Steak N' Fries

You heard right. 

Steak and fries for dinner tonight.

And it's all vegan.  

(Recipe courtesy of the Jazzy Vegetarian.)

For my hubby, son and me, I bought two large organic portobello mushrooms. They were so filling, we couldn't even finish them. One mushroom per person is a more than adequate serving size, especially with side dishes. 

Clean the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel. Do not submerge in water. Remove stems.

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and olive oil for the mushrooms to be set on.

Prepare cap coating by combining 3 TBS Veganaise to 1 TBS of Dijon mustard in bowl. Mix thoroughly. See below.

Spread coating mixture generously on top of caps.

Next, you have some freedom on the crust you'd like to adhere to cap. I made mine out of 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup pecans. But the Jazzy Vegetarian suggests corn flakes. You could also use panko bread crumbs.  

Anyway, whatever you decide, grind it up in food processor or blender and add 2 tsp of Italian herbs/seasoning and 1 tsp sea salt to mixture.

It should end up looking something like this.  Because I used nuts, the mixture was already a little oily. But if you use a bread/grain based crust, you may want to add a TBS of olive oil and mix till nicely coated.  

Then coat the mushroom caps. It should easily adhere to veganaise mixture (See below).

Actually, and I learned the hard way, if you flip the mushroom over and spread about a tsp of olive oil and a tsp of tamari sauce (or liquid aminos or soy sauce) on it BEFORE coating with the veganaise mixture, you may save yourself from a mess and more handwashing. But whatever.  But please do add the olive oil and tamari at some point. It will infuse with the mushroom while baking and really add a ton of flavor. 

Tent the mushrooms with aluminum foil over the top.

Put in preheated oven @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Then uncover and let it bake for 10 more minutes. 

Remove from oven, let sit for five minutes then slice and serve.  

These were so flavorful and delicious. We served with a few other sides of sweet potato fries and greens. Bit for an alternative to the all American meal, consider this savory number.

Crispy Portobello Steaks

Makes 4 servings

In this recipe, a savory, crunchy coating perfectly complements the meaty texture and mouthwatering taste of portobello mushrooms. The method was inspired by my grandma’s trick of using mayonnaise to keep chicken moist when baking. Please see note below for a low-fat version of this tasty recipe!
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed
3 cups cornflakes
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄8 to 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup vegan mayonnaise (see NOTE below)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Rinse the portobello mushrooms briefly and pat dry with a clean dish towel, taking care not to break them.
Put the cornflakes, italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and process to form crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Stir until the crumbs are evenly coated.
Put the vegan mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.
Lay a mushroom upside down on a large plate. Sprinkle 1⁄2 teaspoon of the tamari over the gills, then drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the oil. (For a lower-fat version, omit the olive oil from this step).
Turn the mushroom over and spread one-quarter of the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top. Spread one-quarter of the cornflake mixture evenly over the top, patting it down firmly and not leaving any holes or gaps. Put the mushroom in the lined pan, right-side up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Tent the baking pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 375 degrees F, remove the foil, and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are fork-tender and the coating is crispy.
Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up. Cut the mushrooms into thick diagonal slices and serve immediately.