Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Recipe: Portabellas Stuffed with Pesto Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus with Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

A few weeks ago the boyfriend and I made this AMAZING dinner of portabella mushrooms stuffed with pesto mashed potatoes and a side of asparagus topped with vegan Hollandaise sauce. It may sound a bit fancy, but take it from me, who is usually a nightmare in the kitchen, it was unbelievable simple and amazingly delicious! I mean, just look at the photo:

 Yum yum yum!



The original recipe is from FatFreeVegan.com, but I've provided it below for your instant pleasure:


Portabellas Stuffed with Pesto-Mashed Potatoes

10 ounces small potatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
1 cup basil, packed
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2-3 tbsp. plain soymilk (or any non-dairy "milk")
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. chopped walnuts or toasted pinenuts (optional)
6 medium-sized portabella mushrooms

Boil the potatoes until they are completely tender. While they are cooking, make the pesto:

In a food processor, puree the garlic, 1/4 cup walnuts, and basil, using a tablespoon or two of water to make the blades run smoothly. Mixture should be coarsely chopped, not completely smooth.

When the potatoes are done, remove them to a mixing bowl and mash them thoroughly (skin on or off; it's all about personal preference). Add 2-3 tablespoons of soymilk, until they achieve a creamy yet still stiff consistency. Add the pesto mixture, 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste; blend thoroughly. Stir in 1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts or pinenuts, if desired.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Clean the portabellas and remove the stem and any fluffy flesh that surrounds it. Brush a baking dish with a few drops of olive oil, and use the same brush to brush the bottoms of the mushrooms. Fill the mushrooms with the potato mixture, heaping it in the middle, and set them in the baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until mushrooms are tender and potatoes are beginning to brown. Serve hot.

 So good it's spooky!

The recipe for the asparagus with vegan Hollandaise sauce is from Vegetarian Times, reproduced below:

Asparagus with Vegan Hollandaise

1/2 cup silken tofu
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. turmeric
2 Tbs. corn oil
2 lb. asparagus, trimmed

Heat tofu on plate in microwave 30 to 45 seconds, or until warmed through. Transfer to food processor, and purée until smooth. Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, cayenne, and turmeric; pulse until well combined. With food processor running, add oil in steady stream to finish sauce.

Steam asparagus 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain, and serve with sauce.

You'll have a bunch of leftover Hollandaise sauce, so I used mine as a dip for other veggies. You could also use it as a spread on sandwiches or to dip pita chips in. The cayenne pepper and lemon definitely give the sauce a nice kick!

Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. This definately is the epitome of "food p*rn". I watch my weight and right now I'm actually water fasting, but when I start cooking for myself again, I will definitely make this! *drool* I used to be a vegan, but that was strictly for health reasons (going a month without meat was very cleansing), but I do eat a little now. I would definitely make a meal just like that, maaaybe with a teensy bit of steak. :3
    Just a question - do you truly enjoy tofu?? The only healthy way I enjoyed it was in miso soup, and homemade tofu chocolate pudding. :( I really dislike it, and that makes me sad, because it's healthy.

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  2. Hi and thanks for the comment!

    I've always enjoyed tofu, even in my "pregan" (pre-vegan) days, but I don't eat it that often.

    I think the trick to enjoying it is in the preparation...my favorite trick is to press the tofu (either w/ a tofu press or stacking a bunch of heavy books on top of it, to press all the water out. You then stick the tofu in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer. Once you are ready to prepare it you just let it defrost and dress it in some marinade. Freezing it gives the tofu a whole new texture - it's much chewier and has a heartier feel.

    You can find yummy recipes for tofu all over the internet or in tons of cookbooks, too!

    Hope this helps! :)

    ReplyDelete

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