With each passing year there are more and more vegan meat alternatives. Whether it’s Beyond Burgers, vegan meatballs, sausages or the all-purpose TVP, there are many ways you can take your vegan diet and lifestyle to the next level. You can enjoy childhood favorites without the cruelty. You can still enjoy your favorite comfort foods, like Vegan Salisbury Steak, without using animals to satisfy your hunger.
Great, right? It’s the goal of every vegan I’ve met since becoming vegan in 2017.
But sometimes you just want to get back to your plant-based vegan roots. Or sometimes I do, anyway. There’s no particular reason for this. I eat plenty of fresh vegetables. Fruits? Not so much, but it’s something I’m working on becoming better at as much as I can. But between vegetables (raw and cooked), whole grains and beans, I do try to get a good dose of them to my diet each week.
But on this day, I was visiting a new Lidl here in Ploiesti and they had, guess what? Fresh artichokes, already trimmed!!! I was totally stoked and knew that it was time to use them or lose them.
So, I used them.
This is a simple totally plant based vegan recipe that is easy to make and super delicious.
So let’s see what this recipe has to offer.
When it comes to any type of cooking, you have to do your prep work. I know I sound like a broken record but it will make home cooking less time-consuming and therefore you’ll want to do it more, especially if you live someplace with limited vegan dine-in/takeout options.
So first, grab your ingredients.
The artichokes, even though they’ve been trimmed still need to be rinsed and rubbed with half a lemon before you steam them. Get the water boiling and add the artichokes to a steamer basket, topside down. Boil for 20 to 30 minutes, until they come out fork tender.
Now it’s time to get started on the oyster mushrooms because they will take some time, unless you prefer them not well done. I like to start my mushrooms on the stove top, cooked on medium-high heat until they start to get a little crispy before placing them in the oven for another 15 minutes or so.
Here’s the thing, you just need to test/taste the mushrooms to see when they get to the doneness level that’s right for you. I let them cook until they were almost dry and then turned the heat off, leaving them in the oven until I was ready for them.
In the meantime…
Saute the onions and shallots in water & soy sauce if you’re looking for an oil-free vegan recipe. Use oil if you prefer.
Add the mushrooms back to the skillet and add in water or waste-free broth, vegan barbecue sauce and water (if needed). Stir well and when the mixture starts to boil, reduce to a simmer. Keep an eye on the mushrooms because these suckers can go from perfect to soggy in a hot minute.
For the rice: Cook the rice according to instructions, but add your favorite curry powder and other seasonings when you add the rice. About 3 minutes before the rice is done, add the green peas and let it keep cooking.
If you think your artichokes are too soft or need something else, crank the oven back up and add a pinch or two of salt & garlic powder and pop in the oven. If you want, you can add oil here as well to get some fat and crispiness on the artichokes.
Make the sauce: All you’ll need for this is veggiegurt, also known as vegan yogurt, lime juice, dill, cumin, curry and smoky paprika. Stir until blended and use this to dip the artichokes, or all of it if that’s your jam.
And then? You just have to plate it up.
Gobble, gobble. Is that just for American Thanksgiving? I think we should just gobble up our favorite foods every single day of the year. Especially these days, don’tcha think?
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