PORTOBELLO FRENCH BEAN CASSEROLE

Makes: 5 cups; serves: 4 to 6

MUSHROOM SAUCE

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup diced onions

3 cups sliced white mushrooms or Portobello mushrooms

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch dried thyme

1/3 cup vegan creamer (unsweetened)

In a 3-quart saucepan; heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions with garlic  powder until translucent. Add flour and stir. Add 1 cup broth ¼ cup at a time and stir until broth is thickened. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3  minutes. Stir in remaining broth, pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup  comes to a boil. Add the creamer and remove from heat, stirring until the cream is  warmed.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

16 oz Fresh or frozen green beans (French-cut)

4 – 5 cups Mushroom Sauce

1 small can (8 oz) Water chestnuts (chopped)

Fried onions (1/8 cup)

Black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Layer green beans, water chestnuts, sauce, onions and pepper; then repeat, saving  some onions for later. Bake 40 minutes. Add remaining onions and bake for 5 minutes to brown.

CASHEW CREAM GRAVY

3 cups cashews, milled in blender (or almonds, soaked overnight)

2 cups Cremini and Shiitake mushrooms (sliced or chopped)

2 cups veggie broth

2 tbsp cassava or chickpea flour

3 cloves roasted garlic

1 shallot or 2 Cipollini onions

1 lemon (juiced)

1/2 to 1 cup water

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp sea salt (to taste)

1 tbsp poultry seasoning

Dried or fresh sage

In a medium saucepan, sauté mushrooms with onions, shallot and garlic until softened.  add flour and stir. Pour in broth and seasoning and bring to a simmer. Blend nuts, lemon  and water to make the cashew sauce. Add water until you reach a smooth consistency.  Remove saucepan from heat and add cream sauce, stirring until warmed. This gravy can  be rewarmed without worrying about separation. Sprinkle on some sage. You can also  blend in the blender for a smoother gravy.

Chickpeas and Chard

Inspired by 101 Cookbook's Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry Recipe

If you’ve never soaked beans before… do it. You won’t regret it. Beans contain zinc, magnesium, and iron, but they also contain phytic acid which prevents these minerals from being absorbed in our bodies. By soaking your beans in hot water for 18 hours, you reduce the phytic acid content; and the taste puts those canned beans to shame.

Serves 2-4

• 2 T mix of extra-virgin olive oil and sunflower oil

• 1 small onion or a couple shallots (sliced)

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (I soak for 18 hours and cook for 1 hour)

• 2 potatoes (peeled & cubed)

• 2 chard leaves (stems removed – great for juicing – and sliced into 1” strips)

• 1 small zucchini (optional)

• ½ of a Roma tomato (optional)

• zest and juice of ½ of  a lemon

• ½ T turmeric

• ½ T oregano

• ½ T cumin

• 1 T onion flakes kosher salt to taste

Heat 1 T of the oil mixture in a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a pinch of salt, 1 small onion (sliced), 2 cubed potatoes and 1 C cooked chickpeas. Add ½ T each of turmeric, oregano and cumin with 1 T of onion flakes. Sauté until the chickpeas are deeply golden. Stir in the chard and cover. Warm for 2 minutes more. Pour everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining 1 T of the oil mixture, add zucchini and sauté until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes. Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest from half of a lemon, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed. Top with ½ a Roma tomato before serving. Enjoy!