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. 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, margarines 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 scapping 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!
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