Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff + Lentil, Oat & Veggie Balls (Dairy-free, Vegan)
Creamy, hearty, nourishing & delicious.
We made this meal for dinner recently and it made for an EPIC lunch of leftovers...
The stroganoff gets its creaminess from freshly made cashew cream - one of the staples in our vegan kitchen.
Have you tried it before? All you need to do is whizz up cashews with water and hey presto, you've got cream! It's very versatile and can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes. Any recipe calling for cream (and usually yogurt or cheese too) can be switched up for cashews instead.
Mushrooms are one of the things we love in this house. They add that wonderful umami flavour, as well as being packed with B vitamins.
Another favourite ingredient is the humble lentil. Red, green, French, black: we have a large collection of the different types in our pantry as an everyday staple. Seriously, we cannot get enough of them!
Lentils go in curries, soups, baked dishes, salads and any other use we can find for them. We don't always put them in veggie balls though (we mainly use chickpeas or tofu), but after eating a delicious lentil burger in country Victoria recently, we were inspired to make our own version.
We served this meal with beetroot & cabbage sauerkraut, steamed potatoes and fresh greens. It would also be delicious on top of wholewheat pasta, brown rice or baked potatoes.
Have you tried making vegan stroganoff before? Let us know in the comments!
The Recipes…
Mushroom Stroganoff
INGREDIENTS
700 mushrooms (½ portobellos and ½ buttons is ideal)
splash virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely sliced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup raw cashews
2 cups water
couple of sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
METHOD
Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
Slice mushrooms thinly.
Sauté mushrooms, garlic and onion in pan for about 5 minutes.
Add paprika and white wine, then place a tight fitting lid on top of the pan. Turn heat down low and simmer gently while you make the cashew cream.
To make the cashew cream: place cashews and water in a high-speed blender and blitz on top speed for 2 minutes, or until creamy.
Pour cashew cream into saucepan, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, to allow the flavours to develop. Stir gently every now and again. If the mixture is drying out too quickly, add a splash of water.
Sprinkle finely chopped thyme on top and stir through just before serving on top of pasta, mashed potatoes or steamed rice.
Lentil, Oat & Veggie Balls
INGREDIENTS
2 cups dried lentils (brown or green)
4 cups water
2 flax eggs (combine 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons water and set aside to thicken)
Splash olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
½ cup sweetcorn, cooked
3/4 cup rolled oats or oat flour
To taste: salt & pepper, fresh herbs, harissa paste, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, miso (or use any of your favourite seasonings)
METHOD
Place lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until soft.
Combine flaxseeds and water in a small bowl and leave aside for 10 minutes to gel.
Heat oil in a frypan. Sauté onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add the rest of the vegetables and sauté until soft. Set aside to cool.
In a food processor, combine cooked lentils, vegetable mixture and flavourings of choice. Add flax eggs and process until smooth.
Add oat, a little at a time. You may need more or less, depending on your mixture’s wetness.
Spoon into ball shapes onto a greased oven tray. Bake in a 180C oven for around 8 minutes or until lightly golden.
Remove from oven and serve with stroganoff. These are also delicious with pasta sauce, roasted veggies, or salad. Leftover veggie balls are super handy to have on standby in the fridge or freezer.
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 25 VEGGIE BALLS.
