serves
4
prep
20 minutes
cook
40 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
40
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Once we’d developed the quick DIY chorizo recipe used here we never looked back. Hitting a standard shop-bought veggie sausage with fennel, paprika, red wine and maple syrup gives an instant chorizo vibe. Alternatively, you could use 300 g shop-bought veggie chorizo sausages.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 lemon
- 1 red capsicum (pepper)
- 1 green capsicum (pepper)
- 1 yellow capsicum (pepper)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 20 g fresh coriander
- 500 g cooked basmati rice, or use 2 x 250 g bags microwavable basmati rice, to serve
Piri piri sauce
- 1 red onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 red capsicum (pepper)
- 2 red chillies (scotch bonnet, red or bird’s eye)
- 1½ tbsp (6 tsp) smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tbsp (30 ml) red wine vinegar
- large bunch of fresh basil
- 1 lemon
Easy chorizo
- 300 g plant-based sausages
- 1½ tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp ground fennel
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- 65 ml (about ¼ cup) red wine
- 1½ tsp maple syrup
Instructions
1. First cook the sweet potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 2cm cubes. Put them in a large microwaveable bowl, sprinkle over a pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze over the juice, catching any pips in your other hand. Toss to coat. Cover the bowl with a plate and microwave on high for 6 minutes, until soft. Alternatively, cook in the oven at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, until soft
2. Cut the capsicums in half, cut out the stems and seeds and cut the flesh into 2cm cubes, then put them in the roasting tin. Use the back of a knife to lightly crush the 3 garlic cloves and add them to the tin. Drizzle over a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the sweet potatoes to the peppers and put the tin in the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the peppers have small black patches on the skins
3. Meanwhile, make the chorizo sausages: Have a medium frying pan on medium-high heat. Slice the sausages into 2cm rounds. Put them in the hot pan and pour over the olive oil. Fry for 5 minutes, turning now and again, until golden. Sprinkle over the paprika, cayenne pepper, fennel, salt and pepper. Peel and finely grate the garlic into the pan and fry for another 2 minutes. Carefully add the red wine and maple syrup to the pan and cook until the wine has reduced and you have a sticky glaze, stirring occasionally. Toss to ensure the sausage is covered. Take off the heat once all the liquid in the pan has evaporated. (Alternatively, if using shop-bought chorizo sausages cut into bite-sized pieces and cook following the instructions on the packet.)
4. To make the piri piri sauce, peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic. Cut the capsicum in half and cut out the stem and seeds. Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce. Put the onion, garlic, pepper and chillies in the liquidiser with the paprika, oregano, red wine vinegar and basil. Grate in the zest of the lemon, then cut it in half and squeeze in the juice, catching any pips. Add a drop of water and blend to a smooth paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary
5. Remove the roasting tin from the oven. Transfer the sausages and piri piri sauce to the tin and mix everything together. Add the cherry tomatoes and put the tin back in the oven for 15 minutes, until the potatoes and peppers are cooked and the sauce is piping hot.
6. Pluck the leaves from the coriander and dispose of the stems. Coarsely chop the leaves and sprinkle them over the vegetables. Serve with the basmati rice alongside.
Recipe from Bish Bash BOSH! by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby (HQ Non-fiction, $35).
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Once we’d developed the quick DIY chorizo recipe used here we never looked back. Hitting a standard shop-bought veggie sausage with fennel, paprika, red wine and maple syrup gives an instant chorizo vibe. Alternatively, you could use 300 g shop-bought veggie chorizo sausages.
