By Christine Salins.
“All eaters are welcome in our kitchen.” Margo and Rosa Flanagan, aka the Two Raw Sisters, are at pains to point that out in their cookbooks, on their website and in the workshops they regularly hold in their Christchurch kitchen.
The sisters are neither vegan nor vegetarian, yet their recipes are entirely plant-based. And they’re not talking about vegetables on the side; their focus is squarely on making plants the centrepiece on every plate.
That theme continues in their fourth and latest book, Simple Fancy, published by Allen & Unwin (RRP $39.99), in which they spell out their mission to change people’s mindset about meal preparation.
“Most people base their meals around meat, and the vegetables are added on as a last-minute boring side,” they say in the introduction to Simple Fancy. “When using our recipes, you will start your meal prep with plants and then add your choice of protein – animal or plant-based.”
Their previous book, Salad, also published by Allen & Unwin, featured a glorious array of vibrant, colourful dishes. Far from featuring endless combos of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato and feta, Salad was interpreted as anything from a simple Miso Charred Broccoli with Fried Garlic and Chilli, to a hearty Potato, Chickpea and Leek Tray Bake with Capsicum Walnut Sauce.
Their recipes, they explained, start with a core vegetable component, which can then be paired with another in-season vegetable or combined with a grain, noodle or legume, before being “levelled up” with a delicious dressing, toasted nuts or seeds, spices and/or fresh herbs.
Salad went on to become the highest-selling cookbook in New Zealand in 2021. Simple Fancy continues the theme of using plants as a starting point but its content is broader, spanning everything from brunch ideas, mains, snacks and sides, to desserts, cakes, slices and puddings. What hasn’t changed is the focus on whole, unprocessed ingredients — nothing out of a packet.
The recipes are inspiring, generally easy to make, and healthy: one of the sisters, Rosa, is a registered nutritionist with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Nutrition).
For extra inspiration, they’ve created more than 20 menus in Simple Fancy to take the guess-work out of meal planning, catering for all sorts of occasions from a weekend brunch, to a movie night in, a midweek dinner with friends, and a Christmas Day feast.
The dish here is one of their favourites, with a punchy, creamy lime miso sauce mixed through noodles, and edamame beans for added crunch.
Lime Miso Noodles + Broccoli
Serves 4
270 g (9½ oz) packet udon, soba or rice noodles
oil, for cooking
1 head broccoli, cut into florets pinch of sea salt
Lime Miso Sauce
1 tablespoon miso paste
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari
juice of 2 limes
pinch of sea salt water, to loosen
To Serve
1 cup edamame beans, blanched
handful of coriander, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
½ cup toasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions.
Heat the oil in a pan over a high heat. Add the broccoli florets and a pinch of sea salt. Cook over a high heat for about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the Lime Miso Sauce, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. Add enough water to achieve your desired consistency.
Place the cooked noodles and broccoli in a bowl. Drizzle over the Lime Miso Sauce and toss through the noodles and broccoli. Add the edamame beans, coriander, sesame seeds and peanuts. Gently toss everything together and serve.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe and image from: Simple Fancy, by Margo and Rosa Flanagan (Two Raw Sisters), published by Allen & Unwin, $39.99.
