Mushroom & Nut Ground ”Beef"

by Char Nolan

Rouxbe is the world's largest online culinary school. Instructors consist of world-class chef instructors and former culinary school executives dedicated to teaching culinary arts globally. The Rouxbe Plant-Based Certification is a six-month program and one that I attended as a student. At present, I am a member of the Rouxbe instructional culinary team. While there are several mushroom recipes on the Rouxbe website—this one is my favorite because it is oil-free! I use a low-sodium Tamari to reduce the sodium and make it gluten-free. This recipe appeals to all and is a favorite for all party-goers. Buen provecho!

Serves 3 cups | Prep time 15 minutes Bake time 40 to 50 minutes or 4 to 5 hours in a dehydrator

Ingredients

• 2 gloves garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder) • 1/2 cup walnuts • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds • 2 tsp onion powder • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper • 4 cups cremini mushrooms, washed • 2 tsp tamari or soy sauce

Directions

Note: Feel free to play around with the type of nuts and spices in this mixture—sesame seeds, almonds, onion powder, chili powder, coriander, and spice mixes such as garam masala all work well in flavoring the mixture. 1) To start, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Alternatively, this mixture can be dehydrated in a dehydrator for 4 to 5 hours. 2) Using a food processor, pulse the garlic a few times if using fresh. Then add the nuts and spices, and pulse again. Then add the mushrooms and tamari and pulse until there are no longer any big pieces of mushrooms left. Depending on your food processor, you may need to do this in 2 batches, as you don't want the mixture to be too fine. However, don't be too worried about it, because even if over mixed a bit, this mixture will still turn out well. 3) Next, place the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and fold and turn the mixture over. Place back into the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked and dark brown in color. 4) If dehydrating, place onto dehydrator sheet, press the mixture flat and dehydrate at 118°F (47°C) for 4 to 5 hours. The mixture will darken and dry out quite a bit. 5) Once done, remove from the oven and use as a filling for dishes such as burritos, tacos, or vegetarian cabbage rolls. This mixture is also good sprinkled on salads or rice. It is even good in lasagna. Really, anywhere you might want to add ground beef, try using this delicious plant-based mixture instead.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Rouxbe Online Cooking School. Photos courtesy of Rouxbe Online Cooking School and Char Nolan