CREAMY VEGAN MUSHROOM TAGLIATELLE

CREAMY MUSHROOM TAGLIATELLE

If you are looking for an indulgent, creamy and cheesy pasta dish that will totally satisfy your comfort food cravings on a chilly winter night, look no further as this is it!

This dish will absolutely hit the spot and the best thing is that it's totally vegan and healthy as I have used wholegrain pasta and no cream -despite the title.

There is some soaking involved but apart from that, it is relatively quick for a dish with quite a dept of flavour.

INGREDIENTS (for two hungry people)


1/2 cup cashew nuts (soaked in 200 ml of water)
2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms (soaked and cleaned from debris)
150 gr chestnut mushrooms
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp yellow mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp evo
150 ml white wine
200 g tagliatelle (I used dried, wholewheat)



METHOD

1. Soak the cashews for at least 1 hour, then blend them with water and the nutritional yeast until you obtain a smooth cream
2. Soak the dried porcini in hot water for at least 15 minutes. Rinse them well from any debris and filter the soaking water, which you will need as broth
3. Gently saute the chopped onion and garlic, then add the slice chestnut mushrooms and cook on a high flame until they are caramelised, without adding any liquid at this stage, as you don't want to boil them
4.Chop and add the porcini, together with the mustard, the paprika and the porcini broth (make sure you've thoroughly filter it or you'll end up with a gritty dish)
5. Add the cashew cream and the white wine and simmer until you reach the desired consistency
6. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside for a minute
7. Boil the pasta until al dente, then add it to the sauce and cook for a minute to incorporate

If you like this recipe, take a pic of it and tag  #themyrtleberry on Instagram. I would love to hear your opinions!




















 

Easy-Peasy pea and spinach soup

Every soup is easy to make, but this is just ridiculous! Ideal for meal prepping as it reheats very well the day after. It is creamy, cheesy and sweet at the same time and it's packed full of protein and fibre!

Ingredients

2 cup frozen peas

2 cups frozen spinach

½ onion

1 clove garlic

2-3 cups veggie broth

3 tbsp plain vegan yogurt

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp evoo (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.      Place peas, spinach, onion, garlic and broth in the pot and bring to a boil.

2.      Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

3.      Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper, add the yogurt, nutritional yeast and extra virgin olive oil.

4.      Blend into a smooth consistency and serve.

Mushroom, lentil and Guinness casserole

This is a tasty, savory casserole that can be enjoyed on some mashed potatoes, colcannon or rice. It can be reduced further and used as a pie or wellington filling.

INGREDIENTS FOR 3-4 PEOPLE

1+1/2 cups cooked lentils

2 carrots

1 onion
1 stalk of celery

2 cloves of garlic

200 gr mushrooms

Salt, pepper

1 can Guinness or ale beer

1/2tsp Vegetable concentrate (I use vegon)

1tbsp corn-starch

A few springs fresh thyme

A few springs fresh rosemary 

METHOD

Soak 1 cup of lentils for a few hours, then rinse them and cook them until soft but not mushy. Chop onion and garlic finely and cook them in some EVO, add roughly chopped carrots and celery and cook until they soften slightly. Cut the mushrooms in half and add them to the pan, sauté them until brown. If the mixture starts to caramelise you can add some water or beer. Now you can add 1 or 2 tsp of vegon diluted in 1/2 cup of water, the beer, the lentils, thyme and rosemary and cover for 10 mins. Add corn-starch slurry to thicken, salt and pepper.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Cashew cheese/gary sauce

This sauce is rich, creamy and cheesy and can be used in baked goods such as pizza and lasagna with great results. You can make it as thick or as runny as you prefer, depending on the intended use.

Cashew cheese/gary sauce

1 cup cashew, soaked overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 to 1 tsp lactic acid powder, to taste

1/4 tsp salt 
1tbsp nutritional yeast  
1/2 tbsp soy and coconut yogurt (optional)
1/2 cup rejuvelac for a smooth, thick consistency (perfect for pizza)
3/4 cup to 1 cup for liquid, runny consistency (ideal for creamy pasta sauces) 

METHOD

1. Soak the cashew nuts overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours until they become soft. Do not skip this process as this is what will guarantee you a perfectly smooth cheese sauce.

2. Rinse the soaked cashews a few times under cold water, then place them in a blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients, and blend until smooth. It takes less than a minute with a bullet blender, will probably take longer with another one.
If using a food processor, I would suggest blending the cashews without liquid first, to avoid the creation of lumps, and incorporating the liquid slowly once the nuts are blended.

I am currently working on making this cheese with the least amount of liquid possible and letting it mature for a few days or weeks. It is still work in progress, updates coming up soon!

Below you can see a few serving suggestions, on lasagna and pizza.

On lasagna