Sorry I've been on hiatus for quite a while! Don't worry--all that time I've been creating lots of new low-acid vegan recipes and perfecting my craft. Now you once again get a peak into my culinary adventures. To tell you the truth, in the past 4 or so years my boyfriend has become quite an impressive vegan cook in his own right, and I've been enjoying his cooking most days:) I do miss cooking from time to time, and I try to squeeze time in to cook at least one amazingly delicious vegan supper per week.
Today there was a farmers market on Rittenhouse Square, and the mushroom guy was there! We picked out some beautiful shitake and oyster mushrooms, and they were perfect in this hearty winter stew, which I've adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's "Isa Does It" cookbook. She recommends dried mushrooms, which deliver a big punch of flavor; but the fresh ones were delicate and delicious too. Maitakes would be an excellent choice here--but I can't eat them. For some strange reason they give me tummy trouble. I bought pre-made artisanal seitan sausages, but Isa has a recipe in the same book for DIY sausages that look pretty simple--as everything in this cookbook is!
So this is how you get your boyfriend to forgive you for never, ever cooking...
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, sliced on the bias
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 cup dry red wine (I used pinot noir)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
pinch black pepper
4 cups wild mushrooms, chopped (I used oyster and shitake) or 1 oz dried
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, lazily peeled and roughly cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water or broth
3-4 vegan sausages, sliced
Flat leaf parsley or fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
Directions:
1) Preheat a 4 quart pot over med high heat and add oil. Add celery, carrots, and pinch of salt; saute for a couple of minutes until softened. Add granulated garlic and mix in well, stirring for 30 seconds.
2) Add wine, rosemary and thyme, crushing in your fingers while sprinkling; then add paprika, fennel, pepper, and the rest of the salt. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid for 3 minutes.
3) Add mushrooms and broth, cover, and cook at a full boil for 5 minutes if using dried mushrooms--just a minute or two if using fresh. Add potatoes, lower heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
4) In a measuring cup, slowly mix the flour into the water/broth with a fork until there are no lumps. Add mixture to the pot, stirring well, and let it thicken for 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook another 5 minutes,
5) Serve garnished with chopped fresh parsley or sprigs of thyme.
Daaaayyuum!
