I’ve been with my girlfriend for nearly two years, but this holiday I want to impress her parents. (They’re lovely people, but it’s sort of how I felt when I debuted my new Abercrombie & Fitch wardrobe the first day of seventh grade. Nerve-wracking.)
Or perhaps your in-laws are visiting — or maybe you’re visiting them — and you want to make a delicious meal for everyone to enjoy. Even the vegetarians in the group. What do you cook?
Quite frankly, I had no idea. That’s why I turned to someone who did.
Candice Hutchings, the 29-year-old host and chef of the YouTube show The Edgy Veg, released a cookbook in October that caters to comfort-food-loving vegans. But Hutchings said her goal was to offer recipes that anyone — from a vegan to a meat-eater — could enjoy.
I hit Hutchings with the in-law scenario to get her take.She recommended an appetizer of “scallops” (king oyster mushrooms) in white wine butter sauce. (That recipe is in the book.) Follow with the main course: portobello steak withbéarnaise sauce and sides of herb-roasted wild mushrooms and Brusselssprouts.
“It’s a chic mix of an impressive meal that’s plated really beautifully,” she said. “A vegan twist on the classic Sunday dinner.”
Hutchings passed along the steak and sauce recipe from her book for you to try. And if you’re looking for a Christmas gift, consider taking a copy of the book with you when you meet the parents. That may impress them, too.
For more info, go totheedgyveg.com.
Portobello Steaks with Béarnaise Sauce
Serves 4
From “The Edgy Veg” by Candice Hutchings (Robert Rose, October 2017).
“As a wee little thing, I would sit on the floor and watch black-and-white videos of Julia Child cooking,” writes Hutchings. “I swear, that woman is 100 percent to blame for my over-the-top kitchen behavior and love of rich food. She also taught me a very important lesson that I may have taken a little too seriously: The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire
- 2 garlic cloves, minced 2
For the “steaks”:
- 12 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed 12
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil for brushing
- 1 recipe Weekend at Béarnaise sauce (see recipe below), warmed
- Chopped fresh taragon (optional)
Directions
For the Marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, red wine, olive oil, tamari, vegan Worcestershire and garlic, until well combined.
For the steaks: In a shallow bowl or a large resealable bag, pour marinade over mushroom caps. Marinate for 2 hours or overnight, flipping mushrooms halfway.
Meanwhile, prepare steak rub. In a small bowl or jar, combine paprika, oregano, coriander, mustard powder, cumin, sea salt and pepper. Stir or shake to combine. Set aside.
Remove mushrooms from marinade, reserving marinade. Pat steak rub all over marinated mushrooms. Cook right away or pop them in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.Place mushroom caps, gill side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for about 25 minutes, until tender.
Heat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush mushroom caps with olive oil. Add 3 to 4 mushrooms, gill side up, to pan and spoon 1 teaspoon reserved marinade over each mushroom. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times, until there is minimal to no liquid left in the pan. Remove from heat and slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a plate to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
Arrange one-quarter of the sliced portobellos in a line in the center of each plate and drizzle with béarnaise sauce. Garnish with tarragon, if desired.
Note: Try to find the largest mushrooms you can. They tend to shrink while cooking so the bigger, the better.
Weekend at Béarnaise
Makes about 2 cups
“Béarnaise sauce comes from the hollandaise familybut is laced with white wine vinegar and tarragon,” Hutchings writes. “We like to call it ‘man sauce.’ It may appear to be rich and delicate, but it’s actually rugged and macho, and it pairs perfectly with our succulent portobello steak a recipe we created especially for all the men out there (they won’t even notice it’s mushrooms. Wink.)”
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, chopped and divided 2
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 2/3 cup soft silken tofu, drained
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon black salt
- 1 sprig flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Directions
In a small saucepan, melt vegan butter over medium-low heat. Set aside.
In another small saucepan, combine white wine vinegar, white wine, shallot and half of the tarragon. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a blender, discarding solids. Set aside saucepan.
Add nutritional yeast, tofu and turmeric to blender. Blend on high until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add melted vegan butter through the hole in the lid until well incorporated. Season with black salt.
Transfer the mixture back to the small saucepan and heat over low heat, whisking vigorously and constantly, until mixture is thickened and resembles a traditional béarnaise sauce. Stir in the remaining chopped tarragon and parsley, and set aside to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes.
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