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

Vegan chili sin carne

Chili sin carne

This is such a classic, and everyone has their own version. This is my take, it is rich, smokey and filling. Real comfort food, and so easy to put together. I like using Morrison's vegan mince for this recipe, but it goes equally well with mushrooms if you want to keep it

INGREDIENTS 

serves 3 people

1 medium  onion

2 garlic cloves

1 yellow or red pepper, diced

1 tbsp fresh coriander stalks, chopped

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 small fresh chili pepper (or to taste)

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp oil ( I use rice or evo)

350 g fresh tomatoes or 1 can chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup soy mince (I used the one from Morrison’s frozen section). If using mushrooms, finely chop 200 g of mushrooms of your choice, I like chestnut best.

1+1/2 cup cooked black or kidney beans

1 tbsp tomato concentrate

2/3 tbsp coconut yogurt (to serve)

METHOD

1    1.    Start by finely dicing the onions and garlic. Heat up a pan and slowly fry them in the oil, for 5 minutes.

2    2.      Add the cumin, chili, paprika and the coriander stalks. The soy mince and the pepper and cook for another 5 minutes, until the pepper starts to soften.

3    3.   Add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato paste, oregano and some water if needed.

4    4.    Add the beans, cover and and cook for 20 minutes or until you reach your preferred consistency.

5. Add a dollop of soy coconut yogurt and serve with your choice of rice, jacket potato or home baked wedges, and a side of guacamole and for the full decadent experience.


Enjoy!