Showing posts with label Mushroom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mushroom. Show all posts

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Quick Veggie Stir Fry & Sticky Rice

My very favorite stir-fry combination is a blend of Asian eggplants, good mushrooms, and red pepper; they're so incredibly delicious together. I know some of the ingredients feel fussy, but I promise, if you take the time to visit your local Asian market and pick up mushroom soy sauce and aji-mirin (sweet rice cooking sauce), you will not regret it.

I also want to mention that there is oyster sauce in this recipe. Ian and I do eat bivalves (oysters, clams, mussels, scallops) as they do not have nervous systems (although we do try to be careful about where they're grown/collected for environmental reasons). If you do not eat oyster sauce, I would recommend subbing that some vegan black bean and garlic sauce.

Get your rice started first, then the stir fry. Easy, fast, and good!


Quick Veggie Stir Fry

Originally posted on This, That, and the Other
 
For the hottie in a hurry. You could really throw any veggies in here, just adjust the cooking time as needed.

Ingredients 
1 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1-2 long, Asian eggplants, sliced down the center lengthwise and cut 1-inch slices on the diagonal.
8 oz mushrooms, oyster or shiitake if you can, otherwise baby portabellas will work fine
1 red pepper, julienned
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsp. mushroom soy sauce
2 Tbsp. aji-mirin (sweet rice cooking sauce)
1/3 cup water
dash of pepper
 
Directions
Mix oyster sauce, mushroom soy sauce, aji-mirin, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once oil is smoking, add the eggplant. Cook the eggplant for  a minutes or so before tossing, letting it brown. Cook for 1-2 more minutes more, tossing occasionally. Add the red pepper, also giving it a little time to brown. Cook for 2 minutes, then add mushrooms. Stir-fry vegetables for about 5 minutes more. Once vegetables are pleasantly browned, add sauce, stirring so that vegetables are coated evenly. Cook for a few more minutes until sauce has thickened and dash with pepper, adding water if you need to to avoid sticking. Serve immediately over rice. 
 
Serves 2, 175 calories per serving with 8 grams of protein. High in fiber, manganese, piacin, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, and vitamins A, B6, and C.

The Perfect Rice

Perfected after much trial and error! This rice is great for stir-fries as it is nice and sticky. Leftovers used within a day or so make great fried rice

Ingredients
2 cups rice, jasmine preferred although any white long-grain will do
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
Mix the rice, water, and salt into a pot. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, until the water level is just at or below the rice and the water is bubbling through the rice. 

Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 14-16 more minutes. 
 
Serves 6, 215 calories per serving with 4 grams of protein per serving.
 

Recipe: Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup

When I first made this soup last spring, we were eating dairy. Of course the soup had milk in it, but it also featured a Parmesan cheese rind cooked in the soup, which made it absolutely magical. As in, best soup I've ever had, magical.  I know the soup will be good without it, but I'm not sure what would give it the same depth of character. If you have any ideas, please do share. I think using cashew cream will be a start.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
Adapted from This, That, and the Other

Serves 4 main courses or 6 side courses

1 cup wild rice
1 large onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1/2 lb baby bella mushrooms, diced
1/2 lb portabella mushrooms, stems removed and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano (dried or fresh)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
2-3 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons rosemary (dried or fresh)
1 cup cashew cream
2 teaspoons salt, divided
pepper

Bring 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of water to a boil. Add the wild rice and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes until the rice is tender. Set aside rice, undrained.

While the rice cooks, prepare the rest of the soup. Warm a teaspoon of oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery with a half teaspoon of salt, and cook until the onions are very soft, and starting to brown, 6-8 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the mushrooms and another half teaspoon of salt. Cook until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and turned dark brown, at least 20 minutes.

Add the garlic and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir until the vegetables become sticky and there is no more visible dry flour. Increase the heat again to medium-high and pour in the white wine. Stir and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue simmering until the wine has reduced and thickened a bit.

Add the bay leaf, rosemary, wild rice, and cooking water from the rice. Add two cups of broth to start. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes to meld the flavors. Add the cashew cream. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the soup has thickened to your liking. Add additional broth if needed.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Approximately 375 calories per serving, 12.5 grams of protein per serving, and the soup is high in phosphorus and niacin.

Recipe: Baked Portabella Burgers with Roasted Red Peppers & Pesto

As I was updating my recipe list tonight, I realized that all of my recipes thus far are either soups, scones, or cupcakes. After almost six months of blogging (albeit it not consistently), this is sad and not representative of what we actually eat.

I decided to go through some recipes from my primary blog, This, That, and the Other and put those up that are vegan, are easily made vegan. Hurray! More recipes!

I'll start with a yummy favorite, Baked Portabella Burgers with Roasted Red Peppers and Pesto


Baked Portabella Burgers with Roasted Red Peppers and Pesto

adapted from epicurious.com, originally posted on This, That, and the Other
  
This is easily a fast and easy meal if you are using jarred roasted red peppers. Have more time and want them fresh? Do it up! Gluten-free if you've got the right buns.

Ingredients
2 red peppers (or 2 jarred roasted red peppers)
4 portabella caps, stems removed
olive oil
spring greens or arugula
2-4 Tbsp vegan pesto
or vegannaise
4 potato/hamburger buns

Directions
Using your broiler or gas stove, char the peppers (here's a useful tutorial, if you haven't done this before). Place in a medium bowl and cover with saran wrap (alternatively use a small saucepan and lid) and let sit for 30 minutes. Then peel off the skin, remove seeds, and cut peppers into four pieces.

While peppers are steaming, heat oven to 350F. Remove stems from portabella caps, and place on a slightly-greased  baking sheet, gills up. Drizzle with olive oil, and generously salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes.

If you have time, toast the hamburger buns. Spread the mayo and pesto on each bun, and stack with mushrooms, peppers, and greens.

Serves 4, About 130 calories before the bun with 1/2 Tbsp of pesto and 1/2 Tbsp of vegannaise.