Posts

Marinated Mushroom Tapenade + Bonus Recipe

IMG_5034Mushroom Tapenade- Admittadly, I over-processed mine a bit & recommend leaving yours a bit chunkier:-)

 

This Mushroom Tapenade, inspired from the gorgeous, (I'm not kidding, see for yourself by clicking by clicking her name) Mimi Kirk's, beautiful cookbook, Live Raw, is one easy way to get the health benefits of a-mushroom-a-day into your diet.  Or, if you're like me, you'll have a hard time eating less than half the recipe in one sitting.  Not that it would matter, as this delicious twist on the Provencal original is incredibly light as well.

 Anytime I've served this to guests as an appetizer presented with fresh vegetables, bread sticks or crackers, it's gone in the first hour.  Of course it's a wonderful snack too – and makes a delicious spread for wraps and sandwiches.

Plus there's a Bonus!  Simplifying the tapenade creates a fabulous marinated mushroom recipe, an addiction I've had since childhood when Mom made her amazing marinated mushrooms for potlucks at least once a year.  For some reason she never served them at home, and there they'd be, tempting me from the fridge as they marinated away a day prior to her event.  To this day, I still don't have Mom's recipe, but this one tastes just as I remember hers.  However, mine are ready after an hour and take less than two minutes to prep.  Jackpot!!

Please enjoy!

IMG_4975
Marinated Mushrooms

Mushroom Tapenade

Ingredients:

  • 2 large portobello mushrooms or 15 baby bella or white button or a combo
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's or nama shoyu
  • freshly cracked black pepper

Method:

  1. Clean mushrooms with a dampened kitchen towel. Chop coarsly. Marinate with the olive oil and nama shoyu for 30 minutes turning occasionally.
  2. Pulse walnuts in food processor until broken down. 
  3. Add garlic and marinated mushrooms. Pulse until mixture is incorporated and slightly chunky mine pictured above could have been left a tad chunkier- so process yours a little less:-)
  4. Taste for seasonings and adjust to taste.

 

Marinated Mushrooms (servings: makes 15 mushrooms)

Ingredients

  • 15 baby bella or 15 white button mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel. Wild mushrooms are delicious too!
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or garlic powder to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tamari, Bragg's, Coconut Aminos or nama shoyu
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • a few dried red pepper flakes for an extra pop of color & spice (optional)

**For Marinated Portobello"Steaks" Use 2 Portobello Mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed of soiled portions. Slice tops into nice, thick 1/2" strips, and do the same with the remainder of stem. Adjust quantities of above ingredients as needed (you may need a bit more depending on size of your portobello, they really soak up the ingredients beautifully. (Serves 2)

Method

  1. Marinate all the ingredients for an hour or up to 4 hours. 
  2. Check seasonings.
  3. Serve in a beautiful bowl with party pics alongside for picking up.

 

Do you have a favorite family recipe you'd love to recreate?

You may also enjoy: 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

or

Cheesy Gnocchi with Swiss Chard & Cannellini Beans

 

If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it. 

Cream of Mushroom Soup (minus the dairy!)

IMG_4871

Cream of Mushroom Soup, www.StyleNectar.com

 

This fabulous Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe is long overdue!  However, the best things in life are always worth the wait 🙂  My vegan take on the classic is a bowl of warm, savory goodness.  Rich, velvety and as always, simple to prepare.  

I love this dairy-free version of Cream of Mushroom Soup even more than the cream-based & lower-fat dairy-based recipes I made in the past.  This delicious soup gets it's luscious, creamy texture from the addition of cashews.  (Dairy contains many hormone-containing and cancer-promoting substances and there are strong associations between dairy consumption and prostate, ovarian, adult testicular and colorectal cancers. 1.) 

Lately, I often wonder if my tastebuds don't somehow know the difference between the foods that make me vibrant and healthy, versus those that don't.  I adore my new vegan way of eating that much.  It feels everyday like I get to have my cake and eat it too!  I definitely have not given up a thing, despite virtually elimating dairy, meat, sugar and refined grains in favor of G-BOMBS (greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries & seeds).  In fact I feel I've received a huge gift… the most delicious food I've ever made which happens to simultaneously make me feel amazing!  

Please enjoy a steaming bowl of my Cream of Mushroom Soup to make your insides as happy as your tastebuds!

PS. I almost neglected to mention:  "Mushrooms block tumor growth and have anti-estrogenic activity – regular consumption of mushrooms – as little as one mushroom per day – has been shown to decrease breast cancer risk by up to 60-70%." 2. 


IMG_4872
Cream of Mushroom Soup the Nutritarian way, www.StyleNectar.com

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 
1 onion, chopped
  • 
2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 
10
    oz button mushrooms, coarsly chopped
  • 
10 oz cremini mushrooms,coarsly chopped
  • 
3-4
    c. vegetable broth (depending on how thick you want the soup)

  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme

  • 2 or 3 tbsp. dry white wine

  • 1 tsp (or to taste) Himalayen or Celtic Sea Salt

  • 1/4 tsp
    freshly ground black pepper
  • a handful of raw cashews (maybe 1/4 to 1/3 cup) depending on how thick you want the soup (soak overnight if you don't have a heavy-duty Vitamix blender- personally I soak then dehydrate all nuts as it removes enzyme inhibitors making them easily digestible & an active, live food with live enzymes/benefits galore.)
  • almond milk (1/4 c. give or take depending on how thick you want your soup) 

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion
    and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release most of their
    liquid.
  2. Add the broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat
    and simmer for 10 minutes. 
  3. Stir in the wine, salt, and pepper and cook for 3
    minutes. 
  4. Turn off the heat and cool slightly. 
  5. Using a heavy duty blender, such as a Vitamix, add cashews, almond milk and soup to the blender (add soup in batches if necessary) and puree until smooth & silky. 
  6. Taste for desired richness and add more cashews or almond milk as necessary. Check seasonings. Warm through before serving if necessary.
  7. Enjoy!

 

Stay tuned for a to die for Mushroom Tapanade coming later this week…

You may also enjoy: Triple Berry Parfait with Cashew Cream!

 

Footnotes/References: 

1. www.DiseaseProof.com, Dairy and cancer

Dairy products contain many hormone-containing and -promoting substances. U.S. cheese consumption has increased 182% (almost 3-fold) in the past 30 years11, and the incidence of our hormone sensitive cancers has also increased. There are strong associations between dairy consumption and prostate cancer.12,13,14Interestingly, some studies have found that prostate cancer risk was elevated with increased consumption of low-fat milk specifically, suggesting that the potential threat to prostate health may be more closely linked to dairy protein than dairy fat.15,16 Ovarian cancer risk is also elevated by consumption of dairy products equivalent to three glasses of cow's milk per day.17,18 Butter use is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer in women.19 Eating larger amounts of dairy products during childhood is associated with adult testicular and colorectal cancer.20,21 

Cow's milk is the perfect food for the rapidly growing calf, but foods that promote rapid growth promote cancer. Consuming dairy protein on a regular basis elevates blood levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1).22IGF-1 is known to stimulate the growth of both normal and cancer cells, and there is a strong and consistent association between serum IGF-1 concentrations and prostate cancer risk.23 One study showed that men who had the highest levels of IGF-1 had more than four times the risk of prostate cancer compared with those who had the lowest levels.24 If you choose to consume dairy, minimize your intake to small amounts – dairy products are not essential for good health and carries potential health risks.

2. www.DiseaseProof.com, Strategies for Preventing Breast Cancer, 6 

Related articles
Being a Nutritarian
Strawberry Shakes & Mini Pizzas

Tom Yum Soup

IMG_2526
Tom Yum Soup

 

Who's ready for an insanely delicous, 15 minute Thai recipe?

Enter:  Tom Yum Soup

This stealthy combination of silky-smooth coconut milk, lemongrass, shitakes, and ginger is rich and magical.  Papery-thin slivers of chicken drenched in vibrant, buttery broth deliver perfection in every spoonful.

A dish this simple- yet so complex, so incredibly delicious, is a keeper in my repertoire! Soul warming, refreshing and filling at the same time.  I’m obsessed

~ you will be too!

 

IMG_2478
Ingredients for Tom Yum Soup

 

Recipe for Tom Yum Soup (Serves 4)

Ingredients (substitute tofu & vegetable stock for vegetarian version)

  • 5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
  • 1 stalk lemongrass thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger root thinly sliced
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp thinly sliced, fresh, medium-heat red chili pepper + slices for garnish (seed & devein for less heat)
  • 2 cooked pasture raised, chicken breasts, thinly sliced across the grain **(See Note below)
  • 1 ½ cups thinly sliced shitake mushrooms
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk (DON’T use light!)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro + extra for garnish

 Method

  1. In a large pot combine first 5 ingredients (chicken stock through red chilies) and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 1 minute.
  3. Ladle into bowls adding extra fresh cilantro leaves & thinly sliced chili pepper for garnish.  Enjoy!
**For perfect, easy roast chicken breasts:  Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray heavy duty, rimmed baking sheet with grapeseed oil (or canola) spray.  Rub chicken breasts with a small amount of grapeseed (or canola) oil to coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Let rest for 10 minutes in order to let the juices redistribute into the meat- otherwise those beautiful juices will all run out onto your cutting board & you'll be left with dry meat & no flavor!

IMG_2496
Tom Yum Soup Simmering Away!

Questions of the day:

Do you have a favorite Thai dish?

What is your favorite cuisine?