OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association along with Pick n Pay and Reach For Recovery step up to support this. Read more here, get your mushrooms, and make some delicious dishes all while helping survivors feel whole again.
VEGAN CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH TURMERIC ROASTED MUSHROOMS
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 75g raw cashew nuts
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 kg cauliflower, roughly chopped, stem included
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small bunch fresh thyme sprigs
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- 500g mixed cultivated mushrooms, sliced into similar ±5cm pieces
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Place cashew nuts in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water.
- Set aside.
- Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a medium pot.
- Add the onion and cook until very soft.
- Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower and turmeric and stir everything together well.
- Pour in the chicken stock and drained beans.
- Add the thyme sprigs loose or bundled up with kitchen string for easy removal.
- Bring everything to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender.
- Remove and discard the thyme sprigs.
- Add the soaked cashew nuts, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Transfer soup mixture carefully to a high powered blender and blend on high until very creamy. Alternatively use a stick blender in the pot.
- Taste to adjust seasoning.
- Heat oven to 220˚C with the fan on.
- Place mushrooms in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, turmeric, thyme and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Toss to mix well.
- Spread mushrooms out in a single layer on a large baking tray.
- Roast for 5 minutes until golden but retain some nice bite.
- Ladle the silky hot soup into bowls and top generously with golden roastedmushrooms.
- Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil.
- Serve with some rustic chunky sourdough on the side.
MUSHROOM, KALE & BLACK RICE BOWLS WITH ZA’ATAR TAHINI SAUCE
Serves 4
Ingredients
Black rice:
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1 cup black rice
- 1 tsp salt
Za’atar tahini sauce:
- 115g tahini
- 125ml water
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp za’atar
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- Good pinch of sea salt
- 1 large white onion, sliced
- 1 bunch / ± 200g kale or swiss chard, roughly chopped
- 500g mixed cultivated mushrooms, sliced into chunky pieces
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Toppings:
- Thinly sliced radish
- Chargrilled artichoke hearts, sliced
- Lightly steamed asparagus stems
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
For the rice:
- Combine water, black rice, and salt in a medium sized pot.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to low.
- Cover and cook for about 30 to 35 minutes until the rice is tender and chewy and all the water has been absorbed.
- Switch off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before fluffing and serving.
For the sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix well.
- Taste to adjust seasoning and set aside until serving.
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Add the onion and cook until tender.
- Add the kale and cook until just wilted.
- Season lightly.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add a fresh drizzle of olive oil to the pan and cook the mushrooms until golden brown.
- Add the soy sauce and vinegar and toss to coat.
- Divide black rice between four bowls.
- Top the rice with the cooked onion and kale mix, the sautéed mushrooms and the rest of the delicious toppings.
- Generously dollop the bowls with the za’atar tahini sauce and serve with the extra on the side.
VEG KEBABS WITH CREAMY AVOCADO DRESSING
Makes 8 kebabs
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander, stems removed
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ± 60 – 100ml cold water
Kebabs
- ± 20 portabellini mushrooms, whole (about 500g)
- ± 20 cherry tomatoes, whole
- 2 large red onions, cut into large chunks
- 4 large marrows, sliced into chunks
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
Method
- For the creamy avocado dressing:
- Place all ingredients into a mini food processor / blender.
- Add a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Blitz until smooth.
- If you like a little heat – add half a deseeded jalapeño to the avocado dressing for a spicy version.
- Preheat braai and oil the grates well.
- When preparing the vegetables – aim to slice them all into similar sizes for even cooking.
- If using wooden kebab skewers, soak them in water before preparing the kebabs.
- Thread the vegetables onto kebab sticks, alternating veggies as you go.
- Brush the kebabs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the kebabs on the braai, turning occasionally for even charring.
- When the vegetables are cooked through, squeeze over the lemon juice and remove from the heat.
- Serve the kebabs with the creamy avocado dressing for plenty of swishing and dipping.
