It was easy to make. I didn’t have apple cider, so I used apple juice instead. It tasted great anyhow. I hope you try the recipe and enjoy it as much as we did.
Recipe: http://www.wheatfreemeatfree.com/kale-apple-shitake-risotto/

We basically used her recipe, although we did not have fresh asparagus, so used our regular vegetable mixture, the one we usually use for our paella recipe. We really enjoyed the meal, although found it to be a bit on the mild side, so we added some sambal oelek, each as they wished at the table.  We will make this again, as it is  a nice alternative to our favorite paella which we often enjoy through the year.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 red onions, chopped
• 1 & 1/2 lb. mixed mushrooms,cleaned and chopped
• 8 ounces prepared chestnuts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5-8 sage leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons agave
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup polenta cornmeal
• 4 cups water
• pinch salt

Directions:

1. To make the polenta, cook the  cornmeal in 4 cups water with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
2. Cook the polenta, carefully stirring as it thickens the bubbles will spatter and can burn.
3. When the polenta is thick, remove from the heat and pour into a baking dish or form.
4. Mince the sage leaves.
5. Saute the chopped onion in the oil in a large frying pan.
6. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute.
7. Add the sage leaves tamari and agave.
8. Perhaps a splash of water is needed as well.
9. Add the chopped chestnuts and mix well.
10. Slice or cut the polenta into individual servings.
11. Serve the mushroom, chestnut mixture over the polenta, garnish with a few sage leaves.

Yield: 4 mushroom caps

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vegan margarine
• 4 large portobello mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
• 1/2 small tin tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup vegetable bouillon made from 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable bouillon from
• 3 tablespoon grated soy cheese

Directions:

1. Chop the onion and walnuts and mince the garlic and sage.
2. Heat the olive oil and the vegan margarine in a small frying pan.
3. Saute the the onions until the begin to become glassy.
4. Add the walnuts, garlic and sage.
5. Saute to toast the walnuts and lightly brown the garlic.
6. Add the breadcrumbs and mix well.
7. Mix the we wit the tomato paste and add to the mixture to make and moist mixture that will hold together. If the mixture is too moist, add a few more bread crumbs or walnuts.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Grate the soy cheese.
10. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
11. Place mushroom caps in an oiled, oven-proof baking dish.
12. Fill each mushroom cap with 1/4 of the mixture.
13. Top with some grated soy cheese and bake until the mushrooms are golden brown 15-20 minutes.
14. Meanwhile, thin the other half of the tin of tomato paste with 1/4 – 1/2 cup vegetable bouillon, depending on how thin you want the sauce.
15. Serve the mushrooms garnished with some of the tomato sauce.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 &3/4 lb. potatoes, peeled and chopped in bite sized pieces
• 1 lb. fresh chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned
• 1 leek
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and freshly milled pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Slice the white part of the leek lengthwise in half, then cut bite-sized pieces from the 2 halves.
2. Warm the oil in a large pot.
3. Add the leeks and begin to cook to soften.
4. Peel the potatoes and cut into bite sized pieces.
5. Add the potatoes to the leeks.
6. Add the water and bouillon cubes
7. Cook until the potatoes are soft.
8. Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms well.
9. Add the mushrooms, dill and parsley to the soup
10. Season to taste with salt and freshly milled pepper.
11. Serve with full grain bread or rolls.

Barley is one of our favorite grains, and we tend to forget to use it.  The recipe quite easy to make, we only changed the mushrooms to fresh shiitake, as oyster mushrooms were not available and the shiitake were. Otherwise we followed the simple instructions and really enjoyed the meal. We had a nice crop of fava beans (broad bean) this year and froze quite a few servings, so this will be one recipe we will have more often, especially in the fall and over the winter. Do give this recipe a try, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Yield: 2 pizzas

Ingredients:

for the pizza dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 pkg. yeast
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. baking powder (optionally)

for the tomato sauce:

• 1 can tomato paste
• pinch salt
• pinch Italian herbs

toppings:

• 1 eggplant sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 ripe tomato sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 2-3 artichokes, sliced
• 1 onion sliced in rings
• 2-3 large mushrooms, sliced
• some green olives
• vegan cheese, grated
• pinch Italian herbs

Directions:

to make the dough:

1. Make the pizza dough at least 2 hours ahead of time.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl, add the salt and whisk it around.
3. Add the sugar to the warm water, then the yeast.
4. Allow the yeast to begin to bubble (only takes a minute).
5. Using a mixer, mix the yeast and olive oil with the flour.
6. Mix until you have a smooth ball of dough.
7. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and put in a warm place to rise.
8. It will take 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature.

to make the sauce and prepare the toppings:

1. While the dough is rising, make the sauce by blending the ingredients together.
2. Slice and optionally grill the vegetables.
3. You could roast them in the oven, thus pre-heating the oven for the pizzas, or leave them raw and they are crunchy.
4. We chose to lightly grill them.

to make the pizza:

1. This recipe makes 2 think crispy pizzas. If you want a bit more bready, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder as you roll out the dough to form the pizzas.
2. Roll out the pizza dough and prepare the pizza pan with spraying oil.
3. Lay the dough on the pizza pan.
4. Spread the tomato sauce, and grate the cheese.
5. Top with the grilled vegetables, sprinkle some Italian herbs and bake in the oven for 18-30 minutes.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped in small pieces
• 1 leek (or 2 spring onions) cut in small pieces
• 1/2 sweet bell pepper (I used a yellow one), cut in small pieces
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced or quartered
• 1 cup fresh peas
• 5 – 6 fresh asparagus spears, cut in small pieces
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 4 cups water
• 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
• 1/4 cup soy cream

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the carrot.
2. Cut the leek and the bell pepper.
3. Slice or quarter the mushrooms.
4. Prepare the asparagus pieces.
5. Heat the oil in a large soup pot.
6. Add the carrots and saute until they begin to soften. Add the sweet bell pepper pieces and continue sautéing, stirring so that they do now brown.
7. Add the mushrooms and leek.
8. Mix all well to blend the flavors and coat with oil.
9. Add the water and bouillon and cook until the vegetables are soft.
10. Mix the flour with a bit of water in a bowl to make a liquid paste.
11. Add the soy cream and blend well. Add this to the soup and stir.
12. Add the peas and asparagus and gently cook until the soup has thickened (3-5 minutes).
13. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as needed.

We really wanted to enjoy this fresh and colorful salad. It was indeed delicious. Quick and easy to make.  Check out the recipe at My Favorite Flavours.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 lbs. seitan
• 2 cups onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon miso
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• 1/2-1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 handful parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Soak the mushrooms in 1/2 cup boiling water.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onions, celery and carrots and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and miso and tomato paste and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan.
6. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, vegan Worcestershire sauce, oregano, thyme, rosemary, fennel, nutritional yeast, bay leaves, salt and pepper and enough vegetable stock to cover vegetables.
7. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes to blend the flavors.
8. Puree the sauce to a smooth consistency then return to the frying pan.
9. Shred the seitan in thin slices
10. Add the seitan, the mushrooms and their liquid,
11. Simmer to thicken if desired.

Notes:

We served the ragu over soft polenta.