Mushroom Stroganoff

[Recipe makes 5 to 6 servings].

We know, we know...  It's the start of the summer, and we're posting about mushroom stroganoff!?!  It may be a little "off-season", but to us, comfort food shouldn't be enjoyed only certain months of the year.

Stroganoff has been a dish on our list to veganize for quite a while, and after many trials, we finally have our very own version that we're proud of!  This is truly one of those dishes that doesn't taste like you're missing anything, despite the lack of traditional animal products.  You totally get the creaminess from the cashews, and the flavor profile that we all remember from traditional stroganoff from the mushroom powder, 'no beef base', and vegan Worcestershire.

Whether you wait until cooler weather, or decide to make this dish tonight, we hope that you're able to enjoy it as much as have at some point this year.  Happy cooking!

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons vegan butter, divided
1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
1 medium onion, julienned
2 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 teaspoon dried mushroom powder
90 grams (3/4 cup) raw cashews
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons 'no beef base'
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire
2 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons truffle oil

12 ounces dried (vegan) pasta

Chives, minced (for garnish, optional), or
Fresh Italian parsley (for garnish, optional)
Vegan Parmesan (for garnish, optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta.

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.  Add the julienned onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onions start to get a little color, roughly 10 minutes.  Transfer onions to a small bowl off of the heat.  To the same sauté pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter along with the sliced mushrooms.  Again, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms start to get a little color, roughly 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms and onions are cooking:

1. Boil the pasta for the recommended amount of time.  Once done, drain and reserve.  [Side note: If you don't plan on serving a large meal all at once, we recommend cooling off the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process].
2. Make the sauce by adding the remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender (mushroom powder, raw cashews, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, thyme, no beef base, Worcestershire, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and truffle oil).  Blend on high speed until smooth, roughly 1 minute.  Reserve.

Add the onions back to the pan with mushrooms, and add the tomato paste.  Cook for 1 minute.  Lastly add the sauce to the pan and cook until heated through.  Season to taste.

At this point, either combine the pasta and sauce together if you plan on eating everything immediately.  Or else keep separate if you intend to eat individual meals over the next few days.  [Side note:  We find that with dishes that call for pasta and a sauce, leftovers are better if the sauce is kept separate from the sauce initially.  If they're combined right away, cooled over night, and reheated in the microwave, the leftovers tend to dry out as the pasta absorbs all of the sauce while cooling].

Top individual servings with chives, parsley, and/or Parmesan.