Mushroom Stroganoff

Comfort Foods Made Healthy

The comfort of noodles and saucy meat & mushrooms served warm in a bowl you can practically snuggle with is something that most of us can relate to. The good news is that this healthified version of Stroganoff will provide the same level of comfort, without the meat and dairy. A few very simple changes can make all the difference in the world to how your body views the meal and how much more beneficial it can be to your health!

Serves: 5

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

Ingredients

(use organic where possible)

• 250g (9 oz) gluten-free or whole grain pasta of your choice
• 100g (3 ½ oz) lentils or moong dal, soaked 12 hrs
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small zucchini
• 250g (9 oz) mushrooms
• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup homemade stock/broth (or ½ cup white wine + ½ cup water)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp tamari, coconut aminos, or 1 tbsp miso
• ⅓ cup white wine
• ¾ cup cashew cream

Directions

1. Prepare a large frying pan (30cm/12inch or electric) or soup pot, and a separate pot to cook the pasta.
2. Drain the lentils from the soaking water and rinse well. Add them to the large pan or soup pot with 2 cups of fresh water.
3. Bring the lentils to a boil and then let them simmer on medium heat for approx. 15-20 minutes or until tender.
4. Chop the veggies in a food processor with slicing blades, a mandoline, or a sharp knife.
5. Coarsely dice the onions, garlic, zucchini, and eggplant into small bite-sized pieces. The mushrooms can be slightly larger and visible as a feature of the dish.
6. In a large pot, boil 3/4 pot full of water for cooking the pasta.
7. Once it is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions or to your desired texture. Drain immediately once cooked.
8. When the lentils are finished cooking, drain and set aside.
9. Into that same hot pan or pot that the lentils came out of, start cooking all the chopped veggies with olive oil, stirring frequently over med-high heat.
10. Once slightly softened, add the stock or broth and all remaining ingredients including the lentils to the pot except the cashew cream.
11. Stir well and continue to cook down.
12. Whilst the vegetables are cooking, prepare the Cashew Cream.
13. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the cashew cream to taste.
14. Serve the Stroganoff mixture over the bed of pasta and garnish with your favorite fresh herbs or chopped spinach. Enjoy!

CASHEW CREAM

Ingredients

(use organic where possible)

• ½ cup cashews, soaked overnight or 1 hour in hot water
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Blend cashews, water, and lemon in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
2. You may need to turn off your blender and scrape down the sides while processing.
3. Blend it as smooth as you can.

Notes*

• Once you know that you enjoy this recipe, we recommend making a double batch wherever possible to take advantage of the efficiencies gained. Depending on how many people you are feeding at once, you could put 1-5 meals away in the freezer! Done and dusted!
• This recipe forms a similar base as for Shepherd's Pie. You may wish to mix all similar ingredients, split it in two, and then turn one lot into Stroganoff and the other lot into Shepherd's Pie. Leverage and efficiency! :)
• Freeze extras as a stroganoff, or blend in a blender before freezing and use to add flavor, nutrition, and thickness to a soup, stew, or casserole sauce another day.