The Spicy Spatula

Happy Wednesday, my dear vegans and food lovers alike. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday that was as chill or as chaotic as you wanted it to be. I spent some time with my family in Romania and missed my family back home in the US. The weather was nice and I got to wear a (not) ugly holiday sweater dress.

It was a nice day spent with family which is fine by me and it did include some vegan dishes, mostly made by the hubs.

So after all the overeating you may or may not have done on Monday, it’s time to get back on track or reverse the damage or however you want to call it, with a healthier vegan meal option. And we all know that one of my favorite dishes that allows you to eat a lot of food without a ton of calories is…SALAD.

Is there anything better than a colorful nutrient-filled vegan meal?

I think not.

So let’s get to it because you gotta get in the healthy meals before New Year’s Eve rolls around, right?

Right?

Oyster Mushrooms:

I just wanted to take a moment and brag about the almighty pleurotus mushroom. Now I must say that I was a mushroom lover well before becoming vegan but now my love for this fungus has only grown and grown. It’s tasty and versatile and it’s one of the best ways for a new vegan to go whole food, plant based without missing out on that “meaty” texture they might miss.

But we can’t talk about oyster mushrooms without mentioning the documented health benefits that include:

Anti-inflammatory
Cancer fighting properties
Immune system support
Lowering blood pressure
Regulating cholesterol
Great source of vitamin D and Iron

So you see, they’re not just pretty and tasty, they’re also good for ya!

Kitchen Tools

*Salad spinner
*Cutting board
*Silicon baking pad
*Large mixing/salad bowl
*Kitchen knife

Ingredients

*Oyster mushrooms
*Cornmeal
*Lettuce
*Tomato
*Cucumber
*Couscous
*Red bell pepper
*Scallions
*Vegan yogurt
*Sprouts
*Salt, black pepper, curry, cumin, paprika

Instructions

*Cook couscous according to package instructions. Give it time to cool slightly before adding to the salad bowl.

*Mix together your herbs & spices in a ramekin and divide in half.

*Pull oyster mushrooms apart by the tops or just cut them into similar sizes so they’re easy to eat. Toss with half of the herbs and spices mixture as well as cornmeal and place on a baking mat. Cook on 200C for about 20 minutes or until crispy. Note: If you use oil, the cook time might be shorter.

*Chop lettuce and rinse thoroughly, using the salad spinner to dry the leaves.

*Slice scallions (on a bias to make’em pretty) and weigh them in the salad bowl.

*Chop tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper in uniform sizes, add to bowl.

*Add sprouts and dried lettuce. Toss.

*In a small mixing bowl, add the rest of the herbs and spices into the yogurt and stir until blended. Pour onto the salad and toss again, using any leftover vegan yogurt dressing to drizzle on top.

I like to add the mushrooms on top of the salad like you would a chicken or steak salad so they’re the star, but you can toss the mushrooms with the rest of the salad ingredients if that’s what you want to do.

And the best thing about using these oven “fried” oyster mushrooms? You can use this method and recipe to make shredded shroom sandwiches with barbecue sauce, spicy pepper sauce or even an au jus for a vegan Italian Beef style sandwich. The world is your…oyster! I’ll show myself you, thank you very much!

Some links are affiliate links which means I’ll earn money if you buy these products. Feel free to click on the links to help a fellow blogger out! Thanks.

Get more VEGAN oyster mushroom recipes here:

*Pumpkin Risotto & Crispy Oyster Mushrooms
*Hot & Spicy Tofu and Oyster Mushrooms w/Pickled Bok Choy
*Oyster Mushroom Vegan Mujadara
*Gochujang Spiced Vegan Chicken, Mushrooms & Rice
*Jamaican Style Curried Artichokes & Mushrooms