Recipes to spice up any weekend

Spiced Avo Sauce

This recipe is by Nathalie Larsen a passionate foodie, classically trained chef and certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach.

“This sauce is so versatile. Enjoy it as a salad dressing. Serve it as a dipping sauce for crudité or falafel. Drizzle it into your favourite wrap. Transform it into a delicious cold soup or toss it through a summery whole grain or pasta dish.”

Ingredients

1 Avocado, Ripe & creamy

¼ cup cucumber, chopped

½ cup Coriander, chopped

¼ cup Dill, chopped

1 tsp Sweetener (raw honey/coconut nectar/pure maple)

½ clove garlic, crushed

Juice of 2 limes

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

½ cup water

1 tbsp. tahini

Spices

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

½ - 1 tsp spirulina ( optional )

1/8 tsp cayenne

1 tsp good quality sea salt – add more or less to your preference cracked black pepper

Method

1. Place the avocado in a food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients.

2. Blend till smooth. Add more water if needed and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

3. Store in in a jar in the fridge for up to two days. You have the option to drizzle a light layer of water or lemon juice over the surface to slow down oxidation.

BBQ Mushroom & Jackfruit Flatbreads

This recipe is by entrepreneur, food consultant and plant-based advocate Mira Weiner. Mira loves recreating beautiful replacements for some of her favourite dishes that heal instead of hurt.

Prep time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: 4 hungry humans

Ingredients for flatbreads

2 cups organic stoneground flour

¾ cup + 2 tbsp plant-based yoghurt (I used coconut)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed dried herbs (optional)

1 tsp pink Himalayan salt

Ingredients for homemade BBQ sauce

1 cup sugar-free tomato sauce

½ cup water

¼ cup apple cider vinegar with ‘the mother’

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp sweetener of choice (coconut sugar/maple syrup/agave syrup)

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

3 tbsp tamari

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

½ tsp coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

2-3 drops liquid smoke

Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for pulled mushroom & jackfruit filling

1 medium-sized red onion, finely chopped

400g tin of jackfruit, drained + shredded

1.5 cups homemade BBQ sauce

540g mixed exotic mushrooms, shredded (I used a mix of oyster, brown + white shimeji mushrooms)

Pink Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for cooking

Ingredients for plant based yoghurt + coriander raita

1 cup coconut yoghurt

1 baby marrow, grated

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Juice from half a lemon + more if you like it lemony

Pink Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for chargrilled zucchinis

2 large zucchinis

Olive oil for brushing

Squeeze of lemon juice

Mixed dried herbs

Pink Himalayan salt and pepper

Serving suggestion:

Quick pickle radishes with apple cider vinegar + pink Himalayan salt

Red cabbage sauerkraut

Sliced spring onions

Fresh jalapenos

Rocket leaves

Lime wedges

Method for flatbreads

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl mix together the plant based yoghurt and olive oil. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix well and knead the mixture so that everything is well combined. You want the dough to feel light. Roll into a ball and brush with olive oil, place into a covered bowl for 30 minutes to rest. Once well rested, slice the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece out into a round flatbread. Using the COBB frying pan, make sure it is nice and hot – then place the rolled out flatbreads onto the pan. Cook for a few minutes until they start to go golden in colour, flip over and continue to cook on the other side. Watch them carefully!

Method for homemade BBQ sauce

Combine all ingredients together in a blender or Nutribullet and blend until smooth.

Method for pulled mushroom & jackfruit filling

Once the COBB frying dish is hot, add the olive oil and red onion. Sauté the onions until they have cooked down, then add the shredded mushrooms and jackfruit to the pan. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture has reduced in size. Add the homemade BBQ sauce and continue to cook until the sauce thickens up. Remove immediately and set aside.

Method for plant-based yoghurt + coriander raita

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Can be refrigerated until serving time.

Method for chargrilled zucchinis

Slice the zucchinis lengthwise. In a bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Using the COBB griddle pan, place the zucchini slices onto the grill and brush with the marinade. Cook for a few minutes on each side making sure the pieces are nicely coated with the marinade mixture.