For January’s food swap, we have a French theme – recreating a french dish in a veg friendly way. My category was vegetables, and while I thought I was going to have a difficult time coming up with a dish and cookie for 8 with all this cookie madness I have going on, I found a quick and simple, yet super yummy dish in my new favorite cookbook, Vegan Eats World.
So without further ado…
Red Wine Braised Leeks and Mushrooms
1 pound leeks
10 oz cremini mushrooms, brushed clean and tough ends of stems cut off
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups dry red wine
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp salt, plus additional for sprinkling
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried
2 tbsp vegan margarine
a few twists of freshly ground pepper
1. Trip away most of the green stalks on the leeks, leaving about an inch near the white part.Slice away the tip of the root end, and slice each leek in half lengthwise. Slice again into sections about 2 1/2 inches long.
2. Slice the mushrooms into quarters. Over medium-high heat, sear the mushrooms in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Fry the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until both sides are browned and mushrooms look juicy, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms with a pinch of sea salt, cover with foil, and put in oven set t 250 to keep warm.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil and brown the leeks for 2-3 minutes, Pour in the wine, sprinkle with marjoram and salt, and tuck the thyme sprigs in to the wine. Increase the heat and bring the wine to an active simmer and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Uncover the pan, and using tongs, carefully lift the leeks and arrange on top of the mushrooms. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the juices in the pan to a rapid simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and swirl the margarine in to the juices. Use a wire whisk to continuously stir the sauce until smooth and lightly thickened. Drizzle a bit of sauce over each serving of leeks and mushrooms and serve immediately.
april dechagas 