Lifestyle
Meat-free Monday: Overstuffed portabellos with cashew cream
If you're looking to explore vegan cuisine or simply indulge in a wholesome and delicious meal, this recipe is bound to impress.
Bursting with flavours and textures, this vegan dish is a delightful fusion of earthy portabello mushrooms and creamy cashew-based goodness. For this recipe, choose large, firm portabellos, ensuring they’re fresh and free from blemishes. Recipe compliments of South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
Ingredients
Cashew cream
- 140 g raw cashew nuts
- 125 ml water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Filling
- 250 g baby button mushrooms sliced in half
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 400 g tin artichoke hearts in brine drained and sliced
- ¼ red onion finely diced
- 2 spring onions finely sliced
- 1 bunch baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1 bunch fresh basil roughly chopped
- 1 bunch dill roughly chopped
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 6 large portabello mushrooms
To serve
- Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil for cooking
- Low carb bread or sprouted wholemeal bread
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
For the cashew cream
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Place cashew nuts in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.
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Place cashews in a high-powered blender along with the measured water, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and nutritional yeast. Season well with salt and pepper.
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Blend on high until smooth, thick and creamy. Taste to adjust seasoning and add more water or lemon juice if needed.
For the mushrooms
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Heat a drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick frying pan or spray lightly with cooking spray.
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Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly golden and just tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
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Add the artichoke hearts and toss them in the garlic oil with the mushrooms. Season everything lightly with salt and pepper.
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Combine the rest of the filling ingredients in a bowl and add the warm mushrooms and artichokes. Taste to adjust seasoning.
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Heat oven onto grill setting.
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Season portabellos with salt and pepper. Place on a roasting tray, cap side down.
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Dry roast for about 10 minutes, depending on their size, until tender and juicy.
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Spoon a little cashew nut cream onto each mushroom.
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Fill with the baby button and artichoke filling.
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Top with a little extra cashew cream.
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Serve with lemon wedges on the side and enjoy!
