mushrooms Archives - Feast of Plants

Vegan Philly Cheesesteak (Vegan, Gluten Free, Nut Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 15:46:28 +0000

I want to start this by saying I have never been to Philadelphia so I’ve never had a real authentic cheesesteak. This recipe came from seeing it so often on TV that I wanted to try it. As with any iconic food, there are debates on what should be added to the perfect Cheesesteak. Peppers or not, cheese whizz or provolone, ketchup or mayo? I’ve build out my vegan version based on what I look for and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! I’ve substitute the steak strips for marinated mushrooms to get a great meaty texture and flavour. You can use your favourite cheese if you prefer but I’ve put together a vegan version of cheese whizz that’s full of flavour. Add in softened onions and green pepper, all on a soft roll and you’ve got the perfect food. Makes: Serves 3-4 Ingredients For the Mushrooms: 250g Chestnut Mushrooms, ripped into chunks 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See Allergy note below) 1 Tbsp Ketchup 1 Tbsp Red miso paste 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard 1/2 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes 1/2 tsp Thyme 1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 1/4 tsp Garlic Granules 1/4 tsp Onion Granules 120ml Water 2 Tbsp Cornstarch Salt & Pepper to taste For the Vegan Cheese Sauce: 200ml Plant Based Milk 1 cup Vegan Cheese Shreds 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch 1/2 tsp Garlic granules 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast 1/4 tsp Turmeric (optional – this is for colour only) Salt & Pepper to taste For the Sandwich: 1 Large Onion, thickly sliced 1 Green Pepper, cut into small strips Soft sub rolls (gluten free for us!), warmed & split in half Directions For the mushrooms: Put the mushrooms and cornstarch to one side. Mix together the remaining ingredients until smooth to make the marinade. Stir through the mushrooms until evenly coated. Leave to marinade for at least 15 minutes – though the mushrooms will happily sit overnight. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 Fan/400 F). In a large pan, heat a touch of oil till shimmering and brown the mushrooms. Toss with the cornstarch and place into the oven on a baking tray. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through. For the cheese sauce: Place the milk in a pan over a medium to low heat and reduce by half, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth, hot and thick. Keep warm until ready to serve. For the sandwich: Using the same pan you cooked the mushrooms in, heat a small amount of oil on a low heat. Saute the onion and peppers until softened. Deglaze the pan with a little water, and continue to cook until the onions and peppers are softened and lightly browned. Assemble the sandwiches by placing mushrooms at the bottom, top with the onions and peppers before covering with a few dollops of cheese sauce. Serve immediately with fries. Notes The mushrooms, onions and peppers can all be made ahead of time quite happily. Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. To make this gluten free, just use GF pasta per the note above. It Cashew nuts are a problem for you then there are plenty of tofu based ricotta recipes

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Beetroot Wellington with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:00:37 +0000

This recipe started out life very differently. I was working on a new Beet Burger recipe (don’t worry – you’ll see it this week, it’s amazing!) and had a shock of inspiration. Big meals like Christmas and Thanksgiving can be tricky for vegans as there are few big, dramatic centrepieces to build a fancy roast meal around. A lot of those that do exist are impressions of meat, like vegan friendly roast turkey. Now I have no problem with these dishes, but I wanted a dish that was both vegan and gluten free while elevating vegetables to the centrepiece. My trial beet burger was meaty and interesting enough that it could happily stand as the star of the show on taste but needed a fancy coat for special occasions. So we come to a wellington, a big beautiful beetroot roast, coated in a chestnut and chard duxelle, all wrapped in some gluten free puff pastry. By itself the wellington is wonderfully tasty but what takes it to another level entirely is the peppercorn sauce. Creamy enough that your guests won’t guess it’s vegan, the mix of peppery bite and soothing cream will lift your beetroot wellington to a dish worthy of any special occasion. Make it for Christmas, for my american friends – it’s perfect for thanksgiving, it’s so easy to make for a crowd, and equally wonderful for your next date night (make two individual wellingtons, the process is the same and you’ll just charm the socks off your other half). A small note on why I’m just so stoked to have this recipe for Christmas, even though I know it’s too close to begin planning for! The secret to a perfect, stress-free Christmas feast is planning ahead. Do as much as you can in advance and the event on the day will be so much easier to juggle. This wellington, it loves to be made in stages, or prepped in advance. In fact it works better if you do. The filling needs to be chilled before wrapped in pastry and the pastry cooks better if it’s also chilled. So make up the filling one day, wrap in the pastry just before you head to bed the night before and it’ll be ready to pop in the oven when you’re ready for it on the day – all very relaxed. Let me know how you get on with your big night! Makes: Serves 6-8 Ingredients For the Beetroot Roast: 1 Small Carrot, chopped 1 Onion, chopped 1/2 Celery stick, chopped 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 1/2 tsp Rosemary 1/2 tsp Thyme 30ml Vegetable Stock 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 30g Walnuts 240g Cooked Beetroot* 1 tsp Paprika 1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast 1 1/2 Tbsp Tapioca Starch 35g Gluten Free Breadcrumbs** 1/2 tsp Yeast Extract 1/2 tsp Salt 125g Kidney Beans, cooked 1/2 Tbsp Tahini 1 Tbsp Dried Cranberries 1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 15g Ground Almonds 1/2 Tbsp Vegan Worcester Sauce 45g Chickpea Flour Salt & Pepper to taste For the Chard & Chestnut Duxelle: 180g Chestnuts, cooked 1 Red Onion, finely diced 70g Mushrooms 10g Dried Shitake Mushrooms, soaked 200g Chard 1 Tbsp Rosemary 1 Tbsp Thyme 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes 250ml Vegetable Stock Salt & Pepper to taste For the Wellington: 500g Gluten Free Puff Pastry*** Plant Based Milk (for brushing) Poppy Seeds, to garnish For the Creamy Peppercorn Sauce: 150g Cashews, Soaked 375ml Vegetable Stock 1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns 2 small red onions, finely diced 1 Garlic Clove, minced 15g Vegan Butter 1 1/2 tsp Vegan Worcester Sauce Salt to taste Directions To prepare the Beetroot Roast; Start of by sauteing the carrot, onion and celery on a medium heat until softened and just starting to brown. Add the minced garlic, rosemary, and thyme and continue to cook until fragrant and lightly browned throughout. Deglaze the pan with a touch of stock before adding the rest of the stock and balsamic vinegar. Simmer until reduced by half and put to one side. Place the beetroot and nuts into a food processor and blend until chunky. Put the flours and breadcrumbs to one side before adding the rest of the beetroot roast ingredients to the food processor. Blend until mostly smooth, some small chunks are fine and add interest to the texture. Season to taste before stirring in the flours and breadcrumbs. Place in the fridge to chill. Preheat the oven to 180° C (170 Fan/ 355° F) and line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper. Shape your beetroot mix into a evenly shaped log on the tray before spritzng lightly with oil and roasting for 30 – 45 minutes, the roast should be crisp around the edges and cooked though. Place into the fridge to chill thoroughly before using the roast. To prepare the duxelle: Finely dice the chestnuts and mushrooms. Strip the stalks from the chard and dice before roughly chopping the leaves, put the leaves to one side. Heat a wide bottomed pan on a medium to high heat with a touch of oil. When the pan is hot add in the chestnuts, mushrooms, onion, and chard stalks. Saute until the onions have softened and the chard begins to brown. Add the herbs and just enough stock to barely cover. Simmer uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chard is cooked and the stock has reduced to a thick sauce at the bottom at the pan. Turn the heat up and stir through the chard leaves, stirring constantly until wilted. Season to taste and set aside in the fridge to chill. Assembly: Make sure both the beetroot roast and duxelle are completely chilled before assembling. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (200 fan/ 425 F). Shape a quarter of the duxelle into a rectangle similar in shape to your roast in the centre of the puff pastry. Place the beetroot roast on top. Now coat the roast with the duxelle mix in an even layer, pressing lightly with your hands. Now cover with a slightly larger square of pastry, sealing with a brush of water. Crimp the edges with a fork and make sure to add a hole in the top to allow the steam to escape. If you have leftover scraps of pastry, now is the time to use these as decoration. Brush with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds before placing onto a tray. Place into the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. For the peppercorn sauce: Blend the cashews with 250ml of the stock until smooth and similar to single cream. Crush the peppercorns, either using a pestle and mortar or pop them in a zip lock bag and crush with the base of a frying pan. Melt the butter over medium heat, if you’re using the same pan that you cooked the duxelle in then deglaze the pan with just a touch of stock. Fry the onions until fragrant and translucent. Add in the garlic and peppercorns and fry for a minute or so until the garlic just starts to brown. Pour in the worcester sauce along with the rest of the stock, then turn the heat down low and stir in the cashew cream and season to taste. The cashew cream will thicken the longer it’s exposed to the heat so remove from the heat as soon as it’s warmed through. It’ll thicken slightly as it cools but should have a texture similar to single cream. Serve your wellington with the peppercorn sauce on the side. Notes * If you’ve picked up raw beetroot then scrub, trim off the ends, season generously, and toss in a little oil before wrapping in foil. Bake in an oven at 200 degrees (190 Fan/400 F) for about an hour depending on the size of your beetroot. When cooked, a knife should slip easy into the beetroot. ** I make my own breadcrumbs from old bits of Gluten Free bread – just blend a few old bits of bread in a food processor or blender. Breadcrumbs can be easily frozen until needed. ***Most shop bought pastry is vegan unless it states otherwise – but don’t forget to check your packaging to make sure! Allergy Notes; This dish is vegan, gluten free and soy free.

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Lincolnshire Sausages (Vegan, Gluten Free & Soy Free!)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 14:24:06 +0000

The heatwave has arrived and I can almost guarantee what most of you will want to do in this weather – haul out the barbecue! It’s the classic British answer to hot, weather. Do what you can to make the most of the heat while it lasts, cook outside with friends, get sunburnt and maybe even a little drunk. It’s even a perfect idea as the COVID rules relax because you can obey the lockdown rules and still be social. If you’re vegan you might be struggling to think of how you can enjoy what is typically a very meat focused event. But don’t worry, I’ve got you. Alongside your grilled corn, char-grilled asparagus, veggie kebabs, and seared peaches (seriously, try roasting them on the grill for an easy dessert, you won’t look back!) I’ve rushed to share the recipe for my vegan Lincolnshire sausages just for you. Finding a good, tasty vegan sausage that’s also both gluten and soy free can be difficult. Which I why I’ve resorted to making them myself. While this recipe isn’t entirely complete, I knew all you lovely people would want to take a look at it now so you can add it to your barbecue menu. It’s entirely up to you if you want to do the final step and add the casing. Without it, the sausages will be more tender and should likely be cooked in the oven, but with the casing, they grill well, won’t fall apart and can be treated just like any other sausage. Toss them in a bun with ketchup or mustard and they’ll pair perfectly with a lazy summer’s day. Full of flavour, they’ll satisfy the most ardent carnivore but they take a bit of work so let’s get started! Makes: 6 Sausages Ingredients For the Sausages: 30g Walnuts 50g Mushrooms, finely chopped 50g Onion, finely chopped 1 Tbsp Oil (a neutral tasting oil like rapeseed or avocado works well) 125ml Vegetable Stock 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See Allergy Note below) 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper 1/2 tsp mace 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground Ginger 1/4 tsp ground Allspice 3 tsp Sage 1 tsp Brown Sugar 125g Cooked Pinto Beans 2 Sundried Tomatoes, finely diced 2 Tbsp ground Chia Seeds 30g Steal Cut Oats, re-hydrated in stock 3g Methylcellulose 1/4 tsp Xantham Gum For the Casing (optional)*: 2-3 Square Rice paper sheets 180ml Vegetable stock 1Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute 1 tsp Liquid Smoke Oil for brushing Directions To start, process the walnuts in a food processor until the size of small breadcrumbs. It’s incredibly important that the mushrooms, tomatoes and onions are finely diced. Too large and it’ll throw off the texture. Saute them in a frying pan with just a touch of oil on a medium heat until the onions start to brown and the mushrooms have released their liquid. Remove from the heat and set to one side. Bring the oil, stock, soy sauce, spices, and sugar to a boil in a medium pan. Add the beans, mushroom mix, walnuts, oats and chia seeds and simmer on a low heat until the liquid is completely absorbed. Stir constantly during this process and you should be left with a thick paste. At this stage I normally mash it a little to break up the pinto beans and help make sure the mix is a little homogeneous but that’s completely up to you, if you like a sausage with more texture then you can skip this step. Allow the mix to cool before adding the final two ingredients and combine really well. Taking a quarter cup of the mix at a time, shape into a sausage shape. It will be sticky so oil your hands before hand or use cling film to help shape them. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least an hour. If adding the casing, mix together the liquid ingredients on a plate or baking sheet with high sides. Ideally it should be wide enough for your rice paper sheets to lie flat. Allow a single sheet of rice paper to soak until soft an malleable. Using a pizza cutter, trim your rice sheets until you have a sheet slightly less wide than your sausages are long. Tightly roll the sausage in your rice paper strip until the ends overlap and stick together. Brush with oil and set to one side. Repeat until all your sausages are coated. If your sausages have a coating then you can treat them just like any other sausage, grilling or frying until well browned on all sides. Without the coating, brush with oil and roast in the oven at 200C for 25 minutes. Enjoy! This recipe is still a work in progress so I’d really love your feedback. Notes *My thanks to the Hidden Veggies for the casing inspiration – go take a look at her recipe! Allergy Notes; you may be a little tired of this note by now but those of you that don’t know, I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally (not always! check your brand) contains no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. Keep an eye on your liquid smoke as it can contain both gluten and soy but allergen free versions are available. If nuts are an allergen for you then I’d suggest substituting the walnuts for 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds for a similar taste and texture.

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Instant Pot Lentil Sloppy Joes (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 12:00:37 +0000

Sloppy Joes is one of those iconic American foods that you see on TV but don’t really get over here in the UK. Originating in the early 1930s, the basis of this dish is cheap mince meat in a tangy, barbecue or tomato based sauce, served in a white roll. It’s one of those cheap dishes that was created during the depression to serve hungry workers and it’s survived all this time by being greater than the sum of it’s parts. Incredibly tasty and comforting, it’s perfect for those days when you need to make something filling from basic pantry stores – in other words, perfect for during lockdown! There are several vegan versions of this dish online but getting a version that’s just as tasty as the original can be tricky. My version of this classic dish offers bold, meaty flavours, while still being both easy and cheap to make. Serve in a good size bread roll (gluten free in our house) with a spoonful of smashed avocado, and a side of tasty salad. It’s messy but it’ll make the perfect end to a hard day. Makes: Serves 6 Ingredients For the Sloppy Joe filling: 1 Green Pepper, diced 1 Large Onion, chopped 1 rib of Celery, chopped 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped 1 tsp Chilli Powder 1½ tsp Smoked Paprika 1 tsp Chilli Flakes 1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Dried Thyme 1 tsp Dried Oregano 110g Urad Dhal (Black Lentils), soaked* 110g Green Lentils 1lt Vegetable stock 400g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes 3 Tbsp Tomato Puree 2 tsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce 1 Tbsp Mild Mustard (Dijon works well here) 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (or more depending on the tomatoes) 1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar ½ tsp Liquid Smoke (Optional but really worth it if you can find it) 100g Walnuts 200g Mushrooms 125g Black Beans salt & Pepper to taste Oil for cooking Serving Suggestions: Bread Rolls Smashed Avocado** Slices of Pickled Red Onions Directions Set your instant pot to saute and add a touch of oil. Gently cook your chopped onions, celery, and pepper until softened and just starting to brown. Add the garlic with the spices and saute briefly, until the garlic turns fragrant. Turn off the instant pot and use a dash of the stock to deglaze the liner. Make sure you scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as that’s flavour and leaving too much can cause your instant pot to overheat when coming up to pressure. Now add the rest of the ingredients apart from the mushrooms and walnuts. Don’t add salt at this point as it can make the lentils turn hard. Stir well to make sure everything is well combined before locking on the lid. Cook on high pressure for 12 mins and allow a natural release. While your lentils are cooking it’s time to cook your flavours boosters – the mushrooms, walnuts, and black beans are here to add that deep meaty taste that will ensure even the most hardened vegan won’t miss the meat. Finely chop your mushrooms, I like to to this in my food processor but don’t let them become mush if you do this. The walnuts should also be chopped finely until they are slightly larger than breadcrumbs. I also like to roughly chop the black beans but that’s entirely optional. Heat a wide bottomed saute pan on a medium to high heat with a tablespoon of oil. Add in your mushrooms and saute until they loose most of their liquid and start to brown. Stir occasionally and scrape up any brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan as you go. Add the beans and walnuts and mix well. Keep cooking until the mix is nicely toasted. When the pressure has released on the instant pot, remove the lid and stir through your mushroom mix. If needed, simmer down until thick, taste and season well. Serve in good size bread buns with a spoonful of smashed avocado. Notes * We always tend to have black lentils in the house as they’re essential for a lot of great Indian dishes. They add some great textures here but if you don’t have them to hand then you can use more green lentils instead. **If you’re not planning on using the avocado with this then I’d suggest halving the vinegar and mustard in this recipe. I’ve built it out to be a deliciously tangy recipe that is balanced out by the avocado so you may want to compensate here. Allergy Notes; This is already vegan and gluten free but there are a few points to note. Check your gluten free buns for dairy or egg as this can be a common tripping point in gluten free bread. Check your stock as wheat is often used as a thickener. If walnuts are an allergen for you then you should be able to substitute in sunflower seeds for a similar effect.

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Aubergine Banh Mi (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 29 May 2020 12:00:06 +0000

These spicy, crunchy sandwiches are a staple in Vietnamese food culture and are perfect on a warm summer’s day. It may seem complicated when you pick one up from a food truck but it’s actually quite approachable with lots of little bits that can be done ahead. In other words, its a recipe that’s made for lockdown, doing the odd bit here and there as working from home allows! The big benefit of doing this yourself is that it allows your to modulate the heat in this Sandwich. Traditionally, this is served with plenty of chillies and an extra layer of even more fresh chillies for those who want it. You prefer less heat? Go for it. You want to blow your head off? You do you. The traditional Banh Mi is all about the layers, you want to group your layers carefully so you get the proper interplay or flavours and texture as you go. However,this doesn’t have to be a sandwich if you’d rather not. Can’t find a baguette that will work for your food preferences? Then turn it into a Banh Mi bowl with noodles or rice stir fried with chillies and a touch of soy sauce. It’s completely customisable, make this work for you – I guarantee you’ll love it! Makes: Serves 2-3 Ingredients For the Pickles: 150g Sugar 180ml White Wine Vinegar ½ tsp Salt 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds ½ Tbsp Sesame Oil 225g Celeriac* 275g Carrot 1 tsp Crushed Chillies For the Seared Aubergines: 1 Medium Aubergines, thickly sliced 80ml Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note below) 6 Garlic Cloves, sliced 120g Red Onion, diced 2 Tbsp Vegan Fish Sauce 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1 Tsp Five Spice Powder 1 Star Anise 8g Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, soaked 3g Ginger, sliced 80ml Mushroom Soaking Liquid 2 Lime Leaves For the Sandwiches: 6-inch Baguettes, split lengthwise** Vegan Mayo Sriracha ½ a cucumber, cut into thin slices Fresh Coriander Fresh Mint Red Chillies, thinly sliced (Optional) Vegan Pate (see my last post here) Directions Starting with your pickles, mix together everything except the vegetables in a large, non-metallic bowl until the sugar completely dissolves. Slice your vegetables into thin matchsticks and toss with your vinegar mix. Put to one side and leave standing at room temperature for at least 2 hours. If you’d like to do this ahead of time then cover and chill once the vegetables and sat at room temperature. Your aubergines will need to marinade for at least 30 minutes so plan ahead here or, prep the night before, cover and place in the fridge for today. Start by shredding the mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Heat your wok on a high heat with just a touch of oil and stir fry both the mushrooms and ginger till they just start to brown. Add about half a tbsp of your soy sauce substitute and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the edges are browned and slightly crisp but do not let the ginger burn. place into a blender jug along with the rest of your Soy Sauce Substitute, fish sauce, maple syrup, five spice powder, and mushroom soaking liquid. Blend until completely smooth. Pour this marinade over your aubergine slices in a bowl and add the star anise and lime leaves. Stir well then cover and place in the fridge to marinade for at least an hour. Once marinaded, shake off any excess from the slices and set the marinade to one side. Put your wok back on a high heat with a touch of oil until it starts to shimmer. Stir fry your aubergines on a high heat, stirring constantly, until the Aubergines start to sear and go completely soft. Stir in an extra tablespoon or so of your marinade then set to one side – we should now be ready to make your sandwiches. Lightly toast the cut sides of your baguette. Spread a thick coat of pate on the bottom half, and mayo on the top half. Drizzle liberally (or to your taste) with Sriracha, particularly on the top half. Now that your baguette is prepped and ready for it’s fillings, this is your layering order starting on the bottom half and working up to the top of the sandwich; Aubergine Slices Drained, pickled vegetables handful of your fresh coriander and mint cucumber slices Red chillies (if using) Repeat with each of your sandwiches as you finish prepping the bread. Serve with more sriracha on the side for those who feel they really need it. Notes *Traditionally this should really be daikon but we’re not huge radish fans. Feel free to sub in daikon or english radishes if you’d rather ** We’ve really struggled to find gluten free baguettes that work well for this. However we’ve now had success with these mini-baguettes but do let me know if you find something else you prefer! Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. If you need to avoid all soy products then double check your fish sauce as most vegan versions contain soybeans – if you can’t get one without then skip it from the sauce entirely. If the sesame seeds are an allergen for you then feel free to skip both the seeds and oil – the pickles will still work well!

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Vegan Mushroom Pâté

Feast of Plants — Wed, 27 May 2020 12:00:26 +0000

The weather we’ve been having recently has put me in the mind of picnics. Whether you’re Eating lunch outside, or having a drink while watching the sun go down, taking a break and spending some time out side can be great for your mental health – especially right now where so many of us are stuck in our own homes! With that in mind, I’ve been thinking about what you’d need for a picnic and it just came to me – Pate! Obviously I haven’t had it in a while but this tasty toast topping and cracker accompaniment is ideal for veganising. My recipe is completely vegan but so meaty and bursting with umami flavours. I’d say it’s event better than the pate I remember! Take it on picnic, serve as an accompaniment on your wine and cheese evening, spread it on a piece of toast, or see my next blog for a bit more adventurous suggestion! Makes: 500ml Jar Ingredients 5g Dried Shitake Mushroom, soaked till soft (at least an hour) 2 Tbsp Mushroom Soaking liquid 70g Walnuts 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (for cooking) 1 Medium Onion, roughly chopped 2 Large Garlic Cloves, sliced 70g Chestnut Mushrooms, thinly sliced ½ tsp Dried Rosemary ½ tsp Dried Basil 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped 1 Tbsp fresh Sage, chopped ½ Tsp Chilli Flakes Pinch of Nutmeg 200g Cooked Green Lentils (french if you have them, but no need to waste expensive lentils here) 1 Tbsp Lemon juice ½ Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute ½ Tbsp Maple Syrup 2 Sundried Tomato Halves, thinly sliced Salt & Pepper to taste Directions For best results, I try to soak the dried mushrooms for at least a few hours or a long as possible but if you loose track of time then try to soak them in boiling water till soft – normally this will take around an hour. Once your dried mushrooms have been soaking, thinly slice them and put to one side with your chestnut mushrooms. Don’t forget to reserve your soaking water for later. Lightly toast your walnuts in a dry pan, until they start to develop a little colour and smell fragrant. Put to one side, or directly into your food processor to wait for the rest of your ingredients if yours can cope with hot food. Taking the same pan, add your coconut oil and heat on a low to medium heat until the oil melts. Add your onions and garlic, gently sauteing till the onions start to turn translucent. Now add all your mushrooms and continue to gently cook until the mushrooms are soft and completely cooked. Place this one side. In you food processor, add your walnuts, all herbs and spices, lentils, tomatoes, lemon juice, Soy sauce substitute, and maple syrup. Process until mostly smooth and add your mushroom mix along with the soaking liquid. Now process until you reach your favourite consistency – I like it when it’s ever so slightly chunky but if you prefer a very smooth pate then go for it. Taste and season well – being a little heavy handed on the pepper and light on the salt. Push into a 500ml jar and place into the fridge till cool and fully set before serving. This should keep for about a week in the fridge and is happily frozen so why not make a double batch so you’ve got some in reserve for when the craving hits? Notes Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This should be naturally vegan, and can be both gluten free depending on your soy sauce substitute. If nuts are an allergen for you then try subbing in sunflower seeds instead though this version is best completely smooth rather than left with more texture.

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Mushroom and Kale Stroganoff

Feast of Plants — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

I’m a huge fan of mushrooms, Kenny hates them but that just means there’s more for me. They’re the perfect star for a stroganoff with their bold, meaty flavours. I love this dish so much – its so easy and quick to pull together that it works well for a quick lunch or even a dinner when you want something quick, satisfying and oh so tasty. There are two key ingredients to this dish, mushroom ketchup and vegan sour cream. Mushroom Ketchup started out for me as an ideal vegan pantry replacement for Worcestershire sauce as it offers a similar depth in flavour but without the anchovies. While I am aware that you can now purchase vegan Worcestershire sauce, for me the mushroom ketchup added that extra mushroom intensity which you just don’t get from its alternative. However, for those of you out there that need to be wary of gluten, I’d suggest being careful of which brand you buy as some brands have a small amount of Barley Malt Extract. It is a very small amount but I doubt that its small enough be below the celiac associations safe limit. You can buy brands that are gluten free and of course you can make your own or, if you struggle to find one – sub in vegan worcester sauce as that is certified gluten free as well. I tend to make my own vegan sour cream and already had some in the fridge when it came to making this recipe. I love this recipe from the gluten free vegan pantry but please do keep in mind that if you’re going to make this you need to plan ahead and soak the cashews overnight. My alternative if I don’t plan ahead is to buy some Oatly Creme Fraiche which works just as well. This is an ideal dish for a slightly miserable day. Traditionally you would serve this on a lovely, fragrant bed of wild rice but this has enough body to stand up well as a topping on a baked potato, served with pasta, on some lovely creamy mash, or even a bed of polenta. Serves: 2 as a main course Ingredients 2 tsp Olive Oil 1 Large Red Onion, sliced 100g Kale, chopped & cored* 1 tbsp Paprika 3 Garlic Cloves, crushed 150g Chestnut Mushrooms, roughly chopped 150g Wild Mushrooms, roughly chopped 250ml Vegetable Stock 2tbsp Mushroom Ketchup (or Vegan Worcestershire Sauce) 3 tbsp Vegan Sour Cream (or oatly creme fraiche) Bunch of Parsley, chopped Salt & Pepper (to taste) Directions Heat the oil in a large pan on low heat and add the onion slices. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened which should take between 5-10 mins. Be gentle, and don’t allow the onions to brown at this stage. Add the kale and saute for just another minute or so, you’re looking for the Kale brighten slightly. You should now be ready to add the paprika and garlic, stir through and cook for a minute. Make sure you don’t yet brown your garlic. When your garlic gets fragrant, add the mushrooms and turn up the heat. Stirring often, keep cooking until the mushrooms just start to brown and release their juices. Add the stock and mushroom ketchup, stir well, making sure to get up any little bits of onion or paprika that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sauce thickens enough to hold a line for a moment if you draw your spoon through it, then take it off the heat. Stir through the sour cream and most of the parsley. At this point, season to taste but try not to over salt it – the mushroom ketchup can be quite salty, most stocks are quite salty so you’ve probably already added all the salt you need so I’m not kidding about the tasting part. Garnish with the remaining parsley and try not to eat it all yourself. Notes *This recipe works equally well without the kale so if its not in season or you simply don’t have any in, just use 150ml of Stock and 1 1/2 tbsp of Mushroom Ketchup instead of the amounts above. Allergy Notes; As mentioned above, be careful with your brand of mushroom ketchup if gluten is a problem for you. Many vegan worcester sauces are certified gluten free so that makes a decent substitute if you’re struggling to get something gluten free. Other than that this should be safely vegan and nut free.

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