Recipes: Cashew & Mushroom a la Creme with Three Grain Rice

 

This creamy and 'cheesy' tasting mushroom and cashew stroganoff-style sauce with a nutty, chewy wild rice mix is my favourite "Hmm, what shall I cook tonight? Ahhh, I'll do this" dish. It's really simple to knock up when I'm lacking inspiration or motivation for anything else, and I always enjoy eating it like it's the first time I made it. Especially with a glass of zesty white wine.

I tend to have mushrooms in most of the time, as I love to eat them in all kinds of recipes and dishes, and they are the best thing for times when I'm feeling a bit 'stuck'. So, I have been cooking versions of this for years, although now I do think I have perfected my vegan version which includes nutritional yeast to add some 'cheesiness' and depth of flavour to the sauce.

Believe it or not, mushrooms are also a relatively good source of protein, about 1.7g per 1 cup of raw. Not that we vegans need to worry about protein any more than anyone else, even though the rest of the world thinks we should! There are many plant-based foods that are very protein-rich so it's really easy to get lots of protein in a healthy diet (as long as you eat plenty of vegetables, which a lot of vegans do!).

Anyhow, less of the protein lecture, that's not what you're here for! You're here for great food. And this recipe is certainly that. It's one of those tasty staples that suits all occasions and can be whipped up in a flash. You can get the rice boiling, and do the rest in the time it takes for the rice to cook (with the rice mix containing wild grains, it takes longer than white rice, so about 20 minutes).

This recipe can easily be made in a gluten-free version if you ensure to use a gluten-free flour for the sauce base.

Cashew & Mushroom a la Creme with Three Grain Rice
Serves 2

½ cup wild rice mix per person (I used a rice mix which contained wild, red, and basmati rice)

350g mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, chopped

1¾ cups unsweetened soya milk or drinking coconut milk

½ cup / 75g plain cashews

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (I use Marigold Engevita Nutritional Yeast Flakes)

2 tablespoons plain flour (or gluten free flour)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder

½ teaspoon onion powder / granules

½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon white pepper

½ tablespoon coconut oil for frying

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and when boiling (only when boiling!) add the rice. DO NOT stir but take the heat down slightly so it is a rumbling boil rather than a raging one. The rice will need about 20 minutes to cook, in which time you can make the sauce.

2. In large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, melt the coconut oil and sauté the onions on a medium heat until softened. Take care not to brown them. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes more before adding the cashews.

3. Hopefully you still have a little oil in the pan. Now add the flour, stir well into the rest of the pan and allow to absorb the juices and cook for 2-3 minutes.   Then extremely slowly, you need to stir in the non-dairy milk. Add the milk just a few splashes at a time, making sure each time you stir and mix well to avoid lumps. Continue adding until all the milk is in the pan and the sauce is a nice consistency.

4. Add the onion powder, white pepper, bouillon powder and salt to taste. Continue to cook on a lower heat for a few more minutes. Keep stirring so a skin doesn't form. Turn off the heat, then stir in the nutritional yeast flakes.

5. When 20 minutes is up, check the rice is cooked by taking a few grains from the pan with a fork and trying it, then drain in a sieve or colander. When the rice is drained, divide between plates and pile the mushroom and cashew sauce on top. Garnish with black pepper if desired.

Comments

[Emma]

This looks scrummy. Love mushrooms too. I find it so strange how I like creamy sauces now I'm vegan when I didn't previously...my favourites are nut based, but with the richness of the whole nuts in this dish I imagine the lighter sauce works well. Alongside a nice lemony green veg this would suit me down to a t.

[Jackie Cosh]

Looks good Andrea. Is the yeast neccesary? I still haven't got round to buying any.

[Andrea - Chocolate and Beyond]

@Emma - thanks so much for commenting! I do love nut-based sauces too. I used to wonder how I could create creamy sauces again before being vegan, but they're really easy (and so much healthier!). Yes I agree - some green veg here as a side works well. Wilted spinach with a dash olive oil for me :)

@Jackie - it's the yeast flakes which add a bit of depth and cheesiness to the sauce. You could of course make it without. In which case, I'd say go for a more flavoursome non-dairy milk, like coconut as I mention, or maybe unsweetened almond milk. Also - you could try using a tablespoon or so of soy sauce as well (or if you have yellow miso paste, that would work in place of yeast flakes).