Lauren Lovatt is a vegan chef and a pioneer in the mood food movement, who specialises in plant-based meals to nourish both body and soul. This courgette dish from her cookbook Mind Food, she says, is "real crowd pleaser – simple yet very effective. As someone who enjoys lighter lunches, this dish really hits the spot and is packed full of ingredients that bring energy to your day".
Ingredients
| 1 | large courgette |
| 2 Tbsp | olive oil |
| Pinch | salt |
For the tzatziki
| 1 cup | plant-based yoghurt |
| 200g | cucumber, grated (about half a cucumber) |
| 1 clove | garlic |
| 10g | parsley, finely chopped |
| ¼ tsp | salt |
To serve
| 4 Tbsp | Chimichurri (see recipe below) |
| Handful | candied seeds (see recipe below) |
| Small bunch | f fresh pea shoots or watercress |
Directions
- For the tzatziki: Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Set to one side until needed.
- For the courgette: The key thing for this recipe is to cut the courgette into perfect fillets. To do this, cut the courgette into three 5cm pieces. Cut each piece into three, lengthwise, moving around the seeds. We are looking for even fillets here. Cross-hatch each fillet evenly.
- Heat a frying pan wiht the olive oil until hot and add the courgette fillets, skin-side-up. Cook over a medium heat until beautifully golden, then flip onto the skin side until the fillets are cooking through.
- To serve, place the tzatziki in three or five dots on the plate. Lay each fillet on the dots, then sprinkle a few candied see
CHIMICHURRI
Makes 300ml
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch of coriander, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely diced
2 mint sprigs
1 red chilli, finely chopped
200ml olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or 100ml kombucha vinegar - see note)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lemon, zest only
1 tsp honey
½ tsp sea salt
1. Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and leave to rest for 5 minutes before using. Store in the fridge in a jar or container for up to 1 week.
NOTE: Kombucha vinegar can easily be made if you are in the process of making your own kombucha, by leaving it to ferment for 30-60 days. It can be flavoured with herbs, garlic or chilli for an even more flavourful result.
CANDIED SEEDS
50g pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp plant-based butter
1 Tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp salt
1. Place a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the seeds to the pan and toast them until they start to pop and then add the olive oil followed by the maple syrup. The maple syrup will lightly caramelise over the seeds and any liquid will evaporate. Turn off the heat at this point and add a pinch of salt. Set the pumpkin seeds aside to cool and then place them in a jar until you are ready to use them.
Edited extract from Mind Food by Lauren Lovatt, published by Ivy Press. Photography by Sara Kiyo Popowa. RRP $45
