Mushroom Bisque

We had our Annual Gala at the Carriage House Inn here in Calgary on Friday. The first course was Wild Mushroom Bisque with Truffle Oil. It was utterly astounding! So I wondered can I make something similar?

This morning I tried & I am very happy with the result, so here it is:

Mushroom Bisque

The night before you want to make soup place the following in a large bowl
10 dried Shitaki Mushrooms
boiling water to fully cover well
2 tsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
Leave to re-hydrate.
You can do this 2 hours before making soup but flavours are less robust.

1 clove garlic
1 small- medium shallot
1 tblsp vegan margarine
6 crimini mushrooms
3 fresh shitaki mushrooms
3 morel or other variety of mushrooms - not white button
pinch Herbs de Provence
pinch salt - I used Hymalyan
small grind of mixed peppercorns
1 tsp coconut cream powder
water
Tamari to taste
2-3 tblsp non sweetened, non flavoured almond coffee creamer

Chop garlic & shallot very finely. Put margarine in medium-large saucepan on low heat add chopped garlic & shallot to soften. Chop fresh mushrooms very finely, add to pan & stir to mix. Add Herbs de Provence, salt & pepper. Turn heat to medium. Stir & cook to soften; add a little water if mix is too dry or sticking to pan.
Put re-hydrated shitaki mushrooms & all liquid in blender & pulse/whizz. The mix should have very small/finely chopped pieces of mushrooms suspended in thickened fluid.
Pour this into pan with fresh mushroom mix.
Add coconut cream powder & stir. Taste. Add a few dashes of tamari & taste. The mix should have an earthy mushroom flavour & be quite mild. Add a little water if needed. This is a thick soup but should not be too dense. Cover & cook for 15 minutes.
Taste & adjust seasoning & add more water if needed. Simmer for another minute or two to blend flavours.
Add almond coffee creamer, this adds a smoothness to soup & balances flavours.
Of course if you have Truffle Oil add a few drops before serving, but it tastes delicious without it.
Serve with crusty bread.
Enjoy!

Mushroom Cashew Nut Roast

So Christmas is coming - ok it is 2 months away but I am excited I get to spend it with some family, including my 6 grandchildren!
Christmas day lunch will be with my daughter, her wife & their 2 beautiful baby boys.
So not wanting to eat animal for lunch I am experimenting with my mushroom cashew roast.

For some reason the last nut roast/loaf I made was too wet so I am fiddling with the recipe. This is a bit of a time consuming recipe but so worth it.

Mushroom Cashew Nut Roast

Set oven to 350 degrees

First roast 2 heads of garlic by cutting top off, keep the tops for later. Put garlic heads in foil & drizzle with a minute amount of olive oil. Pull foil up to make package & place on small oven proof dish. Roast for 40 mins then cool with foil open. This can be done while you prep the other stuff or the day before. Peel skins off garlic cloves. Slice the cloves of garlic into "rounds"

Turn oven up to 400 degrees

Preparation
Base 1 ingredients
1 large shallot or 2 medium or 1 med red onion. Chopped
1/2 yellow pepper chopped
1 stick celery chopped fine
5 large crimini mushrooms or 6-8 small, chopped
1/2 cup of any other chopped mushrooms you like, i.e. shitaki, morel, etc
1 tbs vegan marg
splash of tamari/ gluten free soy sauce
sea salt & lemon pepper to taste
1/2 tsp herb de provence

In a large wok saute until everything is tender. Add half of the sliced roasted garlic, mix. Set aside.

Base 2 ingredients
2 cups rough chopped cashews (these can be raw or toasted in your pan)
*Note I use a mix of almonds, cashews & walnuts when I want a loaf with more texture.
1/4 cup whole pine nuts
3 tblsp chia seeds
1/3 to 1/2 cup of large rolled oats
3 tblsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegetable stock.

Mix all base 2 ingredients with base 1 ingredients. This is the loaf mixture.

Middle layer.
2-3 medium size crimini mushrooms sliced.
2 small cloves of garlic chopped fine plus the top cut off the garlic heads before roasting.
1 tsp marg.
Saute mushrooms gently in marg to just soften.

The loaf:
Line a loaf tin with foil, make sure there is enough to cover the top.
Put about 1/2 the mixture into the loaf tin & press down so firm.
Top this with the rest of the sliced roasted garlic & sliced saute mushrooms.
Top with the rest of the loaf mixture & press down a bit so firm.
Wrap the overhang of foil over top.
Place on middle shelf of pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes to heat & set through.
Open top of foil & put back in oven for 15 mins.
Remove from oven & allow to cool for 10 m ins
Remove from loaf tin, peel off foil.
Slice & enjoy with either a mushroom gravy or chickpea & red wine gravy.

Mushroom Cashew Nut Roast

So Christmas is coming - ok it is 2 months away but I am excited I get to spend it with some family, including my 6 grandchildren!
Christmas day lunch will be with my daughter, her wife & their 2 beautiful baby boys.
So not wanting to eat animal for lunch I am experimenting with my mushroom cashew roast.

For some reason the last nut roast/loaf I made was too wet so I am fiddling with the recipe. This is a bit of a time consuming recipe but so worth it.

Mushroom Cashew Nut Roast

Set oven to 350 degrees

First roast 2 heads of garlic by cutting top off, keep the tops for later. Put garlic heads in foil & drizzle with a minute amount of olive oil. Pull foil up to make package & place on small oven proof dish. Roast for 40 mins then cool with foil open. This can be done while you prep the other stuff or the day before. Peel skins off garlic cloves. Slice the cloves of garlic into "rounds"

Turn oven up to 400 degrees

Preparation
Base 1 ingredients
1 large shallot or 2 medium or 1 med red onion. Chopped
1/2 yellow pepper chopped
1 stick celery chopped fine
5 large crimini mushrooms or 6-8 small, chopped
1/2 cup of any other chopped mushrooms you like, i.e. shitaki, morel, etc
1 tbs vegan marg
splash of tamari/ gluten free soy sauce
sea salt & lemon pepper to taste
1/2 tsp herb de provence

In a large wok saute until everything is tender. Add half of the sliced roasted garlic, mix. Set aside.

Base 2 ingredients
2 cups rough chopped cashews (these can be raw or toasted in your pan)
*Note I use a mix of almonds, cashews & walnuts when I want a loaf with more texture.
1/4 cup whole pine nuts
3 tblsp chia seeds
1/3 to 1/2 cup of large rolled oats
3 tblsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegetable stock.

Mix all base 2 ingredients with base 1 ingredients. This is the loaf mixture.

Middle layer.
2-3 medium size crimini mushrooms sliced.
2 small cloves of garlic chopped fine plus the top cut off the garlic heads before roasting.
1 tsp marg.
Saute mushrooms gently in marg to just soften.

The loaf:
Line a loaf tin with foil, make sure there is enough to cover the top.
Put about 1/2 the mixture into the loaf tin & press down so firm.
Top this with the rest of the sliced roasted garlic & sliced saute mushrooms.
Top with the rest of the loaf mixture & press down a bit so firm.
Wrap the overhang of foil over top.
Place on middle shelf of pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes to heat & set through.
Open top of foil & let sit for 10 mins.
Remove from loaf tin, peel off foil.
Slice & enjoy with either a mushroom gravy or chickpea & red wine gravy.

throw it all together salad

I think I am a lazy cook, I like things that need a little prep & can all cook or be thrown in one dish. I work with an amazing group of women & often a quite a few of them look at my lunches & exclaim how delicious, healthy appetizing my lunches look, adding they think it must have taken hours to prepare. I assure them my dishes are quick & easy in general. Of course there are a couple who state, they would be so hungry if all they ate was veg but my portions are huge & I am sure a few of my friends & colleagues wonder how I can eat so much!

Suffice it to say, my throw it all together salad always gets positive comments. The key is use what you have in the fridge & the key to that is buy lots of veg with lots of variety.

Throw it all together Salad

• Red cabbage, White cabbage, Napa etc sliced & chopped into bite size lengths, you don't want strings of it hanging out of your mouth!
• Carrots, cucumber, radishes, kohlrabi etc chopped small, grated or spiralized, whatever you fancy.
• Lettuce, I always include Romaine - I read somewhere it has vitamins or something good that other varieties miss. I add torn red leaf, butter or whatever else comes in a box of lettuce greens.
• Herbs, I love cilantro, Arugula/Rocket, mint, basil all fresh please.
• Small tomatoes cut in half
• spring onions sliced
• Nuts, seeds or smoked tofu cut into cubes or blueberries

I have been known to throw in left over roasted veg or veggi sausage & that gives a nice variation on taste & texture.

I mix it all up & then put it into my lunch box. The whole process takes 10 minutes. At lunch time I throw it into a big salad bowl & pour on a dressing.

Enjoy!