Mushroom stroganoff - plant-based, vegan recipe

Stroganoff or stroganov is a classic Russian dish normally containing sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with smetana (sour cream). 

According to history books, the first published recipe for stroganoff was in Elena Molokhovets' classic Russian cookbook A Gift to Young Housewives (1861), which involved lightly floured beef cubes (not strips) sautéed, sauced with prepared mustard and bouillon, and finished with a small amount of sour cream: no onions, no mushrooms.

This version, adapted from a recipe in the Forks Over Knives Cookbook, is free from meat or dairy products, contains onions and mushrooms, and is 100% plant-based and vegan, so quite different from the original. Nevertheless it's full of flavour, highly nutritious and very delicious.

Most notably, this recipe contains more than the daily guideline amount of vitamin B12, a nutrient which is typically hard to obtain on plant-based or vegan diets.

Please click here to read more detail about vitamin B12 and plant-based and vegan diets.

The vitamin B12 comes from shiitake mushrooms and nutritional yeast, which is added to impart an umame, savoury, almost cheesy flavour.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 tbsp olive oil or 2 tbsp water
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into half moons 
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 250g (8oz) chestnut mushrooms, washed, stemmed and cut into pieces
• 125g (4 oz) shiitake mushrooms, washed, stemmed and cut into pieces
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup tofu sour cream, made from:
• One 340g/12oz package of silken tofu, drained
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp ground arrowroot powder
• Salt to taste
• 450g (1lb) whole wheat pasta (e.g., fettucine, penne) or gluten-free pasta if you are wheat intolerant

Method

Add oil or water and salt to a large pan and gently sauté onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook for another minute. Stir in mushrooms, nutritional yeast, soy sauce and wine, stir, and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes.

While mushrooms are cooking, prepare tofu sour cream by combining all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. 

Add pasta to boiling water, bring it back to a boil and stir for a few seconds to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. For dried pasta, this is usually 10-12 minutes to achieve an al dente texture. Fresh pasta generally takes less time. Drain.

al dente [al-DEN-tay] An Italian phrase meaning “to the tooth,” used to describe pasta or other food that is cooked only until it offers a slight resistance when bitten into, but which is not soft or overdone.

When the stroganoff has finished cooking, stir in 1 cup tofu sour cream. 

Add the cooked pasta and toss well. Serve garnished with fresh parsley and a side salad.

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Nutrition information

Barley, butternut squash, mushroom and ginger risotto

Barley, mushroom, butternut squash and ginger risotto
www.cookingforhealth.biz

You'll remember me when the west wind moves

Upon the fields of barley

You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky

As we walk in fields of gold

(Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales - 1993)

Fields of Gold is one of my favourite songs and reminds me of late summer just before harvest.

At one time, barley was a very important part of people's diet but nowadays most of the crop is used for animal feed and to make beer and whisky.

This is a pity because barley has some very special properties and I hope to convince you to try it if you have never done so.

Barley is a high protein, high fibre whole grain with numerous health benefits.

It contains gluten, though not as much as wheat, so is unsuitable for those on a gluten-free diet.

Current scientific evidence indicates that barley, like other whole grains, plays an important role in lowering the risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer; helps weight loss and improves gastrointestinal health - please click here to Tweet.

Please click on this link to read my article on barley and its health benefits.

When cooked, barley has a pleasant chewy texture and nutty flavour.

Traditionally, it is used in soups and stews but you can use it like any other grain such as rice. It is, for example, a good alternative to arborio rice for use in risottos and can be used in salads, stir-fries or to make porridge.

Here is a delicious and satisfying recipe for a barley risotto, with butternut squash, mushrooms and ginger.

Recipe

Serves 3-4

1. How to make a nutritious stock

Please click here for more information on seaweeds and their health benefits.

2. How to make the risotto

*Please click here for information on the difference between pot barley and pearl barley.

Nutritional information

The key nutrients present in this barley risotto are shown below, both per portion (very generous at 444g) and per 100g, and as a percentage of the guideline daily nutrient intake, referred to as the Reference Nutrient Intake, or RNI.

You can see that even in relatively large quantity this risotto is low in calories and fat, whilst being high in fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Nutrients per portion as a percentage of the guideline daily intake (RNI)

Nutrients per portion and per 100g as percentage of guideline daily intake (Reference Nutrient Intake or RNI)

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