Oyster mushrooms star in vegan etouffee
Anytime I can bring the flavors of Louisiana into my kitchen, I'm happy.
Many traditional dishes are off-limits to a vegetarian or vegan, but the smart use of spices and other ingredients can bring them back within reach.
This is what Jenne Claiborne does so beautifully in her new book, "Sweet Potato Soul" (Harmony Books, 2018).
A vegan chef, cooking instructor, blogger and YouTube star, Claiborne brings Southern flair — in the form of "smoke, sugar, spice and soul," as her book's subtitle puts it — to plant-based dishes. That means shredded sweet potatoes and pecans in her granola, coconut three ways (oil, milk and sugar) in her peach cobbler and oyster mushrooms in her etouffee.
It was that last dish I rushed to make because I love the spicy sauce of an etouffee, which usually features crawfish or shrimp. The idea to use oyster mushrooms, with their luscious texture, immediately made sense.
She sticks to tradition in the ways that matter most — starting with a roux and the trio of onion, bell pepper and celery — and including a good dose of Creole seasoning.
I acknowledge that I took one shortcut: Claiborne includes her own recipe for the spice blend, and I have no doubt it's great given the 10 ingredients she calls for, but I always have a shaker of good old Tony Chachere's in the house, so a dash of that went in instead. (Hint: If you are concerned about your sodium intake, you might want to go for one of the lower-salt versions available, or make your own.)
I knew it was the real deal when my fiance, whose family comes from Louisiana, took one bite and put down his spoon — so he could take a photo. reduced-salt Creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere's Light or No-Salt brand. If you use a no-salt version, you might want to add a little sea salt to taste when finishing the dish. Adapted from "Sweet Potato Soul: 100 Easy Vegan Recipes for the Southern Flavors of Smoke, Sugar, Spice, and Soul," by Jenne Claiborne.
Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pour in the oil, and once it shimmers, sprinkle in the flour. Cook, stirring, until the mixture turns golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to become tender, 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the broth, bay leaf, dulse, if using, the Creole and Old Bay seasonings. Add the mushrooms, then increase the heat to mediumhigh; once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low so the liquid is gently bubbling. Cook until the mushrooms become tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
Taste, and add more Creole seasoning, as needed. Serve over brown rice with a squeeze of lemon juice, and garnish with parsley.
150 calories, 4 g protein, 23 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 6 g fat(1 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 690 mg sodium