Mushroom Mounds and Treats – 2 Recipes

In my previous post I said I would give you the recipe for Baked Mushroom Mounds if you wanted, and many of you said you did. They were so good I made them again, just a little differently, so I’ll give you some options in the recipe.

Baked Mushroom Mounds

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (a 10 oz. bag)
1 cup chopped onion
margarine, oil, or broth to sauté
1 – 1-1/2 cups bread crumbs or oats
1/3 – ½ cup water
(for the first batch I used 1 c. oats and 1/3 c. water; for the second batch I used 1-1/2 c. oats and ½ c. water)
2 egg replacers (for the first batch I used chia seeds; for the second batch I used EnerG)
1 T. chopped fresh herbs of choice (I used oregano)
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
any other seasoning you want

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 12 cup muffin tin.

Saute mushrooms and onions in liquid of choice (I used broth. I also did not sauté the mushrooms in my first batch). When soft, let cool slightly, then place into the bowl of a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, chop the mushrooms and onions finely before sautéing, then put into a mixing bowl and proceed by hand.

Soak the bread crumbs or oats in water for about 5 minutes (I used oats to be gluten free.) Add to mushrooms and onions and mix well. Add in the egg replacer and seasonings and pulse or stir until incorporated.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins. (I got 11 in the first batch and 12 in the second.) Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until set. Let cool a few minutes before removing from tins.

Which batch was better? The first batch tasted better, but was a little mushy on the bottom. The second batch baked better, but had less flavor. Ah, the vegan dilemma of mushy patties…. When I make a third batch, I think I will sprinkle a little oat flour in the bottom of the tins OR I will shape them into patties and pan fry them. Please let me know if you play around with this recipe and how you like it. I promise they taste wonderful! I've been snacking on them cold from the fridge.

If you remember, this recipe was adapted from the old cookbook I found, and I showed this picture and asked you to guess what it was.



You veg’ns are so smart! The title under the picture is Yams and Sweet Potatoes. I suppose there is a stick of butter on top and cabbage on the bottom. Now I know I’ve already made fun of the pictures in this book, but I have to poke fun of this recipe too. I mean, for a Culinary Institute cookbook I expected a little more direction.

Yams and Sweet Potatoes

Yams or sweet potatoes
Salt
Butter (optional) – yeh right! We saw all that butter!

Boil yams and serve plain sprinkled with salt and, if desired, topped with butter. Or barbecue yams on a grill 4 inches from ash-covered coals, turning frequently, until soft. Or bake yams until tender.

I really have a problem with recipes that instruct you to *cook until done.* I like to have at least a vague idea of how long something will take to cook.

Okay, now for a really really yummy recipe! By the way, Chase is out of town so our next dinner together will be – well, I don’t really know with Spring Break next week. But I made these treats for him and I am trying very hard not to eat them all! I adapted a recipe from This Crazy Vegan Life for Almond Bar Cookies. I made Peanut Bar Cookies and got to use my peanut meal.

Peanut, Banana, and Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

These bar cookies are a peanut lovers dreams, but if you dream of almond or other nuts, feel free to substitute in your favorite nuts and nut butter.

Ingredients:
½ cup peanut meal (finely ground peanuts)
¼ t. salt
1 cup granulated sweetener (I used tubinado)
1 T. brown rice syrup
½ cup margarine
½ cup peanut butter
2 t. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 t. baking powder
¼ c. banana chips, crushed
¼ c. chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9-inch square baking pan.

Combine peanut meal, salt, sweetener, brown rice syrup, margarine, and peanut butter in a small sauce pan. Set over low heat and stir until margarine is melted and sweetener is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in extract.

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add in flour and baking powder. Stir in chips. (I mixed by hand and my batter was too thick to stir in the chips, so I just mashed mine into the top.)

Spread into prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Cool completely before slicing into bars.


I hope you enjoy these recipes. Please let me know if you try them!