Mother's Day recipes to celebrate the leading lady in your life

IT DOES not matter how old you get, Mother's Day is the perfect opportunity to say, "Thanks, Mom!" for just about everything. And if she is the one who prepared your family dinners over the years, you might want to return the favour with a Mother's Day dinner that is just as special as her.

Regardless of your cooking skill, or how much time you have, these recipes will be sure to please.

Avo shakshuka with avocado harissa yoghurt

Ingredients

30ml avocado oil or olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

5ml smoked paprika

5ml ground turmeric

1 red and 1 yellow pepper, diced

1 x 400g tin chopped tomato

125ml tomato passata or tomato puree

100ml water

5ml sugar

4 eggs

Avocado and harissa yoghurt

250 ml Greek-style or plain yoghurt

1 avocado, smashed

1 tbsp harissa paste

Coriander to garnish

To serve

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

Flatbread

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the smoked paprika and turmeric and cook for a further 1 minute. Add the peppers and sauté for 2 minutes until softened.

Add the chopped tomato passata or tomato puree, water,and sugar and simmer for 20-25 minutes until thickened. While the tomato sauce is cooking, make the harissa yoghurt by stirring the harissa through the yoghurt and set it aside until serving.

Cook the eggs in the sauce by making indentations in the tomato ragout and gently break an egg into each hollow. Cover with a lid or a piece of foil and cook over low heat until the whites are cooked through or done to your liking.

To serve, top with the sliced avocado and harissa yoghurt and garnish with coriander and avocado slices.

Recipe: South African Avocado Growers’ Association.

South Indian fish curry

Ingredients

8-10 ripe tomatoes

Oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 large onion, diced

6 green chillies, slit down the middle

2 stem curry leaves

4 cloves garlic, sliced in half

2 tbsp Kashmiri masala

1½ tbs fish masala

Salt, to taste

4 tbsp black tamarind, soaked in hot water

2 kg fresh fish (preferably salmon)

A few small brinjals, chopped (optional)

Coriander

Method

Soak tomatoes in hot water until the skin starts to come off. Puree in a food processor.

Add just enough oil to cover the base of a flat-bottom pot and heat.

Add mustard seeds and allow to fry. Add diced onions, green chillies, and curry leaves.

Once onions are translucent, add sliced garlic and masala spices. Mix well and allow to braise for a few minutes before adding the pureed tomatoes and salt to taste.

Allow to simmer on medium heat to allow the tomato to reduce (15 - 20 minutes).

Mix tamarind in a little hot water to break down, then using a sieve strain the mixture into the mixture.

Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.

Once it has reduced, add fish and brinjals. Be careful not to break the fish. Swirl gravy around, do not mix.

Reduce heat and allow to cook for another 10 minutes or until gravy thickens and fish is cooked through.

Garnish with coriander and serve with rice, bread, or roti.

Recipe by chef Sandra Nagan.

Vegan chocolate truffles

Makes: 12

Ingredients

120g pitted dates

¼ cup dried cherries or goji berries

60g raw walnuts or hazelnuts

60g cashew nuts

1 tbsp nut butter

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp cacao powder

80g vegan chocolate

Method

Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

Place the dates, cherries, nuts, nut butter, coconut oil and cacao powder in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth.

Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make a heart, or use your hands to form 12 balls.

Melt the chocolate using the double boiler method.

Roll each heart or ball in the chocolate and place it on the baking tray.

Place in the fridge.

Note: Present to mom to eat once it is cool and the chocolate has set. Remind her to store any left in an airtight container in the fridge.

Recipe by the co-founder of Fry Family Foods Tammy Fry.