Roasted Wild Mushroom Pizza Blanco

I never got my oven fixed last week but when I turned it on the other night it worked perfectly.  I'm sure eventually I'll need to call in the repair guy, or get a new one, but until then it's nice not having to spend the $100 plus!  I'd rather spend the money on quality ingredients to make delicious food!

For this pizza I used a gluten free cornmeal crust.  I really didn't like the crust that much...it was chewy and didn't brown properly and I much prefer an extra-thin crispy crust for my pizza.  I do like using gluten free pizza crusts, but this was not one of them.  However, the toppings were amazing! Here's what I did:

  
I pan roasted both cremini and oyster mushrooms in olive oil, fresh thyme and salt and pepper until lightly golden brown.  While the mushrooms were roasting, I caramelized sliced red onions in olive oil and set aside.  I then sliced baby creamer potatoes about 1/8" thick and sauteed them in olive oil until golden brown.  

To assemble the pizza, I brushed the dough with extra virgin olive oil and then spooned about 1/3 cup of my homemade creamy pasta alfredo sauce on the bottom.  I topped the sauce with one cup of shredded Daiya Harvarti Style Cheese Wedge, followed by the roasted mushrooms and then the onions.  After baking the pizza I topped it with fresh arugula tossed in a little evoo, s&p, and finished with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.

If you make the alfredo sauce the day before and purchase a pre-made pizza crust, then this is an easy Friday night dinner after a long week at work!  And it was delicious!  Now I've got to figure out what I'm making for tonight...stay tuned...will post this weekend! 

Happy Friday! 

Lentil Shepherd's Pie for Two

On Sunday afternoons my husband and I used to head over to our local British Pub to watch the game, drink a couple of Harps and indulge in pub fare.  He always ordered bangers and mash, or fish and chips and my favorite was shepherds pie!  I cringe now thinking about how unhealthy we were eating. So now we still enjoy going to the pub, but we come home and I make our own favorites. 

You can make shepherds pie with tempeh, seitan, TVP or just veggies, but I like using lentils.  Lentils are full of fiber, iron and protein and are good for the heart!  My favorite lentils to purchase are black beluga or French green lentils because they hold their shape during cooking.  But my local market didn't have any and so I purchased the brown lentils instead.  When cooking brown lentils don't follow the directions on the package and cook for 25-30 minutes because you will end up with mush.  I bring four cups of water to a boil, stir in 1/2 cup lentils, bring to boil again, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes--they are perfect every time!

Look past my dirty oven (it gets used quite a bit) and see the ramekins bubbling in the oven, almost ready to come out.  I add peas to the mixture, but I also like adding more when I pull them out of the oven for color and freshness.  For the mashed potatoes, you want them to be stiff especially if you are going to pipe them into a design.  If they are too loose they will spread out and deflate while baking.  I used 3 medium sized organic russet potatoes, mashed with Earth Balance butter and cashew cream (see below) and nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.  Finally, garnish with fresh parsley or chopped chives.

Brown Stock/Sauce:

4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup red wine

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

4 whole peppercorns

4 cups vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Brown mushrooms and onions in a sauce pan with 2 tbsp olive oil, add garlic and red wine and reduce until wine is almost gone
• Stir in tomato paste and all all other ingredients and cook on medium for about 30 minutes until reduced by half and dark brown and rich in flavor
• While sauce is cooking start lentils (see above), drain and set aside

Ingredients:

4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup of small diced carrots
1/3 cup of small diced celery
1/2 cup of small diced onion
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
2-3 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Earth Balance Butter melted with 1 tbsp flour to create thickening paste
2 tbsp cashew cream (1/2 cup soaked cashews, drained with 1 cup water, blended in a high speed blender until smooth)
1 cup cooked lentils (see above)
1/2 cup frozen peas (plus more for garnish)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley or fresh chives for garnish

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Add olive oil and mushrooms to a medium sized sauce pan and cook until brown
• Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until soft
• Strain brown stock/sauce into pan pressing on solids to release all the juice and add cooked lentils and stir to combine
• Depending on how thick the sauce is you may need to add the beurre manie (butter and flour mixture to thicken--I whisked in about 1 tbsp)
• Add cashew cream and salt and pepper to taste
• Just before filling ramekins stir peas into mixture
• Make mashed potatoes (see above) and pipe on top of mixture
• Bake until bubbling about 20-25 minutes
• Garnish with peas and chopped herbs and enjoy along with a cold Harp beer or a glass of red wine!  And don't forget to turn on the game! 

Not Your Mom's TuNO Casserole!

Actually, my mom's tuna casserole was amazing!  She never used canned cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup.  All of the ingredients were fresh (except for the canned tuna) and she made a creamy bechamel sauce all from scratch.  It was definitely a favorite in our house as I'm sure it was for a lot of kids from my generation.   

I use a lot of ingredients in my vegan version.  I like to build on flavor but I've listed (optional) next to an ingredient that you can choose to omit or substitute with another ingredient.  This recipe is not as quick as opening a can of soup and boiling pasta, but it's amazing just like my mom's and definitely takes me back to my childhood!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 small onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1-2 tbsp dried nori or dulse flakes (optional)
1 cup pale dry sherry, or white wine (optional-I used sherry--goes great with mushrooms)
1 tbsp unbleached flour
1 to 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 to 2-1/2 cups cashew cream (1 cup soaked cashews with 2 cups water, blended in a VitaMix or high speed blender)
1 cup organic shredded baked savory tofu.  I like Wildwood or Trader Joes
1 cup frozen organic peas
1 package Daiya Cheddar Style Wedge, shredded
3/4 lb pasta shape of choice--I used fusilli
1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

I think that's everything but I might of left something out...:-)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 
• Bring water to boil, add salt to taste and add pasta.  Cook until al dente, drain, rinse and set aside
• Lightly butter a 9x9 casserole dish and set aside
• In a large saute pan add olive oil and cook chopped mushrooms until brown
• Add onion, celery, garlic and thyme and cook until veggies are soft
• Deglaze with dry sherry and cook until evaporated
• Add 1 tbsp flour and stir to combine
• Add 1 to 1-1/2 cup veggie stock and reduce by half
• Whisk in 2 cups cashew cream, and nori flakes, and simmer a couple of minutes until thick and creamy.
• Remove from heat and stir in shredded tofu, frozen peas, fusilli pasta and 1 cup shredded cheese  
• If mixture is too thick add a little more cashew cream
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Spoon mixture into casserole dish and top with extra cheese
• Bake 20-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted
• Remove from oven and top with panko mixture 

Note:  To make panko mixture, melt 2 tbsp butter in a small saute pan.  Add panko crumbs, chopped parsley and salt and pepper.  Toast until lightly brown and spoon onto top of baked casserole.  You probably wonder why I don't bake the panko with the casserole.  I like the panko to stay crispy and I also want to make sure that it doesn't get to brown which could happen in the oven.


 

Simple...Elegant Christmas Dinner

I have never made homemade seitan before--well not the kneading, resting, rinsing, kneading, rinsing...rinsing, rinsing, etc., type of seitan.  It is very laborious and I'm not certain if it is worth it or not.  The seitan was very flavorful and would be great sliced for sandwiches or served with a fruit and cheese platter, but sliced into medallions the texture was somewhat chewy.  So the "Simple" in my title references all of the other components of the dish, but not the seitan.  It took about 3.5 hours to make the seitan from start to finish!

 
Demi Glace:  Is a classic French brown sauce--one of the mother sauces that I learned to make in Culinary School years ago.  Obviously the French make the sauce with meat bones, but my recipe uses only homemade vegetable stock and it is rich, glossy and delicious.  To make the sauce I added a couple tbsp of olive oil to a sauce pan, along with one cup sliced white button mushrooms and one cup sliced onion.  I cooked these until brown and caramelized and then added several cloves of crushed whole garlic.  I deglazed the pan with about a cup of red wine and added one tbsp tomato paste.  I reduced this down until almost all the wine was evaporated and then added four cups of homemade vegetable stock, along with a sprig of fresh time, a tsp of fresh rosemary leaves, one bay leaf, and a 1/4 tsp of black peppercorns.  I brought the sauce to a boil and reduced the heat to low and simmered until reduced by half.  I then strained the sauce through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids, returned the sauce to a smaller pan and then whisked in a beurre manie (equal parts butter and flour) to thicken the sauce.  Finally, I seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.   

Sherry Glazed Button Mushrooms:  I used one pound of white button mushrooms, cleaned them with a damp cloth and trimmed the stems. I heated a cast iron skillet and added a couple tbsp of olive oil and sauteed with the tops face down without stirring until golden brown.  I then turned them over and browned the other side.  Once brown I added chopped fresh thyme, rosemary and minced garlic, along with salt and pepper.  I then deglazed the pan with one cup of pale dry sherry and reduced until the mushrooms were coated and all the liquid was evaporated.  If you don't have sherry, any fortified wine will taste great:  Madeira, Marsala or Ruby Port.  

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:  I used Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into two inch chunks.  I made a cashew cream with one cup raw cashews and two cups of water blended in a VitaMix until smooth and creamy.  I roasted two whole garlic heads in the oven for about an hour until soft and caramelized.  I squeezed out the flesh of the garlic and added it to the cashew cream and blended again.  I drained the potatoes, mashed, added earth balance butter and added enough garlic cashew cream to create a smooth consistency, along with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Homemade Peppered Seitan:  Back to the kitchen to tweak this recipe further.  Again, sliced thinly and tossed with a BBQ sauce and piled high on a sandwich would be great, but still needs some refinement.

 
I hope that you and yours had a wonderful Holiday!  Until my next post...enjoy!
 

 

Portobello Stroganoff with Fried Capers & Dill

Sometimes all I want on a chilly evening is a big bowl of comfort food and a creamy pasta dish always hits the spot--especially my Portobello Stroganoff.  It's creamy, earthy, tangy, hardy, and really delicious.

When I was a kid my mom used to make stroganoff with cream of mushroom soup, but mine is made with a Madeira cashew cream, portobello mushrooms, leeks, capers, vegan Worcestershire sauce, fresh dill, parsley, lemon, and whole wheat linguine, and it is to die for...seriously!  This dish does not skimp on calories and so I don't make a habit of eating it very often, but it's perfect if you want some serious comfort food! 

Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Pepper & Onion Sub

When my sister and I were growing up my father was the maintenance contractor for an apartment complex about a mile from where we lived.  Since our apartment complex did not have its own pool my sister and I were given permission to swim at the other complex during the summer.  I remember that we would be the first kids to arrive at 10:00am when the lifeguards unlocked the gates and the last to leave at 7:00pm when they closed.  Needless to say that sometime around 2:00pmish we would be starved and so we would walk another mile to an Italian sub shop in Irvington, Baltimore.

They had the best subs/hoagies (whatever you want to call them) that I've ever tasted in my life.  Now I've never been a big fan of eating meat and so I would order mine with just grilled peppers, onions, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and their "SECRET" sauce.  The sauce totally made the sub--and I would of been happy just eating the sauce alone.  I don't know what ingredients they used but I think that I'm pretty close with this recipe.  Funny how certain memories remain with you your entire life...really good memories that I shared with my sister!

My Secret Sauce:

1 cup Follow Your Heart Vegenaise

1/4 cup organic ketchup

1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce (more or less to taste)

1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup minced dill pickle

1/4 cup minced pickled jalapeno or hot cherry peppers (more or less to taste)

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and chill until ready to use.
  

 

Roasted Potato, Mushroom & Kale Torte

This torte is very similar to the Potato and Spinach Gratin that I made about a month ago but it is more substantial.  I know that on Thanksgiving some people like to serve a dish that is the center piece of their meal and this dish could fill in for that purpose.  For me however, it has always been about the variety of the side dishes.  Nothing makes a Thanksgiving plate more beautiful than an array of fall colors, and different flavors and textures. 

For the torte I made the same cashew cream sauce that I used for the gratin, but changed up the other ingredients and served it with a Mushroom-Marsala Jus.  Whether you serve this as a side dish for Thanksgiving, or for a simple dinner when you have a craving for warm comfort food, I know that you and your family will really like it!

Cashew Cheddar Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in filtered water, drained
1 1/4 cup filtered water
1 bulb of garlic, roasted until soft
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on taste
1 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Note:  You may have cashew cheddar sauce left over depending on the size of the casserole dish you use.  Place it in a container and freeze for up to three months.  To use, thaw in the fridge and blend before using.

Method:

• Cover cashews with filtered water and soak for up to 8 hours or overnight.  Drain cashews and place in a blender, along with 1 1/4 cups filtered water.  Blend on high until creamy, about 4 minutes.  Strain mixture if you are not using a high-speed blender like a Vita-Mix and then place back in the blender.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the top off the garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap in foil and bake until soft about 45-60 minutes.  Let garlic cool and squeeze out soft garlic cloves and set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add olive oil, onions, minced garlic, and fresh thyme and cook until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes.  
• Add to the blender and cashew cream, the roasted garlic, onion mixture, cayenne pepper, Daiya Cheese and salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth and creamy.  It should be thicker than heavy cream, more like the consistency of a loose custard.  However, if too thick add a little more water.
• Set sauce aside until ready to use.

Torte Ingredients:

3 lbs organic Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and sliced into 1/4" slices, roasted

1 1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms (I used 8oz each, cremini, oyster and chanterelle), roasted

1 bunch organic green kale, stems removed, cut into bite sized pieces and washed

3 tbsp minced fresh thyme

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 bunch minced fresh chives

3/4 Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds

1 to 1 1/2 cups Cashew Cheddar Sauce

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Note:  I used a 9x9" casserole dish which makes about 6 servings.

Method: 

• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
• Toss mushrooms together with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp thyme and salt and pepper.  Spread out mushrooms on two baking sheets and roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Toss potatoes together with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp thyme and salt and pepper.  Spread out on two sheet trays (trying not to over-lap) and roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping potatoes half way through the cooking process and rotating trays.  If the potatoes stick to the sheet plan when trying to flip, place back in the oven for a couple more minutes.  Once the starches become caramelized the potatoes will easily lift from the sheet pan.  Remove from oven and set aside.
• In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium-low and add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes until the garlic starts to sizzle.  Add chopped kale, and salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes until kale is wilted, but still bright green.
• Remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly butter casserole dish and spread with 1/3 cup of cheese sauce on the bottom.  I made 4 layers so divide your ingredients to make sure you have enough for each layer.
• Layer the casserole with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, kale, a 1/4 cup Daiya cheese, 1/3 cup cheese sauce, chopped chives, salt and pepper.  Repeat this process three more times, except for the top layer do not use the Daiya cheese, only the cheese sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes until bubbly, turning once half way through the cooking process.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
• Just before serving, garnish with herb panko topping and additional chopped chives.

Herb Panko:

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tbsp minced chives
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

• In a small saute pan, heat olive oil, add bread crumbs, herbs, salt and pepper and cook on low until panko is lightly golden brown.  Stir frequently and be careful not to burn.  When finished do not leave in hot pan, transfer to a bowl and then sprinkle on gratin.

Mushroom-Marsala Jus:

8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup Marsala fortified wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 tsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
1 tsp a/p flour
1 tbsp extra virgin olive
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• In a small sauce pan, add olive oil, and mushrooms and cook on medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add onions and garlic and cook about five minutes longer.
• Deglaze with Marsala and cook until liquid has been absorbed.
• Add vegetable stock, thyme, and bay leaf, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
• Strain broth into a bowl, pressing solids with the back of a spoon.
• In the sauce pan add butter and flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes until bubbly.
• Whisk in mushroom broth and simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened.
• Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Mushroom Duxelles & Spinach Phyllo Strudel

This is a nice appetizer to serve your guests for Thanksgiving or anytime you entertain.  During the summer I make this with a Spanakopita filling and serve it with Tzazaki, but decided that a mushroom duxelles would be more appropriate for fall.  I served these with a cabernet sauvignon mushroom sauce, but a simple lemon aioli or porcini aioli would work just as well.   Also, you can shape the phyllo pastry into mini triangles or cigar shapes for a different presentation.
 

Mushroom Duxelles Ingredients:

1 lb cremini mushrooms, washed and roughly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp finely mined fresh thyme
1/2 cup Maderia wine
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Place sliced mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely minced, be careful not to puree them.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil and diced onions and cook for about 10 minutes until onions are soft.
• Add minced mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper to taste and cook mushrooms until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.  This takes about 30 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with Maderia wine and cook for about another 30 minutes, stirring frequently until all liquid is absorbed and the mushroom mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Check for seasonings, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Sauteed Spinach:

2 large bunches of organic spinach, roughly chopped and washed
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan to medium-low, add olive oil and garlic and cook garlic for a couple of minutes until it starts to sizzle, stirring and making sure that it doesn't burn.
• Immediately add chopped spinach (you may not be able to add all of it at once until it cooks down), and salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove from pan and strain away liquid, pressing with the back of a spoon or spatula to remove excess liquid.
• Wrap spinach in a dish towel and squeeze to remove any remaining liquid.
• Place spinach on a cutting board and chop finely.
• Cool to room temperature and set aside.

 

 

 

Other Ingredients/Assembly:

Makes 2 logs

 

1 pkg frozen phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator

3 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, melted
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk butter and oil together in a small bowl.
• Remove phyllo from package and unroll.
• While working with phyllo, keep it covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel so that it doesn't dry out.
• Working with one sheet at a time with the longest edge facing you, brush the entire surface lightly with the butter/oil mixture.
• Repeat this process for a total of 4 sheets.
• Divide the duxelles mixture in half and place mixture evenly along the bottom edge leaving about 1/2" boarder along the bottom and a 1" along the sides.
• Divide spinach mixture in half and place on top of the duxelles mixture.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Carefully lift the bottom edge and roll the phyllo into a smooth log, brushing lightly with more butter mixture, until all the phyllo is wrapped.
• Score the phyllo lightly on a bias at 1-1/2 - 2" intervals.  You should have about 9 pieces per log.
• Place strudel logs on two separate sheet trays covered with parchment or silpats.  Bake in the oven for 16-20 minutes (depending on oven), turning/rotating trays half way through the cooking process until puffy and lightly golden brown.
  
  

 

Roasted Mushroom Ragu with Garlic Mash

This is a super simple mushroom ragu that can be served with polenta, gnocchi, or tossed with your favorite pasta.  I served mine with Roasted Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes.  I made the potatoes for my Thanksgiving Series and I will post the recipe tomorrow.  Tonight though, I'm being super lazy with my post and so I'm just going to give you the recipe for the ragu.  For this dish, I did not make a protein (again--super lazy) but a herb-crusted sauteed tempeh, tofu or seitan would work really well. 

Just a quick note on ingredients.  Mushrooms pair really well with fortified wines such as Madeira or Marsala.  Madeira is from Portugal and Marsala is from Sicily, Italy.  Every kitchen pantry should be stocked with these fortified wines, as well as Ruby Port.  They are relatively inexpensive and add a lot of flavor to sauces, especially to earthy ingredients, such as mushrooms.

Ragu Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp finely minced thyme
1/3 cup Marsala or Madeira wine
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp unbleached flour or cornstarch
1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used cashew), veg stock or water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil and mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add onion, salt and pepper and cook until onion is soft and caramelized about 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.  Add garlic, thyme and cook for a couple more minutes.
• Deglaze with Madeira and reduce until almost all liquid is absorbed.
• Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 50-60 minutes until liquid has reduced by half and is dark and rich in color and somewhat thickened.
• In a small bowl whisk together flour or cornstarch and liquid until smooth and add to sauce.
• Cook for about 5 minutes longer until thickened, stirring constantly and then re-season with salt and pepper to taste.  
• If too thin, reduce longer, or if too thick then add additional vegetable stock.

   

 

Roasted Chanterelle Barley Pilaf

Do you ever get tired of serving the same side dishes on Thanksgiving--a tried and true recipe that always ends up on your table?  I'm not saying that this is a bad thing because Thanksgiving day is not a good time experiment with a recipe you've never tried before, especially when you have a houseful of hungry people.  So what I like doing is making the recipe a couple of weeks before to see if I want to serve it to my guests on the big day.  After you make a recipe once, you're then able to refine it, add your own personal touches, and make it your own.  It takes all the pressure off and makes your cooking experience much more enjoyable.     

I like this recipe because it's very easy to change up the ingredients.  If you are gluten intolerant then you can substitute brown basmati rice instead of hulled barley.  If you don't like radicchio then use another type of winter lettuce, cabbage, or leafy green.  And if you're not a big fan of hazelnuts then try adding roasted chestnuts or toasted walnuts.  Whatever you decide to do, this recipe will make a beautiful addition to your holiday table.

Pilaf Ingredients:
(Serves 6)

1 1/2 cups hulled barley, soaked overnight
8 oz chanterelle mushrooms, torn into 1/2" strips, roasted
8 oz oyster mushrooms, torn into 1/2" strips, roasted
2 tbsp finely minced thyme, divided
1 head radicchio, quartered, marinated, grilled and chopped (see below)
1 leek, white and light green parts only, quartered, washed
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts, skins removed
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp finely minced parsley, divided
Lemon wedges
Note:  I used a combination of chanterelle and oyster mushrooms to save money.  Chanterelle's are $15/pound and oyster's are $6/pound. 

Method:

• Drain and rinse barley, place in a 5 quart sauce pan and cover with plenty of filtered water.  Add 1 tsp kosher salt, bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook for about one hour until kernels are tender and have puffed open.  Drain and rinse really well under cool water.  Shake to remove excess liquid and set aside.
• Cut radicchio into quarters or eighths leaving the core intact.  Place radicchio wedges in a casserole dish and drizzle with 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive, salt and pepper.  Turn to coat wedges on all sides and let marinate for about 15 minutes.
• Heat a grill pan or saute pan medium-high and cook radicchio until lightly charred and caramelized.  Remove from pan, let cool, cut off core and chop into 1-2" pieces.  Set aside.  
• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Using a damp paper towel remove any dirt from mushrooms and shred into pieces.  
• Toss mushrooms with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp thyme and salt and pepper to taste.  Roast in the oven for about five minutes until soft and lightly golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Assembly:

• Heat a large saute pan on medium-low heat, and add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, leeks, minced garlic, thyme and salt and pepper.  Cook for about 4 minutes until leeks are soft, stirring to prevent garlic from burning.  
• Deglaze with white wine and vegetable stock and cook until almost all liquid is reduced.
• Add cooked barley, roasted mushrooms, grilled radicchio, 1 tbsp minced parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.  
• Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring to combine, until the ingredients are heated through and fully combined.
• Just before serving toss in toasted hazelnuts and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  
• Place in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh parsley.

 

Wild Mushroom Bruschetta with Sweet Onion Soubise

To start off my Vegan Thanksgiving Series, I was going to talk about the foundation of all cooking, which is making a really good stock, but I decided that I didn't want to bore you right from the start.  So lucky for you my first dish is an appetizer that can be served on Thanksgiving or any time you entertain.

It doesn't matter how much I plan my Thanksgiving dinner--including a weekly time line, typed grocery list broken down by departments, or a detailed prep list, I am always running behind.  If I tell everyone that dinner starts at 5:00pm, I can guarantee you that it won't be on the table until 6:30pm.  On Thanksgiving most people skip eating breakfast and lunch in anticipation of gorging themselves at dinner.  So if you're a guest at my house you are going to be really hungry unless I serve you something to tide you over while I'm running late.  Now my husband is quite happy eating an entire bag of chips while waiting, but how good is that for you and there's no fun in it for me either since I enjoy cooking and serving delicious food! 

Serving this bruschetta is great because the sweet onion soubise and the balsamic glaze can be made up to three days in advance.  The mushrooms only take minutes to roast and if your oven is full with other items, you can always grill or toast the bruschetta.  Also, it can be served at room temperature--just don't dress the arugula until you're ready to serve or it will wilt.

 
Balsamic Glaze:
 
1 cup good quality aged Balsamic vinegar
1-2 tbsp agave syrup

Method:

• In a small sauce pan over medium heat, cook balsamic vinegar and agave for about 15 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon.  You want it to be the consistency of molasses so be careful not to overcook it because as it cools, it will thicken and you want it to be pourable.

Cashew Cream:

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked four hours or overnight
1 cup filtered water

Method:

• Drain cashews, place in a blender, add water and blend on high for up to four minutes, depending on your blender.  Strain and set aside.  You'll need 1/3 cup for the recipe.  You can freeze the remaining cream, or add agave to it and serve it with your breakfast cereal.

Sweet Onion Soubise:

1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/3 cup white wine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup cashew cream
Kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

• Heat a small sauce pan on medium-low, add olive oil, onion, garlic and thyme and saute until onions are soft.  Do not brown the onions, you want them to remain light in color.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook until reduced.
• Add cashew cream and simmer, stirring frequently until onions are creamy and most liquid is absorbed.
• Season with salt and pepper and place in a blender and blend on high until smooth.
• Pour into a bowl and set aside, or store in the fridge until ready to use.

Roasted Wild Mushrooms:

1-1 1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms.  I used baby shiitake, oyster and brown enoki mushrooms
1 tbsp finely minced fresh thyme
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove stems and slice shiitake mushrooms.  Rip oyster mushrooms into like size pieces.
• Toss mushrooms in a bowl with thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Place mushrooms on a sheet tray(s) and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until lightly golden brown, checking and turning the mushrooms half way through the cooking process.

Bruschetta:

1 loaf sour dough Italian Batard, sliced into 1/2" slices
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Brush both sides of bread lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, five minutes each side until slightly crispy.

Assembly:

• Spread soubise on toasted bread and top with roasted mushrooms.
• Slice bread in half and arrange on a serving platter.
• Drizzle balsamic glaze over bruschetta and top with arugula, tossed lightly in lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper.  
• Serve immediately.

Portobello Mushroom Fajitas with Spicy Mojo Sauce

Mojo sauce first originated in the Canary Islands and migrated to the Caribbean Islands, Cuba and the Southern region of the United States.  There are a lot of different flavored Mojo sauces--some are red, seasoned with paprika, others are green due to the large amounts of cilantro and parsley, but I prefer the Cuban version made with sour orange and lime juices.  The high acidity of the sauce pairs really well with the earthiness of the portobello mushrooms.  In addition to the freshly squeezed orange and lime juices, I added minced garlic, cumin, cilantro, olive oil and chipotle adobo sauce for a smokey flavor and a spicy kick.

I garnished my fajitas with charred roasted tomato salsa, guacamole and cashew sour cream.  For a side dish I made re-fried pinto beans seasoned with minced onion, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin and cilantro.  

These portobello fajitas were probably the best fajitas I've ever eaten.  The combination of flavors and textures were amazing!

Wild Mushroom & Corn Risotto with Tarragon

I had a craving for risotto the other day and so I decided to make a wild mushroom and corn risotto.  My favorite mushrooms to use in this dish are chanterelle, oyster and shiitake mushrooms, but I couldn't find any chanterelle's at the market yet.  Chanterelle's come into season late summer, early fall and are a perfect pairing with corn and risotto.  They are golden in color, have a great texture and provide a nutty flavor to the risotto.  However, they are really expensive, usually about $25 per pound!  If you can find them at your market, purchase a small amount--a little goes a long way.  But if you can't find them, no worries, this risotto will still be really delicious without them.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups arborio rice

1 large leek, white/light green parts only, sliced in half moons, washed and drained

2 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup white wine

6 cups vegetable stock, heated

2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels removed from the cob, roasted

8 oz oyster mushrooms, torn into small pieces, roasted

8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced, roasted

2 tsp minced fresh thyme

2 tbsp minced tarragon, divided

1 cup frozen peas

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat vegetable stock, keep warm and set aside.
• Slice mushrooms and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.
• Place on a sheet tray and roast for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown.  Be careful not to burn.  Remove from oven and set aside.
• Remove kernels from corn and toss in 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and set aside. 
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil, along with arborio rice.  Stir to coat the rice with olive oil. 
• Add sliced leeks, minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and cook until leeks are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook until almost all wine is absorbed.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add a couple ladles of vegetable stock, stirring continuously until almost all liquid is absorbed before adding the next two ladles.  Repeat this until rice is al dente and creamy in texture.  The rice takes about 30-40 minutes to cook.  
• I prefer my risotto to be loose in texture, not stiff and dry.
• Just before serving, stir in 1 tbsp minced tarragon, roasted corn, mushrooms and peas and heat through.  Add a little more vegetable stock to keep it loose.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Garnish with additional tarragon and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if desired.