Kale & Mushroom Gratin

This was truly a comfort food at its finest. Perfect for these cooler winter days and nights. The creaminess and flavors of this dish will have you oooing and ahhing in delight. This was from a recipe that I just recently came across from Food 52 entitled, Spinach, Mushrooms and Cream for Dinner. It's adapted from Nigel Slater's, Tender. I decided to veganize it and I'm so glad I did, it's one of those dishes that I will definitely come back to. It's simple, easy to prepare and just about fool proof. And oh so delicious! I wish everyone a chance to give this a try as you will not miss any of the standard animal products typically used in dishes like this. And that I promise you!

Let me explain a little about why I love using cashews and nuts instead of vegan butters, cheeses, margarine's and heavy creamers. They all have fats and are high in calories, except nut based creams are less processed using healthy nuts that have been soaked to enhance their nutrition even more. They also contain some proteins and fiber, as well as vitamins and trace elements. We are creating new habits using foods of a less processed nature while still tasting fantastic, if not better. :)

I served my gratin over a bed of farro but you can use whatever you like or fits into your dietary guidelines. If you're not gluten intolerant, farro is a wonderful ancient grain to add to your meal plans. It's a lot like barley in taste and texture. Per serving, about 1/4 cup, farro has 290 calories with only 1.5 grams fat, 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. It will stick with you leaving you feeling satisfied for a good while. I picked up bag of 10 minute farro from Trader Joe's and it was ready right along with the gratin. 

Kale & Mushroom Gratin

Ingredients

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb. (16 oz.) mushrooms, sliced or quartered, cremini or baby bella's
• 1 large bunch kale, stems removed (I used curly kale)
• handful spinach, optional (I added some in just because I had it on hand)
• 1/4 cup white wine 
• 1 cup heavy cashew cream (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, more as needed
• himalayan salt & cracked pepper to taste
• almond parmesan (a pantry staple)
• farro, barley, brown rice pasta, jasmine or basmati rice

Heavy Cashew Cream

• 3/4 cup cashews (soaked at least 3 hours or overnight)
• 1/2 cup water, slightly more as needed
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start with your cream. Cashews should be soaked in water, covering them with 2 -3 times the amount of water as they will swell up. Rinse cashews well. Place cashews, water and lemon juice into blender/food processor and blend until smooth and creamy scrapping down the sides as needed. (The magic bullet is a perfect size blender for this job.) Add water two teaspoons at a time as needed to create desired thickness/thinness. Set aside.

Heat oil over medium high heat, add onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally until some of mushroom liquid cooks away and they start to brown, I found this to be about 12 minutes or so. Add the white wine and boil for a couple minutes. Then add cream and milk, let simmer for several more minutes. Turn off heat. (If you have time, leave this mixture to steep; the cream and milk will get wonderfully mushroomy.)

Wash and shred your kale. I liked mine to be in smaller pieces. To steam, place in a large pot or wok with cover, cook on low, stirring occasionally until it wilts, about 5 to 10 min. No need to add water as the washing done right before will give enough moisture.

Add kale and a couple tablespoons of almond parmesan to the mushroom-cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a shallow baking dish. Lightly sprinkle a few more tablespoons almond parmesan on top. Cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden.

Serve over a bed of farro, barley, brown rice pasta or pasta of choice, jasmine or basmati rice. Top with a tad more almond parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy it with the rest of the wine or a nice glass of lemon water.

Seriously good eats...Enjoy!

If you like this you may also enjoy this: Mushroom Bourguignon

MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON + VEGAN WINE

If you love mushrooms and cooking with red wine, this is the dish for you! It's comforting, warm, savory and hearty. Perfect for the fall and winter nights ahead. Cozy up to a nice bowl of this mushroom stew. This is a great stew to make when entertaining friends and family. Pair it with a nice full-bodied red wine and you'll surely please your guests. Recipe adapted from Food 52 Deb Perelman's (Smitten Kitchen) Mushroom Bourguignon.

Mushrooms hold many health benefits and should be an important part of your healthy lifestyle. They keep your immune system healthy and certain types of mushrooms, like crimini, can be a good source of vitamin B 12. They also contain 15 different mineral, vitamins and antioxidant phytonutrients that are essential to good health. Don't underestimate the power of mushrooms, if stored and cared for properly they will take care of you!

I decided to use farro as a bed for this bourguignon. This was my first time having farro and I must say it is really delicious. It has a texture that reminds of barley with a nutty flavor like brown rice. Farro is a grain that's rich in protein (7 grams per serving), fiber (5 grams per serving), along with magnesium and vitamins A, B, C and E. Although it has a low gluten count, it's not gluten free. If your looking to keep this a gluten free dish use brown rice or quinoa pasta instead. I'm happy to have this as a new addition to my grains and will be using it here and there in place of quinoa. I used Italian pearled farro which is hulled and cooks within 15 minutes, where as whole grain farro takes a bit longer.

I'm not much of a wine drinker these days but this was a treat. Red wine is very good for you and I could probably stand to have a glass every now and then. It has anti-oxidant, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits. It also has anti-aging and longevity benefits. These are all good things as I want to be around and healthy for at least another 50 years! Did you know it's one of a few recommended food/drinks for the prevention of prostate cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer among men. A glass or two daily can be good for you, although for myself I prefer every now and then. And cooking with red wine takes your dishes to another level of deliciousness. 

I also discovered that some wines are processed using animal materials. During the winemaking process, the wine is filtered through 'fining agents' to remove protein, yeast, cloudiness and 'off' flavorings. Many winemakers use blood, bone marrow, casein (milk protein), parts of eggs and crustacean shells to as a filter. Not so tasty right?! There a few winemakers, and growing, who use plant based filters like carbon, bentonite clay, plant casein, silica gel and vegetable plaques in their filtering process. So needless to say with all this information I set out to hunt down a few vegan brands that are locally accessible.

Our Daily Red is an organic vegan wine I picked up at my local Sprout's here in California. It was reasonably priced around $8 and paired beautifully in this mushroom bourguignon. Trader Joe's also carries a few varieties from this winery with about the same price tag. I purchased the label, WELL REaD, from TJ's for around $5 but haven't tried it yet. Wondering if your wine is vegan? Check out Barnivore or EcoVine Wine, a database of vegan wines, and give your favorite wine label the test and find new labels to enjoy. With the holiday's upon us, I will be stocking up on some of these wines for family gatherings. Looking forward to the days ahead.

MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds portobello, shiitake or crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup pearl onions, peeled and ends trimmed (thawed if frozen)
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 heaping teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup full-bodied red wine
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

To serve

• Farro (I used pearled farro), pasta of choice or roasted/mashed potatoes

In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over high heat, add mushrooms and pearl onions, sear until they begin to take on a little coloring, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove from pot and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium, add one tablespoon of oil. Add the carrots, onions, thyme, salt and pepper, saute for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned. Toss in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Slowly add the wine to the pot and scrap any bits that are stuck to the bottom or sides. Turn heat to high and reduce wine by half. Stir in tomato paste and broth, mix. Add in mushrooms and pearl onions, including any juices that have collected, back to the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender. Let simmer, covered or cover askewed, stirring occasionally and enjoy the wonderful aroma.

In a small bowl, mix together the remaining tablespoon oil, or water, with flour to make a paste, stir into the stew. Simmer for 10 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to the right consistency. Season to taste.

Serve spooned over a bed of farro, pasta of choice, roasted or mashed potatoes.

Serves 4-6