Showing posts with label mushrooms. Show all posts

Day 70: Brown Gravy

Brown gravy can be a tricky thing for vegans. You want the flavor but not all the ingredients that bring the flavor. Kind of like having your mother come and stay with you. You love that she comes, watches the kids, cooks, and cleans, but kind of get annoyed at the stuff she brings with her. ya, gravy is like that. But, this gravy can fix all that.....not your mother issues, the flavor problem. This is super easy to whip up without all the hassle and won't leave you bloated and irritated....take that as you will.

Vegan Brown Gravy

basic white sauce
vegan beef or vegetable broth
mushrooms
dried parsley
kitchen bouquet
sage
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder

Just how I like it, throw everything into your food processor and give it a whirl. You're probably wondering why there are no measurements. This time everything is according to taste so be sure to test it often. It also depends on how much basic white sauce you are using so trust your pallet on this one.
basic white sauce dried parsley mushrooms
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Day 42: Stuffed Zucchini

I'm sure you've all heard the joke: On a mans first day at church in a new town one brother came up and introduced himself. The two men had a nice chat and as the conversation ended the one brother said to the other, "be sure you lock your car." The new brother thought this was an odd comment, this was a church for goodness sake, why would he need to lock his car. But, as he left the church and went to his car he found the reason, his car was full of zucchinis


Ya, lame joke. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that one, especially at harvest time! But it makes the point...sort of.

Zucchinis are so great and one plant can usually produce a lot! They can be served salty, sweet, sliced, diced or shredded. They are like the tofu of the veggie world. They'll go with pretty much everything and you usually have enough to go with everything. So enjoy this zucchini recipe, there will be plenty more to come.


Stuffed Zucchini
1 large zucchini
vegan stuffing
chopped mushrooms
chopped cabbage
vegan cheese sauce
vegetable broth

Carefully slice the zucchini in half length wise. Core out the middle. Mix the cheese sauce and broth till creamy. Mix together the stuffing, mushrooms, and cabbage. Spoon in the stuffing mixture to both sides of the zucchini till it's overflowing. Squish the two halves back together, wrap in foil and bake in the oven on 350 till you can insert a knife easily. Separate and let bake another 10-15 minutes. Drizzle with cheese sauce.
cabbage mushrooms soy free vegan cheese
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Day 38: Angel Hair with Mushroom and Artichoke Hearts

I LOVE this recipe. There is a fantastic restaurant in St. George called The Pizza & Pasta Factory that has a killer chicken Alfredo. This is an affordable knock-off of that since theirs is about $13 a plate and I can feed the whole family for about $8. It's super easy and super yum!

Angel Hair with Mushroom & Artichoke Hearts
1 lb cooked angel hair pasta
1 can or pkg mushrooms
1 jar artichoke hearts
vegetable broth
garlic powder
salt
1-2 tb vinegar

In a large sauce pan heat the cheese and enough broth to make it a creamy Alfredo sauce. Add salt, garlic, and vinegar to taste. It should have a nice tang to it and taste like Alfredo. Add the pasta, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts and toss together. Heat everything together till warmed through.
angel hair pasta mushrooms pasta with mushrooms and artichoke hearts
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Day 34: Mushroom Bisque

In northern Utah there is a chain of restaurants called Zuppas. Anyone in Utah who likes to eat healthy will know that name. They offer some fantastic soups, salads, and sandwiches. I haven't been back since I turned vegan so I'm not too sure what kind of variety they would offer to the non-carnivore but many of their dishes still linger in my mind. On one occasion, my father-in-law, a meat-and-potata kind of guy, left his comfort zone and tried this mushroom bisque - after which he found a new comfort zone.

His adventurous spirit inspired me and I partook as well. While he may not have the best taste in clothes, he has great taste in daughters-in-law and in soup.


Since there is no Zuppas in St. George or anywhere close to Amerikan Samoa, I was forced to develop my own recipe. I had some dehydrated mushrooms on hand when I made it the first time, as well as sour cream (I love that stuff). I put the two together and w-h-a-l-a, even dad liked it, (except for the mushrooms that I didn't puree that were like erasers, but that's besides the point).

Being vegan, that delightful thing called sour cream obviously poses a problem. In this recipe I pulled out the trusty old vegan cheese and it worked like a dream. So, here ya go - not zuppas-vegan mushroom bisque


Mushroom Bisque
1 c vegan cheese
1 c vegetable broth
1 c rehydrated mushrooms


Easy Peasy- put everything in your blender till creamy. Add more or less vegetable broth till its your desired consistency. Heat in a sauce pan and serve.
mushroom bisque mushrooms vegetable broth
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Day 27: Mushroom & Spinach Crepes

We had crepes a lot as kids, filled will all sorts of goodies. I remember making them at a booth for "french day" at our school. I looked so cool up there with my baray on, flipping these scrumptious delicacies. I'm sure the rest of the 8th graders thought I was cool too.

When I think of crepes, I think of thanksgiving. Every year we made crepes and stuffed them with leftovers from Thanksgiving and ate crepes till just before Christmas (the recipe will follow). This seems fitting since I am so thankful for them! But, back in those days we made the full fat crepes: cream, eggs, everything. Boy were they good.....but boy were they bad!


After searching the web I have found MANY variations, all of which had ingredients that I can't get on my little rock. Finally I discovered this one.....it even uses coconut milk.....now that I have! Like regular crepes, the technique takes a little getting used to. For these I found it best not to flip with the spatula but to loosen the crepe from the pan and show off your mad cooking skills by flipping it in the pan with a flip of the wrist. You can do it! It takes a little practice but you'll look like a pro!


As for taste I give this recipe pretty high marks. They're as good as I remember them!


Vegan Crepes
1 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c "milk"
3/4 c water
3 tb coconut milk
3 tb sugar


Filling
1 pkg mushrooms
1/2 onion chopped
vegan cheese
fresh spinach
vegetable broth

Blend everything for the batter in a food processor or whisk in a bowl. Let sit for about 30 minutes! This is key! Pour and swirl in the pan to coat the bottom several times to fill in all the bubble holes. Let cook till the edges are browning. Loosen the edges and bottom with a rubber spatula. Now flip it....flip it good.


In a pan, saute the onion and shrooms. Fill your crepe with the shrooms and a handfull of fresh spinach. In a sauce pan melt the cheese and make it creamy with the vegetable broth. Pour over the crepe and serve.
coconut milk mushroom spinach vegan crepes mushrooms
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Day 17: Polenta with Peppers and Mushroom Sauce

The first time I had polenta was at Max's Diner in Palo Alto California. This was a bit more up scale from the Max's I was used to. There is also another Max's in San Ramon that was just a few blocks from our house. We loved eating there because for dessert we always got the chocolate coconut macaroon that was as big as your head, AND because after dinner, instead of dinner mints they gave you Bazooka bubble gum. At our house, gum was strictly forbidden. My mother hated the smell of gum and thought it wasn't lady like. Of course, we all had our own stash that we would sneak, using only half a piece at a time to make it last (don't tell mom). But, on the occasion that we went to Max's it was usually with out-of-town friends so mom couldn't say anything as we sat there and basked in the rubbery goodness of Bazooka.
This Max's was a little different. No bubble gum, no 60's music. Here I had to act like a lady, no blowing bubbles, no pulling my dress over my head (which I haven't done in years mother, so just drop it already) and no flirting with the waiter (I think I preferred the other diner...he was probably gay anyway). But, there was something on this menu that made it all worth while - the polenta with peppers and mushroom sauce. If this can make me sit up and behave, it's definitely worth a try!

Polenta
1 c corn meal
3 c water
(ya, that's it....don't you just love it already!)

Peppers & Mushroom Sauce
2-3 bell peppers of different colors
1 onion
1 can mushrooms

In a pot, bring 2 c of water to a boil. In a separate bowl whisk together 1 c water and 1 c corn meal. Now, slowly add the corn meal to the boiling water stirring constantly! Reduce heat to medium and cook till it thickens stirring constantly! Now place in a oiled 9x13 pan or loaf pan. Place in the fridge till it becomes firm (I make mine the day before and let it sit over night, but a few hours should be sufficient). When ready to serve slice your polenta into squares and cook in oil in a pan on the stove till golden on each side

Now saute your sliced peppers and onion (this would be a great time to use up leftovers from your pepper sandwiches). In a food processor puree your mushrooms,vegan cheese, and broth. Cook in a sauce pan till it starts to thicken. Layer your polenta, peppers, and drizzle with sauce.
corn meal mushrooms polenta
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Day 7: My Momma's Meatloaf

At my house as a child we had what was lovingly referred to as "clean out the fridge" meatloaf. When the fridge was over-run with leftovers my mother would blend them all up in the food processor, add a pound of ground beef and whatever spices she thought it could handle, say a prayer as she put it in the oven, and bake it. My mother is a genius in the kitchen and often her concoctions turned out to be fabulous. But, because it depended on the leftovers, her meatloaf was NEVER the same twice. I believe our favorite was leftover macaroni and cheese, onion soup, and homemade rolls as the breadcrumbs. Others were less then desirable (which might be a contributing factor to why I am now vegan....I'll have to explore that later) but being my mothers daughter, I do find myself in concoction mode on a regular basis - my husband may say a little too regular. This recipe is owed to my "creative" mother.



Meatloaf
leftover Hawaiian Chili
leftover rice
2 c plain lentils
1-2 c cooked barley
2 large cans mushrooms drained (fresh is always best)
1 pkg onion soup mix
oats
garlic powder (to taste)
salt (to taste)


In a blender or food processor blend up your leftover hawaiian chili till smooth. Now blend the rice, barley, lentils, and mushrooms. Add to the chili. Add onion soup mix, garlic powder and salt. Mix that together. Now mix in enough oats so you can form it into a small meatball and it holds together (tender but not falling apart). Fill a greased bread pan and bake on 350 for about 40 minutes or till you can insert a knife and it comes out clean. Let it sit out of the oven for a few minutes to firm up. Serve with chili sauce or gravy. If you have more "meat" left over they make great meatballs!
barley freezer meals hawaiian chili and rice
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