Mushroom Gravy Poutine (Vegan, GF)

Post by Megan Stulberg

I’m Canadian. Like, grandparents-are-from-Nova-Scotia Canadian. That being said, I don’t mess with boring poutine! This poutine recipe is a delicious, healthy alternative to the OG dairy version.

Ingredients…

For the gravy:

• 2 cups gluten-free vegetable stock
• 1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
• 1/4 cup gluten-free brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup almond or soy milk
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp ground sage
• 2 tbsp vegan butter-style spread
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Cold-pressed EVOO, as needed

Other:

• 3 large potatoes
• 1/2 bag shredded vegan mozzerella “cheese” of your choice (I used Daiya)
• Sea salt and black pepper, throughout

DIRECTIONS…

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Scrub and wash potatoes to remove any dirt, then peel. Cut length-wise into long, thin strips. Toss in 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.
3. Line a baking pan with aluminium foil or parchment paper smothered in olive oil to prevent burning and sticking. Lay fries out in an even layer on baking pan.
4. Bake in oven for around 35 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes or so.
5. While the fries are baking, prep the gravy:
6. Heat EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes until browned. Add sage, garlic, mushrooms, almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are browned, stirring regularly.
8. Add vegetable stock and vegan butter-style spread, lower heat to simmer. Once most liquid has evaporated, add vegetable stock and brown rice flour. Stir occasionally and cook for an additional few minutes. For thicker gravy, feel free to add additional flour by the tbsp.
9. Reduce heat to low simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep gravy warm.
10. Remove fries from oven and wait to slightly cool. Plate the fries, take a handful of vegan “cheese” and sprinkle it on top, then pour the hot gravy over everything.

Serve hot! Makes approximately 2 servings.

 

Tomato Glaze-Crusted “Meat”loaf Casserole

Post by Megan Stulberg

I’ve been working like a crazy person lately, hence the delay in writing up recipe posts. But hey, a girl’s got to eat! If there’s a silver lining from this, it’s just that I have tons of recipes up my sleeve for y’all in the near future.

This was my Christmas day feast, yum yum. Being the only vegan in a family of carnivores is both good and bad. The bad is that they don’t want to eat the food I make, the good is…more for me! I ended up eating leftovers for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Boxing Day. Not a single regret.

I paired this dish with my sweet potato mash that’s already up on Vegan Girlfriend here, as well as some roasted asparagus! I also paired it with a gravy/stuffing hybrid that I’ve nicknamed “gruffing” that was oh-so-good but honestly was an accident so I don’t have a write-up for that.

Ingredients…

For the loaf: 

• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free vegetable broth
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup canned lentils
• 1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted nuts of your choice (I chose walnut)
• 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 3 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp basil
• Cracked pepper and sea salt, to taste

For the glaze: 

• 1/2 cup organic ketchup (or tomato paste)
• 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions…

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Rinse canned lentils. Set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Once oil begins to sizzle, add garlic and onion. Sauté 5 minutes until brown, then add carrot, celery and mushrooms. Add broth at this point.
4. Use a high-speed blender or food processor to chop toasted nuts into small pieces.
5. Add sautéed veggies to blender, along with rice flour, flax, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, thyme, basil, sea salt, pepper and of course, the lentils! Pulse until coarsely combined. If the mixture needs to be thickened, add additional brown rice flour by the tbsp and combine by hand. Be careful not to over-process, you want some chunks of veggies and stuff to stay intact for texture.
6. Coat casserole dish with olive oil to prevent sticking. Use large spoon to transfer mixture from food processor to casserole dish, then flatten out.
7. Bake casserole dish in oven for a total of 40 minutes.
8. During this time, make the glaze! Simply whisk organic ketchup, maple syrup and sea salt together in bowl.
9. Remove casserole dish from oven after 15 minutes, add glaze in a thin layer on top, then place back in oven covered and let bake for remaining 30 minutes.
10. Wait for dish to cool, then slice and serve with side dishes accordingly.

Dig in! Serve warm, makes 4-6 servings.

Easy Vegan Holiday Season: Day 4

Post by Aine Davis

Who doesn’t love gravy? Gravy is something that can be enjoyed all year long, but it’s especially good at Christmas!

I’m Canadian, so (vegan) poutine is an essential staple in my diet. And let me tell you, it’s hard to find vegan gravy!

Gravy goes great with pretty much anything too! Try serving it as a side dish with a fancy dinner with nice drinks.

Shiitake Mushroom Gravy

Adapted from Know thy Food.

• 2.5 cups vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp sage
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Whisk the broth, soy sauce, thyme, sage and flour together. Set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow saucepan for about one minute until sizzling. Add the onion and sauté until it becomes translucent.

3. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue sautéing for 4-5 minutes or until mushrooms have browned.

4. Add the broth combo to the saucepan. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then add the nutritional yeast. Mix thoroughly.

5. Reduce the temperature setting and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until desired thickness. 

6. Remove from heat and serve! Once the gravy has cooled, feel free to freeze extra for later.

Serves 2.