OAT GROATS W/ CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS & APPLES IN CREAMY WINE SAUCE; ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD W/ VEGAN “BACON” & PECANS

These dishes made up a fine fall dinner we enjoyed the other night. They are both easy to make, and very tasty and satisfying, as well as nutritious. Both definitely to be made again!

I recently obtained some organic whole oat groats from a friend who rolls his own oats in a little manual mill every morning for breakfast. He buys them in a bulk and charged me much less than what I would have paid even in our local bulk store (where they are selling for $6 a pound, can you believe!). If you live in the States you can buy them for a good price from Bob’s Red Mill or amazon.com . In any case, they are a really delightful whole grain and make a nice change from brown rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa, etc. I decided that they would be a great foil for a creamy melange of local apples and chanterelle mushrooms that we picked in our woods, and I was right.

I also had some Brussels sprouts in the fridge that needed using and some of my homemade Tofu “Bacon” marinating as well, so I made a hearty roasted salad, combining the two with a tasty dressing and some pecans for a scrumptious salad with plenty of protein.

Really a winner of a meal all around!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S OAT GROATS IN CREAMY WINE SAUCE WITH CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS AND APPLES (GF, can be soy-free)
Serves 4 as a main dish
Toasting the oat groats a bit before simmering them adds more flavor. They take about the same time to cook as brown rice. The GF white bean flour thickens the sauce lightly while adding a little more nutrition.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups oat groats
5 cups light vegan broth, OR water mixed with 1 tsp. sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 oz. cleaned chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
2 large apples, peeled and thinly-sliced
1/2 cup dry to medium sherry
1 cup vegan “chicken-y” broth (I like Better than Bouillon No-Chicken broth paste)
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup vegan creamer of your choice
1 tablespoon white bean flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional: chopped fresh parsley or chives to garnish

To cook the oat groats, in a 2-quart saucepan heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the groats and stir them around for a minute or two to toast them. Off the heat, add the broth (or water with salt)—and be careful of splattering when you pour the broth into the hot pan. Use a cooking mitt to hold the pitcher of broth. Place the pan back on the heat, turn to high and bring to a boil. When it boils, turn it down to a simmer, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep covered while you make the sauce.

Heat the 2^nd tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy (cast iron, hard-anodized or nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced chanterelles and apples and sauté, stir-often, until they have softened and browned a bit. Add the sherry and cook over high heat until it is reduced by about half. Add the broth and thyme leaves and keep cooking over high heat to cook it down again to about half. Whisk the bean flour into the creamer until smooth and stir it into the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens and take the pan off the heat.

Divide the oat groats between 4 plates and spoon the creamy mixture evenly over the four portions. Serve immediately, sprinkling with chopped parsley or chives.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD WITH VEGAN “BACON” AND PECANS

Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as a side dish

The idea for this salad came from a recipe from on it vegan, lower in fat and much, much easier, so I’m going to consider it my own!

12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (from top to stem)

1 large green onion, trimmed and thinly-sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons of my homemade Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings

1 tablespoon maple syrup (or you could use dark agave nectar or brown rice syrup)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 ounces vegan “bacon”, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 10 slices of my homemade Tofu Bacon)

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Freshly-ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Spread the sliced Brussels sprouts, green onion and garlic on an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Spray with oil from an oil pump-sprayer and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake, stirring now and then, until the Brussels sprouts are tender but still a bit crunchy and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Make the dressing by whisking together the Oil Sub, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame oil and salt.

Mix the roasted sprouts in a serving bowl with the vegan “bacon” pieces, pecans, Dressing, and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.

This can be made ahead, but should be served at room temperature, if possible, so, if you refrigerate it, leave it at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.

Enjoy!