Vegan Bacon

Every year I take a girls trip with my cousins and sister-in-law. We head to a cottage to eat and drink and relax all weekend. I like to try to make something special to bring when I can. We have two vegetarians in the group, so this year it was Vegan Bacon!

Wait, don't go! This recipe is meant to taste like bacon, but it's just made of roasted mushrooms and it's totally delicious in its own right. Meat-eaters will love it too!  My husband, the opposite of a vegan, loved it and calls it "facon".

I've adapted this recipe from Serious Eats.  The original recipe calls for roasting, then smoking the mushrooms with a chunk of wood on the stovetop. 

I decided that was a little ambitious for me on a weeknight, so I just used smoked salt and smoked paprika instead. The "bacon" probably isn't as smoky as it could be, but it sure is delicious!

The secret to making the mushrooms look like little strips of bacon is to use king oyster mushrooms.  These are usually available in Asian grocery stores, and some specialty grocery stores.  They have a mild flavour and cook to a chewy, crisp texture in the oven. 

If you can't find king oyster mushrooms, you can make vegan bacon bits out of smaller mushrooms using the same technique in the recipe below. 

The vegan bacon will keep about 5 days in an airtight container.  If you're serving it with breakfast, you can crisp it up again in the oven for 5 minutes.  Or just serve it at room temperature on sandwiches, salads or as a snack!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
4 king oyster mushrooms (about 250g)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
smoked salt
cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Use one large or two regular-sized baking sheets and line them with parchment paper or foil.  Spread two tablespoons vegetable oil over the parchment or foil.

Slice the mushrooms lengthwise into planks, about 1/8 inch thick (each mushroom will make about 6 slices with some scraps left over).

Lay the mushrooms on the oiled baking sheet(s) in a single layer. Then flip the mushrooms so the side with oil on it is facing up. 

Sprinkle smoked salt and pepper over the mushroom slices.  Flip again, and sprinkle the other side with smoked salt and pepper. 

Bake for 20 minutes.  Carefully flip the mushrooms and bake for 20 minutes more, watching carefully for the last 5 minutes, until they are crisp but not hard. 

Remove the mushrooms from the oven and drain on paper towels. 

Mix the remaining tablespoon of oil, maple syrup, sugar, paprika and garlic in a medium bowl.  Toss the mushrooms in the mixture and lay them out on the baking sheet again.  Return the sheet to the oven and bake about 5 minutes until the sugars begin to caramelize.  

Serve warm or store for up to 5 days and share with friends!  

Pan-Seared Chicken with Maitake Mushroom Cream Sauce

I love finding local treasures - especially foods produced close to home.  I recently discovered that a company is producing maitake mushrooms right around the corner from our house!  

Also known as "hen-of-the-woods" mushrooms, maitake are tasty and said to have cancer-fighting properties.  Here's an article about the local production facility here in London. 

The mushroom has a thick base but is topped with petal-like segments that are thin and delicate.  Cut off the base or pick off the tops to separate pieces easily. 

In this recipe the mushrooms are sauteed and then cooked with wine and cream into a thick, rich sauce served with crisp-skinned chicken.  It's delicious!

I cut the chicken into 8 parts - 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and split each breast in two, keeping the wings on. I ended up taking the bone out of the breasts, which makes a lovely presentation. 

This isn't the most quick and simple recipe, but it's definitely doable for Sunday dinner and impressive for company.  I served it with roasted cauliflower, but it would be nice with a green salad or steamed broccoli.  

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
230g maitake mushrooms (or mushroom of your choice)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place them, skin side down, in the sizzling butter. Cook for 10 minutes until deeply browned, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove chicken to a baking sheet and roast in the oven until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, add the diced onion to the pan drippings and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the wine is mostly evaporated. Add the stock and cream and simmer about 10 minutes until thickened. 

Break apart the maitake mushroom.  Heat the last two tablespoons of butter in a separate pan and add the mushrooms. Cook until slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Toss the mushrooms with the cream sauce.

Put some mushrooms and sauce on the plate and place the chicken on top. Drizzle sauce over top. 

Enjoy!  

Quick & Easy Pho

Pho is one of my favourite winter comfort foods.  It is widely available and pretty cheap to get a bowl of pho in most places these days.  My medium-sized city has dozens of pho restaurants that sell a huge, steaming bowl of beef, noodles and broth for $8 or less.

But sometimes - like this weekend - it is just too cold to go outside. We've had a huge snowfall in the past few days, so making pho at home is a warming treat.

Pho broth is usually made with beef bones cooked with charred onions, ginger and spices. Serious Eats' The Food Lab has a great tutorial for traditional pho.  I highly recommend checking it out, whether to make the recipe or read an interesting history of the dish.

But I've rarely got oxtail on hand, or the time to boil bones all day.  So this quicky shortcut using store-bought beef broth is a makes home made pho a weeknight meal.  It also adds in mushrooms and greens which, while not traditional, make an even heartier, healthier meal.  This recipe is inspired by Epicurious Detox Pho.

Here's what you need for this tasty soup.  You could double the broth and freeze it for a winter treat any time.

Tart of the Month Autumn Round Up

It's been a very busy month around here, so I didn't have time to make a new tart in September.  Instead, I thought I'd browse the archives for seasonal Autumn tarts I've made in the past.

There are some real winners here!

This Butternut Squash Tart with Sage, Honey & Chilis is really easy and makes a tasty, fancy appetizer or light lunch.

Stone fruits are still in season here in Ontario, and these Plum Tarts with Honey and Black Pepper are a sweet and sour treat.

This Roasted Vegetable Tarte Tatin takes a little more effort, but it is so beautiful and delicious, it's well worth it. 

I can't get enough butternut squash at this time of year, so here's another Butternut Squash Tart, this time with mushrooms and Gruyere.

Little Beet, Cheddar & Apple Tarts on puff pastry are a simple treat for a savoury dessert or snack.

Tarte flambée, or Flammekueche is similar to pizza and makes a wonderful dinner when nights get cooler.  

Carrots are in season and I love the way this Carrot and Herb Tart uses a variety of coloured carrots with the green of fresh herbs. 

And, finally, it isn't really fall without some pumpkin spice. These Pumpkin Spice Tarts have a gingersnap crust I love. 

Get outside and enjoy the season!  

Steak with Miso Butter, Asparagus & Shiitake Mushrooms

In the summer we cook steaks on the grill. We do it in the winter too, usually. But this winter the snow and cold has made cooking outside impossible so this is a great way to get your steak fix indoors. 

Sirloin steak is diced into quick-cooking cubes and seared in a pan while asparagus and shiitake mushrooms roast in the oven. Then the steak is coated in miso butter for a rich and tasty sauce. Served over rice this makes a wonderful, meaty meal. 

This recipe comes from Cooking Light. You should be able to find miso paste in any large supermarket or Asian market. Look for white or yellow soybean paste in a plastic tub on the shelf. Refrigerate after opening and it lasts for months. 

Here's what you need for this tasty dinner:

Pork & Noodles in Mushroom Broth

I love noodle soups. In the wintertime, my favourite thing is some Japanese ramen or Vietnamese phở. Noodles and broth with some meat, veggies and spicy flavours make winter easier to bear.

The roasted pork and rice noodles are served in a bowl of mushroom broth with carrots for a warming meal.

Here's what you need for this quick and fabulous soup.

Meatball Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is so tasty.  I love the creamy, tangy sauce over rich beef and any excuse to eat egg noodles.  The Food Lab just posted a delicious-looking recipe for Stroganoff using beef tenderloin steak, cooked whole and sliced over the noodles and sauce.  It sounds delicious, but this version is a little less fancy.  It still tastes great though!

Easy Veal Marsala

Veal Marsala sounds super fancy but it couldn't be easier. Thin cutlets of veal cook so quickly in the pan and are topped with a rich wine and mushroom sauce.  See?  Easy!

Even the ingredients are simple.  Pick up a bottle of Marsala and keep it in the pantry for cooking.   Here's what you need for this tasty weeknight meal:

Tart of the Month: Butternut Squash, Mushroom & Gruyere Tart

Since my last attempt was deemed a success, I've decided to make Tart of the Month a regular feature!  I will try to make a seasonal tart every month in honour of the name of this blog.  This tart also uses a very simple crust you just press into the pan rather than rolling out, but eventually I'll have to learn to roll dough.  

Here's what you need for this delicious tart that's great for dinner or brunch:

Pork & Mushroom Dumplings

Well, these were fantastic!  It's a bit of a project to assemble the dumplings.  It takes a little time but it's not that hard. And the effort is worth it. 

This recipe made 40 dumplings, so there were plenty leftover to freeze.  

One special ingredient I needed to track down was round dumpling wrappers.  My local supermarket has a decent supply of Asian ingredients, but only had square wonton wrappers, so I had to go to the Chinese speciality store for these.  But they only cost a buck!  

Here's what you need for these fantastic dumplings:

Pasta with (Very) Fresh Mushrooms

Mushrooms and I have a tumultuous relationship. When I was a kid I hated them more than any other food and would not tolerate even a sliver of mushroom on my pizza or pasta.  The first time I tasted and enjoyed mushrooms was in my 20s when friends grilled some marinated portobello mushrooms for a meatless dinner. It was a revelation, and I've been experimenting more with mushrooms ever since.  I still wouldn't say they're one of my favourite foods, but I do cook with them regularly and always eat them when they appear on my plate.  This is a big relief to Matt, who loves mushrooms.

So I'm sure my teen-aged self would be shocked to know that I not only eat mushrooms, but actually grew my own at home and enjoyed them.

I received this super cool mushroom kit from Mushrooms Canada and was very excited to grow them.  

Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushroom Ragout

Here's another healthy dish that was surprisingly tasty.  Bon Appetit magazine published a Food Lover's Cleanse for the new year.  There are lots of nice, healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.   This one would be great as a vegetarian main course but I served it with roasted halibut.  

Here's what you need:

8-10 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
4 sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup tawny Port
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium butternut squash
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Barley Mushroom Risotto

Although making a satisfying traditional risotto is one of my greatest cooking struggles, this barley risotto can't fail. It's easy and delicious every time.  It does take a bit of hands-on stirring time but the results are very satisfying.  Epicurious has the original recipe.

Here's what you need:

4.5 cups chicken or beef stock (I used a combination. It's about 1.5 cartons)

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried
• 1 bay leaf

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (these are white, cremini and shiitake), sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

First, warm your stock in a small pot over medium heat until just below a boil, then set it to low to keep it warm.  I am using packaged beef stock here but this is probably the last time I'll buy it after reading that packaged chicken stock is almost always much better in quality and flavour. Using chicken stock where it calls for beef won't make your dish taste like chicken, it'll just have better flavour.  

Next, melt the butter in a bit of oil in a large pan.  I like to use a bit of oil when I cook with butter because it keeps the butter from burning.  

Add in your chopped onions and sauté until softened and translucent.

Take a cup of pearl barley which is polished barley that cooks faster than other kinds.

Add the barley and thyme to your onions.  You can chop the thyme but I just add the full stems and remove them at the end.

Stir to coat the barley with butter.

And then add 2 cups of the warm stock and bring to a boil in the pan.  Reduce heat and simmer until stock is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  

Then keep adding and stirring in additional stock about 1/2 a cup at a time until all the stock is absorbed and the barley is tender.  This'll take about 45 minutes.

Eventually it'll look something like this.

Meanwhile, as the barley cooks, add some oil to a separate pan over high heat to cook the mushrooms.

Add the mushrooms to the hot pan and brown for about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic and cover and cook for about 5 more minutes until tender.  

By now your barley should have absorbed all the stock and should look like this.

Add the mushrooms and chopped parsley to the barley.

And stir to combine.

Serve the glossy, rich barley and mushrooms as a vegetarian main course (substitute vegetable stock) or as an accompaniment to roasted chicken. I served it with lamb sausage and green beans.  

This is a wonderful fall and winter dish.