k  Roasted Sweet potato with preserved lemon guacamole & crispy dulse  k

I wanted to create a super healthy vegan tapa/canapé using sweet potato, Ibiza hass avocados and the new ‘on trend’ seaweed – dulse.

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Oregon State University scientists have invented, so they claim, vegan bacon. It’s a new strain of red algae that when it is fried or smoked, it apparently tastes like bacon. Dulse is an incredible superfood, with twice the nutritional value of kale – packed full of protein, calcium, iron, minerals making it one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world.

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It also aids digestion, halts binge eating and best of all, the natural fibre found in seaweed has been shown to inhibit the enzymes that allow the body to digest fat. On an ecological front, seaweeds are touted as one of the sustainable foods of the future. Time to get some dulse into our diets! I know that avocado and bacon is a beautiful combination and this is a healthier combination. I have used beautiful ripe local avocados to make a classic guacamole…

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…but with a middle eastern touch of preserved lemons and za’atar. The crispy dulse sits on top of a disc (or heart) of roasted sweet potato – it’s so simple, you just need to oven bake and peel away the skin.

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For an added power punch of extra goodness I sprinkle over some chia seeds. Make sure you serve immediately as you don’t want to be eating floppy dulse! Taste the bacon! You can also serve this as a salad rather than little canapés.

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Ingredients

(Makes 8-10)

1 large sweet potato

1 tablespoon za atar (or cumin seeds toasted)

1teaspoon coconut oil

Handful of Dulse

Chai seeds

For the guacamole

1 very ripe avocado

½ red chilli – chopped finely

¼ onion – chopped finely

Fresh coriander – chopped finely

1 ripe tomato – diced very tiny

1/3 preserved lemon – chopped finely

Sea salt

A squeeze of lime juice

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Method

  1. Firstly you need to cook the sweet potato. Heat the oven to 200oc, bake the sweet potato in its skin for about 35 minutes until it softens up (you don’t want to over cook it as it needs to be firm enough to slice without falling apart). When it is cool, peel away the skin and then cut into 4mm bite sized discs or hearts. Sprinkle with za atar, or cumin seeds.
  2. While the potato is cooking make the guacamole. Put the chilli, onion and coriander into a pestle and mortar, along with a pinch of coarse salt, and grind to a paste.
  3. Peel the avocado and remove the stone. Cut into cubes, then mash into a chunky paste, leaving some pieces intact. Stir the chilli coriander paste into the avocado, and then gently fold in the tomatoes and the preserved lemon. Add lime juice and salt to taste. Pipe or teaspoon the guacamole on top of the sweet potato slices
  4. Put a teaspoon of coconut oil into a frying pan and heat until melted, add the dulse and cook for about 1 minute until crispy and it has changed colour. Arrange the cooked dulse on top of the sweet potato and guacamole then sprinkle with chia seeds. Serve immediately.