Bean Stroganesque

This delightful recipe was based off of a stroganoff, but since we changed a lot of the ingredients, it became something that was not quite a stroganoff, hence stroganesque.  This is definitely one of our favourite culinary creations to date!

Bean Stroganesque

Ingredients: 
1 tsp canola oil 
1 onion, chopped
8-10 medium sized mushrooms, quartered
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 C. vegetable stock
2 Tbsp dry red wine
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce*
2 C. cooked red kidney beans
1/2 cup rice milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
fresh ground black pepper
2 C. cooked noodles
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Step 1: In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat; cook the onion for about 4 minutes, until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes until they are soft.  Meanwhile, add the lemon juice and vinegar to the rice milk, stir and set aside.
Step 2: Sprinkle in the thyme and paprika and cook for another minute
Step 3: Stir in the stock, wine and Worcestershire sauce.  Crush about a third of the beans with a fork, then add to the pan along with the other beans and bring everything to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the liquid is slightly reduced.
Step 4: Mix the milk with the cornstarch until smooth, and stir in to the bean mixture.  Cook, stirring continuously for another 2 or 3 minutes until the mixture thickens.  Season to taste with fresh ground pepper.
Step 5: Spoon over noodles and garnish with the green onions.
Step 6: Om nom nom nom nom!

*Since we couldn't find any vegan and soy-free Worcestershire sauce, we made our own.  It went like this:

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt & pepper
1/8 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. blackstrap molasses
dash of liquid smoke

Combine everything in a small bowl and mix thoroughly!  It was quite yummy, the liquid smoke gave it that nice, savoury flavour, and it smelled wonderful when it went in the pot.


You may also recall - see the previous post if you don't - that we made a sort of mayonnaise to go with our fake tuna salad.  There was quite a bit left over, so we turned it into an herb and garlic alioli and had it over fried potatoes.  Here's the recipe:

4 large potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cubed
1 C. "mayonnaise"
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sage
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Step 1:  In a small pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until they're just a bit tender, but not fully cooked.  Drain and set aside.
Step 2:  Put the mayo, garlic, basil, thyme, sage, salt and pepper into the blender and blend on high until smooth.
Step 3:  Heat the oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high, add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, flipping the potatoes regularly until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Step 4:  Pour the alioli over the potatoes while they're still in the pan, then remove from heat.
Step 5:  Nom nom nom.

Aside from being a good day in the kitchen, today was also Rowan's 6 month birthday!  He celebrated it by cutting his second tooth.  An exciting event, to be sure, but one that he didn't find especially pleasant.  In spite of the pain in his gums, he still managed to spend most of the day being smiley and happy.  Next item on the agenda: learn how to crawl!