Recipes for Change: Rice and beans with jackfruit meat and sautéed vegetables
Recipes for Change: Rice and beans with jackfruit meat and sautéed vegetables
The main element in Chef Gil’s vegan dish is jackfruit, a truly sustainable crop. Calorie-dense and nutrient-rich, jackfruit are also known for their resilience in the face of all sorts of climatic changes. High temperatures are rarely a problem, and neither are droughts. While preparing them from a freshly harvested state can be daunting because of their size (jackfruit are the largest fruit in the world!) and their sticky interior, their texture is unique (often described as akin to pulled pork) and their versatility in the kitchen is unmatched.
Brown rice
Ingredients
- 250 g raw brown rice, soaked for 8 hours
- 30 ml olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 830 ml water
- 5 g sea salt
Preparation
- Drain the rice and rinse.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the minced garlic; lightly brown.
- Add the rice to the pan. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the water and bring to a boil.
- Add the salt and stir through, then lower the heat and cover the pan.
- Simmer for 40 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.
Beans
Ingredients
- 250 g dried beans, soaked for 8 hours
- 1–2 L water
- 35 ml coconut oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 10 g salt
Preparation
- Soak beans in cold water for at least 8 hours (overnight for best results). Once they’re done, strain them and rinse.
- Add beans to a large pot and cover with water. The water should be about 5 cm above the beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- In a separate pan, heat the coconut oil and add the garlic and onion. Cook on medium until browned (about 5 minutes). Add salt.
- After the beans have been cooking for one hour, add in the onion mixture.
- Continue cooking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are at desired softness.
Jackfruit meat
Ingredients
- 2 cans (about 400 g each) of young green jackfruit in brine, OR 800 g frozen pre-cooked jackfruit meat
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 30 ml olive oil
- 20 g brown sugar
- 10 g oregano
- 10 g cumin
- 10 g black pepper
- 10 g salt
- 550 g tomatoes (about 5), chopped
- 30 ml organic tomato paste
- 10 g chopped parsley
Preparation
- In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until they sweat.
- Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the brown sugar, oregano, cumin, pepper and salt and mix well.
- Add the jackfruit to the pan. (If working with frozen pre-cooked jackfruit, defrost in steamer for 10 minutes before using. If canned [in brine, not syrup], it can be added directly.)
- Add the organic tomato paste, turn heat to low and cook for 20 – 30 minutes, or until soft.
- Shred with a fork, garnish with parsley and serve on rice and beans.
Sautéed vegetables
Ingredients
- 200 g pumpkin, chopped
- 200 g sweet potato, chopped
- 200 g broccoli, chopped
- 200 g carrot, chopped
- 200 g pea pod
- 40 ml olive oil
- 10 g salt
- 10 g black pepper
Preparation
- Steam the vegetables for 7 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables to a wok. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and sauté.