We’ve been waiting for the rain to come for 3 days and every morning the Weather Network changes it’s story;  rain coming tomorrow.  Today is Sunday, 9:44pm.  The city sparkles in the dark night.  I’m sitting at our bedroom window atop a pile of pillows, laptop resting on the window sill and the wind coming in gusts rattling the glass.  It seems the storm is finally here.

It’s been a while since I’ve sat down to write but I wanted to get my recipe for tonight’s dinner down before I forget what I did.  I’m enjoying an Indi Folk playlist on Youtube as a background.

Sunday’s are and will always be a day for comfort food at our home.  We walked in the chilly air this afternoon and did a shop for 3 meals I’ve planned in advance.  The Buddha bowls will wait until the workweek has started.  They’re quick and easy to make.

Tonight I made a Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff served over pappardelle pasta.  With a few substitutions (vegan yogurt and plant based milk) I was able to create a creamy broth.  My mouth is watering thinking about it.  I’ve packed leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  Something to look forward to on a Monday.

This recipe is enough for 6 servings.  I vacuum sealed 1/2 of the broth for the freezer.  We’ll enjoy another helping on another lazy weekend when we don’t want to cook.

Vegan Mushroom Spinach Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups of white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup baby porcini (brown) mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons of flour
• ½ cup of white wine
• 3 cups mushroom broth
• ¼ cup unsweetened plain plant based milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 Tablespoon roasted garlic paste
• ¼ cup unsweetened plain plant based yogurt
• 1 14oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups baby spinach, chopped

Spice Ingredients:

• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried ground mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Clean and slice all the mushrooms, then placed them in a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot with 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
• Sauté them for approx. 5 minutes over medium-high heat to get the mushrooms to release some of their water. Then move the mushrooms as well as any left-over liquid to a bowl and set aside.

• In the same large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven (or similar pot), add the chopped onions, sauté over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until slightly golden. Add a splash of water (or a little mushroom broth) to prevent sticking, if needed.  Then add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to one minute.
• Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed onions and garlic; cook the flour for a few minutes. The cooked onions/garlic and the flour will be very lumpy, then add the white wine and stir. Cook for several more minutes. The alcohol from the wine will sizzle, and then evaporate/reduce, and you will only be left with this beautiful wine flavour which enhances the dish. The mixture will be gooey.
• Add the mushroom broth and plant milk to the mixture and bring to a boil, then lower the temperature. Stir well to incorporate the flour and to thicken the sauce.

** Around this time, I put a large pot of water to boil on the other burner to start cooking the pasta.

• Add all the seasonings now (bay leaf, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme leaves, ground mustard, sea salt and black pepper) and roasted garlic paste then increase the heat, bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then discard the bay leaf, and transfer the mixture plus 1/3 cup of the sautéed mushrooms into a high-speed blender and pulse until completely smooth. Please be very careful. Cover the high-speed blender with a thick tea towel to prevent burns when unscrewing the lid as the steam builds, creates pressure, and can squirt out when you unscrew the lid. Transfer the mixture back to the pot, add the plant yogurt, remaining sautéed mushrooms (with the remaining liquid), the cannellini beans, and spinach. Cook for several minutes.
• Taste test the flavour. This is the time you can adjust the flavours; increase seasonings, if desired, to suit your personal preferences.  I found it to be perfect as it was.
• Serve immediately over cooked pasta.

This dish would do wonderfully with a nice slice of garlic toast to soak up the mushroom broth.

From my home to yours, Happy Sunday cooking.

Love,

Jennifer