Delicious Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms Au Gratin
4 slices of veg bacon (I used Lightlife Smart Bacon)
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
about 12 oz. sliced mushrooms (I used a bag of frozen shiitakes)
1 1/2 cups soy milk (I used Silk Enhanced with Omegas)
1 cup veggie broth (I used "No Chicken Broth" by Imagine Foods)
2 tablespoons vegan "butter" (I used Earth Balance Whipped)
5 tablespoons flour (I used whole wheat white flour)
3/4 cup vegan parmesan (I used vegan topping by Galaxy International Foods)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used this really good flavoured mustard I bought at the
farmers' market)
thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste
1 block vegan cheese, grated (I used Follow Your Heart mozzarella)
hickory smoke flavouring to taste
Preheat the oven to BROIL.
1. Cook the bacon according to package directions; try to get it crispy if you can. Cut the bacon into small pieces and set aside. If you want, you can also try using imitation bacon bits in place of this step. I used a combination of both and it worked very well.
2. Sautee the onion and garlic till transparent and fragrant. Place them evenly in a casserole dish. Set aside.
3. Trim and wash the sprouts and shrooms. Steam the sprouts over boiling water about 5 minutes. Cut them into quarters and place them in the casserole dish with the mushrooms and onions. If you are using fresh mushrooms, sautee them a bit before adding them to the dish.
4. Combine the soymilk and broth in a pot and simmer. At the same time, melt the "butter" in a pan and add the flour. Stir it around till the flour starts to darken, and then add it all to the milk mixture. Boil and stir till thick.
5. Stir in the vegan parm, mustard, herbs and seasonings, and hickory smoke. Pour evenly over the veggies in the casserole dish.
6) Add the bac'n and cover with cheeze.
7) Broil on the top rack in the oven about 10 minutes, or until the cheeze is melty and bubbly.
I experimented with a decidedly non-vegan recipe to make this, and it came out surprisingly great. If you don't like Brussels sprouts, try them this way. You might be surprised! This will probably work well with other cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and broccoli, too.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
This turned out good. My husband said it is the best vegan meal he has had. :)
Not entirely sure how I feel about this - I liked it, but it was a bit too cheezy for my tastes - but I used nut yeast instead of parm, then added daiya, so it was a bit of cheezy overload....
I roasted the brussels instead of steaming, then just added everything to the casserole dish and baked at 425 for about 20 minutes - I used tempeh bacon which added a nice smokey flavor - and added some chipotle seasoning to spice it up....
I served it over couscous....
Parma brand vegan parmesan is amazing tasting and it's just nutritional yeast + walnuts + sea salt.
Although I can't tell you the exact measurements because I haven't yet tried to make it myself, I'm thinking that when I run out I'm going to try something like 2 cups nutrititional yeast, 1/8 cup to 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 tsp coarsely ground sea salt.
ok, i just made this again tonight, but i was running low on vegan parm. so i threw in 2 scoops of nutritional yeast flakes instead. and oh. my. lord. i think i'm going to make the sauce for pasta and bread dipping and everything else now. holy cow, it was good!!!!!!!!
ashley--
probably, or you could make your own vegan parm. joanne stepinak's recipe for vegan parm is:
1/2 blanched almonds or white sesame seeds
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1-2 tsp. light miso
heaping 1/4 tsp salt
grind together in a food processor until the right consistency. store in a container in the fridge or freeze.
hmm...fake parm cheese is very expensive where I live, could I sub some--or all-- of it with nutritional yeast?