The painted doors of Rua da Santa Maria in old town Funchal (Zona Velha)​.

I just returned from 5 days in Madeira Island. It was supposed to be 6 but the weather was not kind to us on Friday. We boarded our flight, got so close to landing and the powers that be decided it wasn't safe to land. Madeira airport the world's ninth most dangerous airport, and the third most dangerous in Europe.

My following were my favorites.

I had to wait a long time to take this photo.  There was a man standing in front of this door smoking.

And of course, the cat door. :)

This BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich is hearty, big in BBQ flavor and crunchy from the slaw.  Very simple yet oh so satisfying.

When I visited Tomar, Portugal back in January, I stumbled upon a cute cafe called Insensato Cafe-livraria located at Rua Silva Magalhães 25. One of the dishes on the menu was a BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich.  I've seen jackfruit at Farmer's Markets in the past but have never tried it, so I decided it was time.

And I'm so glad I did.  It was delicious.  I actually tried to go back to the cafe the next day to have it again - it was that good! But, sadly, they were closed that day and I was leaving the next day.

I thought about that sandwich quite a few times since then, so I knew that I had to try to recreate it.

Jackfruit's texture lends itself to mocking meat and absorbing just about any flavor you throw its way. So it's perfect substitute for vegan meat and these BBQ sandwiches.

BBQ Jackfruit with Avocado Mango Slaw Sandwich
Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 20-ounce can young green jackfruit in water (NOT in syrup or brine*)
1/4 cup BBQ seasoning (2 Tbsp Monkfruit sweetener + 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp pepper + 1/2 tsp chili powder)
2/3 cup BBQ sauce (if you are trying to stay vegan, make sure that the BBQ is 
Avocado Mango Slaw (optional)
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
1/4-1/2 mango, sliced thinly or chopped
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
1 lemon or lime (juiced)
Salt + pepper (to taste)
Water (to thin)
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage (I used green and purple cabbage) + carrots 
2 Tables olive oil
8 slices of bread or buns (GF for gluten-free eaters)

Directions:

Rinse and drain jackfruit. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Mix together BBQ seasoning and add to jackfruit. Toss to coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (or oil of choice) and seasoned jackfruit (use more oil, as needed, if increasing batch size). Toss to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes to achieve some color.

Add BBQ sauce and thin with enough water to make a sauce. Stir and reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove lid and stir occasionally. 

In the meantime, make slaw by adding maple syrup, juice of lemon/lime and salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add cabbage and carrots. Toss to coat. Stir in avocado and mango.  Set in the refrigerator until serving.

Place generous portions of slaw on the bottom bread/buns, top with generous serving of BBQ jackfruit. Serve with extra BBQ sauce, avocado or guacamole!
​
Leftover jackfruit keeps for up to a couple days in the fridge, though best when fresh.