Ultimate Vegan Summer BBQ Recipes
Stuffed Avocados
Prep time: 25mins
Cooking time: 12-15 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
6 ripe avocados
1 red pepper
1 small aubergine
2 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
120g giant couscous*
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
sriracha hot sauce and vegan mayo for garnishing (optional)
Equipment:
Chopping board and knife
Small saucepan
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Measuring spoons
Salad bowl
Small bowl or cup
Colander
Teaspoons to serve with
Method:
1.Fill the saucepan with cold water about halfway and bring the water to boil.
2.Pour in your couscous and add a droplet of olive oil to prevent the pieces from sticking together. Bring to boil once again, then cook for 10-12 minutes until the “grains” soften.
3.In a meanwhile, chop the pepper, aubergine into small cubes, peel and mince the garlic.
4.Pour the remaining oil into the frying pan and as the oil heats up, add the vegetables. Fry for 5-6 minutes until the peppers soften and aubergine has that golden quality to it. Stir regularly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and sticking to the pan.
5.Once the couscous is cooked, drain the water by emptying the contents of the pot into a colander. Rinse the couscous with cold water to allow it to cool down.
6.Once the vegetables have reached the desired colour and consistency, add vegetable stock and oregano to the frying pan. Stir it in with other ingredients, and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
7.In the salad bowl, combine couscous with fried vegetables. Place it in a fridge to cool off for 20-30 minutes.
8.Now comes the fun part! Cut avocados in half and remove the stones. Using a teaspoon, scoop out some of the flesh around the stone into the small bowl or cup until you have a margin of approximately 1cm, essentially making little avocado boats. Make sure to do this once the couscous has cooled down, and serve shortly after if you want to avoid avocados turning brown
9.Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and use a fork to mash avocado with lemon juice until it has a fairly smooth consistency – this will be our dressing.
10.Add the avocado dressing to the salad bowl and mix it in thoroughly with the rest of the bowl’s contents.
11.Now that our stuffing is ready, use a spoon to fill avocado boats with couscous salad.
12.If you want to add some artistic flare (and a kick) to the dish, why not garnish it with sriracha hot sauce or, for a milder option, you could top your stuffed avocados with vegan mayonnaise. Serve with teaspoons, using avocado shells as compostable bowls.
*did you know that despite the fact couscous is often perceived and referred to as a grain, is actually more similar to pasta?
Easy-Chickpeasy Breaded Vegan Burgers
Prep time: 15 mins
Cooling time: 30-60 mins
Cooking time: 18-20 mins on a barbecue grill or 25-28 mins in the oven
Servings: 3
Ingredients:
1 can cooked chickpeas
150g mushrooms
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chia seeds
4 tbsp cold water
1 cup plain flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
Equipment:
Can opener
Blender
Chopping board and knife
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
3 shallow medium-sized bowls
Small bowl or cup
Large mixing bowl
Method:
1.Open the can of chickpeas and drain the liquid into one of the small bowls. DO NOT pour chickpea water away. Chickpea liquid (also known as aquafaba) has an ability to mimic functional properties of egg whites in cooking, which will come in handy when we bread our burgers.
2.In a small bowl or cup, mix chia seeds with cold water and set it aside for a few minutes until it reaches a jelly-like consistency.
3.Using chopping board and knife, chop the mushrooms into small pieces. The mushrooms will give these burgers a signature earthy taste, as well as making the texture less soft and a bit more meat-like.
4.Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then add the mushrooms and fry for 5-7 minutes until they soften and darken in colour. Stir with a wooden spoon from time to time to avoid burning.
5.Empty the chickpeas into the blender (or, if using a stick blender, find a suitable bowl) and blend on the low or medium setting until you reach a thick paste consistency. Avoid adding extra liquid, even if the paste seems a bit dry or if you have a few chickpea chunks remaining in the mixture.
6.Empty the chickpea paste into a mixing bowl. Add the mushrooms, chia seeds, and garlic salt. Gently combine the contents together with a spoon.
7.Add 3 tbsp of plain flour into the mixing bowl. Using your hands, knead the chickpea mixture with flour until the flour is evenly mixed with the rest of the ingredients. If the resulting mixture is still a bit “wet” and is not sticking together, add another 1-2 tbsp of flour.
8.To set up the burger making station, place the remaining flour into one if the shallow bowls, filling the other one with breadcrumbs. Place the bowls with flour, breadcrumbs and chickpea liquid in an easily accessible position.
9.Split the chickpea “dough” into three portions. Using your hands, roll the chickpea mixture into three balls, then use a flat surface (such a chopping board or the kitchen counter) to flatten the balls into the burger shape.
10.One by one, dip each burger into flour, followed by aquafaba, and finally, breadcrumbs. The flour will help to keep your burgers in shape when dipping them into chickpea liquid, which in turn, helps the breadcrumbs to stick to the surface.
11. Lay out the ready burgers on a chopping board or a plate and place them into the freezer for 30-60 minutes. This will help them stay in shape as they go onto the grill. You are welcome to skip this step but be very careful when turning the burgers over.
12. Now fire up the barbecue, gently place your burgers on the grill and cook for 18-20 minutes, turning over a few times. The great thing about these burgers is that since most of the ingredients are already cooked, it does not take long to get ready.
13. In a meantime, set up your perfect bun with some crisp lettuce, fresh vegetables, and your favourite condiments. You could even throw in a slice of vegan cheese or some onion rings. A voila!
