Vegan MoFo: Foil veggies

Today's Cooking the Rainbow theme color: white

OK, I stretched a little bit because I'm calling the mushrooms white even though they're cremini (baby bella) and not buttons.  But I like the taste of cremini better, so in the packet they went.  I also sliced everything so I could use the leftovers on a sandwich with some pesto cream cheez - yum!  This recipe makes enough for 2-3 servings, depending on what else you have with the meal (and how hungry everyone is).

1 lb baby potatoes, washed and sliced
1/2 container (3-4oz) cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium zucchini, washed and sliced
optional: add onion, carrot, summer squash, etc.
olive oil
soy sauce
vegan Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder
ground oregano
ground thyme

Preheat oven to 450F.  I sliced up all the veggies and put them in a large bowl.  Then I added enough olive oil to lightly coat the veggies (but not so much that it pooled in the bottom of the bowl).  I sprinkled on some soy and Worcestershire sauce (probably about 1/2 Tbsp each) and the spices (around 1/2 tsp each).  I stirred everything together to combine and then poured it out onto a sheet of aluminum foil.  I put another sheet of foil on top and rolled all the sides together to create an airtight packet.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until veggies are cooked through.

Meanwhile, I cooked an ear of corn to have on the side.  Now I was raised to cook corn by removing the husk and all those little strands of silk (which is a pain), and then putting the ear in a pot of boiling water.  When I heard there was a microwave method where you leave it in the husk to cook, I had to try it out.  It promised that after cooking, you could just cut off the bottom of the ear and the corn would slide right out, sans husk and annoying silk strands.  Part of me was skeptical - it seemed too good to be true - but the promise of not getting silk strands all over the kitchen was too tempting.  And guess what - it works!  You just put the ear in the microwave (I cut off the exposed silk sticking out of the top; and I had to cut some of the end off because my ear was too long to fit in the microwave) and cook for about 3 minutes per ear.  Take it out (using oven mitts because that ear is HOT!), cut off the bottom at the widest part, and squeeze.  The ear comes out with minimal fuss.  Mine did still have a few silk strands attached, but they were easily picked off and discarded.  I may never boil another pot of water for corn on the cob again!

Nutrition Benefits

potato: vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese

cremini mushroom: protein, folate, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium

Veganized Rachael Ray: Mushroom-spinach Bread-zagna

Mr Pescador is a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy.  Love her or hate her, Rachael Ray (in my opinion) has mastered comforting, home-style recipes that appeal to the Standard American Diet.  So I’ve started veganizing her recipes to make healthier foods that still have the flavors Mr Pescador is used to.  When I first made this recipe, I followed her directions exactly and I wasn’t crazy about the bread slices on the bottom of the casserole – completely mushy and gross.  I’ve since modified her recipe to make it more of a crostini-style recipe, which is more to my taste.  If you prefer, you can follow her original recipe.

Vegan Mushroom & Spinach Bread-zagna

Original Rachael Ray recipe here

2 c unsweetened plain non-dairy milk (I used rice)

¼ c nutritional yeast

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp onion powder

6 slices peasant-style bread, cut into 1” thick slices

¼ c olive oil

8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, chopped

4 c spinach leaves, chiffonaded

¼ c shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp dried ground thyme

¼ c dry white wine

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl, combine milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and onion powder.  Whisk until well combined.  Soak bread slices, put in greased casserole dish, and bake in the oven for 30-45 min (until bread is golden and crispy).

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet.  Brown the mushrooms until tender and dark.  Add shallots and garlic, and cook until softened.  Deglaze the pan with the wine, add the thyme, and cook until wine reduces and becomes thick.

To serve, scoop mushroom-spinach mix over top of the bread.

MoFo Day 3: Dinner #1

Oven roasted portobello cap topped with chipotle mashed sweet potatoes

Dinner tonight was pretty simple.  I used a recipe from Supermarket Vegan: 225 Meat-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes for Real Peoplein the Real World, served with a salad.  To cook the mushrooms, I just brushed with olive oil and baked in a 375F oven for about 30 minutes, until tender.  The sweet potatoes I made according to the recipe, except I didn't have any canned chiles in adobo on hand, so I used chipotle chili powder to taste.