The Spicy Spatula

Good day, lovely vegans!

Before you ask, no I’m not English as if that wasn’t clear before now and this isn’t just beans and mushrooms but those are the stars of this tasty vegan recipe.

I recently read that one of the ways to relieve a certain amount of workout pain is to increase your protein intake and since I work out regularly I was like, “I’m listening.”

But you know what? I give extra props to bodybuilders and cross-fitters because it is not easy to get more protein in your diet no matter what your diet is.

Take today’s vegan recipe. It contains butter beans and vegan mince, but still each serving topped out at 22% of my daily recommended protein intake. This meal was also quite calorie friendly so perhaps I could’ve added more but that seemed…excessive.

Anyway I figured I had two major sources of protein and that was enough, so that’s enough of that kind of talk.

This is an easy vegan meal and it can also be a one pot vegan meal if you really want it to be. I started the shitake mushrooms on the stove but I find that without oil they finish better in the oven so that’s what I did.

The ingredient list is simple and the steps are simple so you use this as a two-fer, have it for dinner and take a serving to work the next day or eat it for lunch and reheat it for dinner for a lazy Sunday vegan meal.

Kitchen Tools:

*Baking mat
*Nonstick Skillet
*Cutting board
*Kitchen knife
*Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

*Butter beans (rinsed & drained)
*Vegan mince (or chopped vegan burger)
*Onion
*Garlic
*Soy sauce (or vegan Worcestershire)
*Shitake mushrooms (oyster will also work)
*Vegan broth
*Cornstarch (corn flour)

Directions:

*Start with the mushrooms. If you’re not going for an oil free vegan recipe, you can skip the baking mats and putting the mushrooms in the oven. Otherwise you can start them in the skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes and then put them in the oven on 200C/400F for 15 minutes.

*Chop the onions and garlic, add the onions to the skillet first, cooking for 5 to 7 minutes or until they start to turn transparent. If you need to add more broth, do so as needed.

*Stir in garlic and cook 3 minutes.

*Add in vegan mince, soy or Worcestershire sauce and a bit more water or broth. Stir regularly.

*Add in butter beans and stir to blend. This is a good time to add any additional seasoning beyond salt and pepper. I used cumin, thyme, sweet paprika, lots of black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

*Add in your cornstarch slurry and stir well as it comes up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let thicken for 5 minutes. I added half the shitake in just before the cornstarch slurry and the rest after for a few different textures.

*Serve as is or on top of a bed of grains. I kept this recipe grain-free but it would go great with rice or bulgur or even couscous. I added a side salad of cucumber, scallions, tomato & olives.

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