Vegan Mushroom Chowder

[nverland]

Mushroom Chowder
Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 40 mins Servings: 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil or vegan butter
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 ounces (226.8 g) baby Bella mushrooms quartered
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme or 1 spring fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
3 cups (709.76 ml) broth or water
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt depending on the saltiness of your broth
1 1/2 (255 g) cubed potatoes small cubed
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup (177.44 ml) cashew cream, 1/2 cup raw cashews blended with 3/4 cup water or use any other thick nondairy cream or you can also use 1/3 cup vegan cream cheese
green onion for garnish

Instructions
Heat the oil or vegan butter over high-medium heat in a large sauce pan. Once hot, add the garlic, onion, and celery, and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is starting to turn golden. 6-9 mins
Then add in the mushrooms and another good pinch of salt and cook until the mushrooms are starting to sear on some edges. 4-8 mins
Then add in the bay leaves, thyme, sage, onion powder, black pepper, and the flour and mix in for a few seconds
Then add in the broth. Add 1 cup broth and mix so the flour doesn’t get lumpy, then slowly add the rest. Add potatoes, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and salt and mix in. Cook partially covered for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked well.
Mash some of the potatoes. Add in the cashew cream and bring to a good boil. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
If the chowder has thickened too much, add in more water or broth if needed and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. Take off heat, remove the bay leaves and serve garnished with black pepper and green onions.

Notes
Soy free: use coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce
Gluten free: use 2 teaspoons cornstarch instead of flour. Use tamari instead of Worcestershire sauce
Nu free: use blended firm or silken tofu. Blend 3/4 cup tofu with a bit of water until creamy and add to the chowder instead of cashews l, or use 1/3 cup vegan cream cheese and add a bit more broth as needed.
Storage: Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, stored covered. Or freeze for up to 2 months.

IIrish Beef Stew

[alexcat]

Irish Beef Stew
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 6 Hours Ready In: 6 Hours 30 Minutes
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 and 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 white onion, cut into large chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle
Irish stout beer (e.g. Guinness ®)
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss beef cubes with flour to coat, then fry in the hot oil until browned. Place the carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic in a large slow cooker. Place the meat on top of the vegetables. Mix together the beef broth and tomato paste and pour into the slow cooker along with the beer.
2. Cover and cook on High for 6 hours or Low for 8 hours. During the last hour before serving, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and then stir into the broth. Simmer on the High setting for a few minutes to thicken.

Irish Soda Bread

[alexcat]

A new recipe I'll be trying for St Patrick's Day

Grandma’s Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk*
• 1 large egg (optional, see note)
• 4 and 1/4 cups (531g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for your hands and counter
• 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed*
AD
• optional: 1 cup (150g) raisins

Instructions
1. Preheat oven & pan options: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). There are options for the baking pan. Use a regular baking sheet and line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (bread spreads a bit more on a baking sheet), or use a seasoned 10-12 inch cast iron skillet (no need to preheat the cast iron unless you want to), or grease a 9-10 inch cake pan or pie dish. You can also use a 5 quart (or higher) dutch oven. Grease or line with parchment paper. If using a dutch oven, bake the bread with the lid off.
2. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers. Mixture is very heavy on the flour, but do your best to cut in the butter until the butter is pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the raisins. Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough it is too stiff to stir. Pour crumbly dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can, then knead for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet/pan. Using a very sharp knife or bread lame, score the dough with a slash or X about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.)
4. Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45-55 minutes. Loosely tent the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
5. Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature, or toasted with desired toppings/spreads.
6. Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. We usually wrap it tightly in aluminum foil for storing.

Notes
1. Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled bread freezes well up to 3 months. Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired.
2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Cast Iron Skillet, 9-inch Round Cake Pan, 9-inch Pie Dish, Dutch Oven, or Baking Sheet with Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Bread Lame | Instant-Read Thermometer
3. Baking Pan: There are options for the baking pan (see Special Tools Note above). You can use a lined large baking sheet (with or without a rim), a seasoned 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, or a greased or lined 9-10 inch cake pan or pie dish. I don’t recommend a loaf pan because the loaf may not bake evenly inside. This dough is best as a flatter loaf.
4. Buttermilk: Using cold buttermilk is best. Buttermilk is key to the bread’s flavor, texture, and rise. The bread will not rise without it. If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute. Whole milk or 2% milk is best, though lower fat or nondairy milks work in a pinch. Add 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add enough cold milk to make 1 and 3/4 cups. Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe.
5. Egg: 1 egg adds richness and density. Feel free to skip it to make a slightly lighter loaf. No other changes necessary, simply leave out the egg.
6. Cold Butter: The colder the butter, the less sticky the dough will be. Make sure it’s very cold, even frozen cubed butter is great.
7. Smaller Loaves: You can divide this dough up to make smaller loaves. The bake time will be shorter, depending how large the loaves are. An instant read thermometer will be especially helpful. Bake the loaves until an instant-read thermometer reads the center