Quinoa Loaf with Mushrooms and Peas

Quinoa Loaf with Mushrooms and Peas
Vegan; Soy Free; Gluten Free

Last night was my cooking demo (which I got sick-sad face).... So, while I was trying to hold down water; my friends made this recipe. Hope you all enjoy this healthy, easy, tasty recipe! Hopefully next months cooking demo will be better!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup rolled oats (use gluten free)
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped red onion

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch loaf pan with oil; set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, put beans, oats and 1/2 cup water into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, bean mixture, quinoa, peas, parsley, tomatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared loaf pan, gently pressing down and mounding it in the middle. Bake until firm and golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Found: Whole Foods

Mushroom, Radish, Persimmon Sweet Chutney

Mushroom, Radish, Persimmon Sweet Chutney
Vegan; 15 minutes; Serves 4

Bruce and I received a bottle of wine for Christmas. Like so many of our friends who know that we like our spirits, however, this one got us a sweet white. It tasted more like pure sugar, then a wine that we would pick. Well, since I refuse to waste anything I told Bruce that I can cook and bake with it. So, I'll be posting a few recipes and tips on how to use wine that has either turned vinegar or just not drinkable....

3 large button mushrooms, sliced thin
3 large radishes, sliced thin
1 persimmon, chopped into 1 inch cubes
2 small garlic cloves, minced (or 1 large one)
1/4 cup sweet white wine
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 dried Thai peppers (you need the heat to balance the sweetness)
black pepper to taste

1. Over medium heat, combine sweet white wine and olive oil. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.

2. Add radishes and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the oil and wine take on a pinkish hue. Add mushrooms and Thai peppers, for another 5 minutes.

Serve over tofu steaks, or toss into a salad.....

Ravioli Fillings~ Just To Name A Few

Ravioli Fillings~ Just To Name A Few

The first one listed is what I used in the ravioli the other night. The nuts give it more of a meaty taste and feel. I made the sauce to go with the raviolis, but that will come after these....

Triple Nut Pesto:

2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups mixed whole raw nuts, such as pine nuts, walnuts, and cashews
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
freshly ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste

For the Triple Nut Pesto, use a food processor, combine garlic, hot pepper flakes, olive oil, nuts and mint. Pulse to make a smooth paste (a slightly coarse nut butter). Season with black pepper to taste and set aside.

I was able to sneak the second one past the boys in the calzones the other night. I would pair this with a tomato sauce....

"Ricotta" and Spinach:

1 8 oz. package of firm tofu (pressed-see tips in the blog)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of spinach, wilted

1. Mash the tofu with a fork and add the garlic. Set aside.

2. In a medium pan over high heat, wilt the spinach by adding a Tablespoon of water at a time. Continue to add water, so that the spinach doesn't stick to the pan and it has become wilted. About 5 minutes. Mix in with the "ricotta" and set aside.

Wild for Mushrooms:

1/2 lb. of mushrooms, mix between portobello, creminis and buttons (should make 1 cups when finely chopped, about 3 caps)
2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 leek, diced
1 Tablespoon of each almond/nutritional yeast mix (half nutritional yeast, half finely milled almonds)
2 Tablespoons parsley (fresh or dry works with this measurement)

1. In food processor, pulse mushrooms in batches until finely chopped-almost paste like.

2. In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2-3 mins. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3-5 mins. Add to mushrooms, ground almonds, nutritional yeast and parsley; let cool.

Portobello Wellington

Portobello Wellington
Vegan; Serves 2

Imagine my surprise when Bruce told me that he had never had beef wellington, nor did he know what it was. Well, I told him and I made this (the best thing, since no one had to die). I ended up needing to make my puff pastry since I was unsuccessful of locating it in the city.... I served this with the balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts. Adapted and inspired by Virtually Vegan Mama.

2 portobello mushrooms
1 sheet vegan puff pastry (see recipe in blog)
1/2 cup of white button mushrooms
1 cup of baby spinach
2 small leeks (or small shallots, peeled), and roughly chopped
1 large cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh tarragon, stemmed
1 3/4 cup(s) of no salt added vegetable stock
2 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. of olive oil

2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. For the Duxelles: Add spinach, button mushrooms, leeks or shallots, garlic, and tarragon to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add 2 tsp. Earth Balance Butter to a large sauté pan and set over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture, 1/4 cup vegetable stock and sauté for 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with a pinch of black pepper and set aside to cool.

3. For the Portabello Mushrooms: Gently scrap gills from Portobello mushrooms with a spoon. Place mushrooms on baking tray lined with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, set aside. Cut pastry sheet into 4 equal parts (save and use 2 for later). Using a spoon, cover each mushroom with a layer of duxelles (make sure to fill the back cavity of the mushroom with the duxelles). Fold pastry around the mushrooms and enclose entirely, press down lightly with fingers to make sure it is sealed completely. Place mushrooms, with folded side down, on baking tray lined with parchment paper or non-stick baking mat. Bake mushrooms in oven until pastry is golden brown for 20-25 minutes.

4. Whisk together vinegars and olive oil. Drizzle over mushrooms.