desired, add more sugar and blend again. Garnish with mint sprigs and sip…

 

(Europe) France’s pâté de sardine

Choosing just one recipe to represent GBIA INC’s European supporters was a big challenge. 

So, we turned to the global restaurant food rating system, the Michelin Guide, to help us decide.

Since the guide was launched in 1904, France has won the most Michelin Stars, awarded for food excellence.

So, it is from France that we chose its traditional, simple, and mild sardine paté that is so quick and easy to make.

It also goes swimmingly with New Zealand’s takakau (see below), bread sticks and vegetable sticks! 

 

• Using a fork, mash in a bowl:
• 200 grams of sardines in olive oil
• One tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• One tablespoon of butter
• Juice half a lemon
• Salt and ground black pepper 
  

 

Add extra lemon juice to taste and garnish, if you wish, with capers, chopped gherkins, spring onions, chives, or parsley.

For a smoother consistency, combine all the ingredients using a food processor.

 

Israel’s red cabbage salad

We all know that red cabbage is curiously named because it is more purple. But did you also know how popular it is as a salad in Israel? 

Red cabbage salad crops up in innumerable Israeli meals, generally served as a side dish, like coleslaw. 

Perhaps pack it in sharing box for your picnic? Here’s the recipe:

Mix in a bowl:

 

• One small red cabbage, shredded
• Three tablespoons mayonnaise
• Two tablespoons of white sugar, or to taste
• One tablespoon of lemon juice
• A quarter teaspoon of salt

 

Make sure all the cabbage is coated in the mayonnaise dressing, chill in the fridge for an hour, and pop into your picnic, ready for serving!

 

New Zealand’s takakau

Takakau means ‘unleavened bread’ to New Zealand’s Māori people, who created it as a versatile staple for sweet and savoury dishes.

Eat it with jam, eat it with ham, eat it with pâté de sardine (see Europe’s recipe) - 

takakau is an all-around joy to make and bake! Here’s the recipe:

 

• Pre-heat oven to 400°F/ 200°C/Gas Mark 6
• Sift five cups of flour, five teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl
• Make a well in the centre and pour in one pint of milk or enough to create a sticky dough.
• Lightly dust a worktop and your hands, place the dough down and knead it gently.
• Roll into a round, flat shape and place in a floured pizza tray, ensuring it meets the edge.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, and serve, hot or cold.

 

South Africa’s braaibroodjie

Initially created to be eaten at barbecues, South Africa’s braaibroodjie could be the easiest going cheese and pickle sandwich you have ever grilled.

And that’s because, as the years have gone by, this little bread buddy has happily accommodated any mix of savoury or sweet ingredients, including meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, fruit, herbs, spices, and dressings.

So, fill your braaibroodjie with what you will (if you can squash it in), and there are different ways to cook it too:

 

• In a sandwich basket on a BBQ, in keeping with South African tradition
• In an electric sandwich grill at the advised temperature
• In an oven on a foil-covered cooking tray at 425°F/ 220°C/Gas Mark 7 for 3-4 minutes

 

Here is a classic braaibroodjie recipe:

 

• Using 12 slices of bread, spread butter on one side of each of them.
• Place half the bread slices butter side down and spread chutney over them 
• Cover each slice with the following ingredients, spreading evenly:
• 240 grams of sliced or grated Cheddar cheese
• Three sliced tomatoes
• One sliced onion 
• Salt and pepper
• Cover with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides up, and heat in your basket, grill, or oven, as above.

Traditionally, braaibroodjies are sliced in half and served immediately, but you may want to keep them whole in your picnic until you are ready to tuck in.

 

The UK Scotch Egg

It may be simple to make, but the origins of the UK’s Scotch egg are scrambled by rumour.

Some say London department store Fortnum & Mason of Piccadilly whipped up the recipe as a luxury snack for wealthy travellers in 1738.

Others say we poached it from India based on the Mughlai dish, nargisi kofta.

And for folks in Whitby, Yorkshire, it all boils down to a 19th-century recipe for ‘scotties’, created by a local eatery, William J Scott & Sons.

But there’s no scotching some rumours, so, for now, let’s crack on with the following traditional Scotch egg recipe:

To make four Scotch eggs:

 

• Boil four large eggs in a saucepan of simmering water for five minutes.
• Cool in cold water and remove the shells gently.
• Divide 300 grams of sausage meat into four patties and even wrap them around the eggs.
• Place three tablespoons of flour into a bowl.
• Place one beaten egg into a second bowl.
• Place 100 grams of fresh white breadcrumbs into a third bowl.
• Separately dip each of the eggs into the flour, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs.
• Heat one litre of vegetable oil in a deep, heavy-based pan.
• Fry the eggs for three or four minutes. 
• Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
• Enjoy hot or cold!

 

 

America’s Caesar salad

The roots of the Ceasar salad appear to be splayed across almost the entire length of North America since some say its recipe first sprouted in Mexico while others point to a Chicago flowering.

Where-ever it is placed on a plate, however, Caesar’s punchy flavours, moreish dressing, and crunchy croutons set it apart from other salads – which has made it a global hit.

Here’s how to make four to six servings:

To make the croutons: 

 

• Cut two slices of day-old bread into cubes.
• Fry in three tablespoons of olive oil over high heat for three to four minutes until the croutons are golden brown.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croutons into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

 

To make the dressing, beat together in a bowl:

 

• Six tablespoons of light mayonnaise
• One and a half tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• Two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
• Half a garlic clove, crushed
• A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
• One to two tablespoons of water

 

To make the salad:

 

• Toss one sliced romaine lettuce heart in the dressing
• Scatter with the croûtons and 30 grams of grated Parmesan cheese – and your Caesar salad is ready to serve!

 

 

We hope you enjoy giving your picnic a global twist on Global Picnic Day to support brain injury survivors worldwide. 

To learn more about Global Brain Injury Awareness Day and GBIA INC’s work, visit their open community page on Facebook here: GBIA INC - Global Brain Injury Awareness/Facebook.

 

Further reading

GBIA INC Co-director and former international businessperson Annie Ricketts sustained a TBI in a horse-riding accident in July 2000. 

She became the founder of GBIA’s UK community and found time to share her experiences as a valued Krysalis blogger via our Talking Heads initiative. 

Here, Annie reveals how occupational therapy helped her find her way back after her TBI: How Neuro OT transformed me four years after a brain injury (krysalisconsultancy.co.uk)

 

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