Vegan Stroganoff and Baby Lima Beans

I made up this recipe recently in an effort to continue and eat the food we love but cut down on meat and dairy fat.  This turned out great.  Robb said it was the best stroganoff he has ever had!  Although he says that often about my cooking and being in the moment.  One of the many things I love about him!

Vegan Stroganoff

3-4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (Crimini work well)
4 tab olive oil
4 tab Earth Balance Margarine (or other vegan butter substitute)
1 leek, cleaned and chopped (use only the white part and small amount of the green)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup red or dry white wine
2 tab Bragg's Amino Acid
2 tab Worcestershire sauce - add more when finishing if desired
2-3 cups vegetable broth or vegan chicken bouillon dissolved in water
2- 3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup Cashew cream (recipe below)
Liberal amount of black pepper
Do not salt until right before serving. You may not need any depending on the saltiness of the broth, Bragg's and worcestershire.


Melt 2 tab olive oil and 2 tab margarine in large frying pan over med-high heat. Add mushrooms when pan is hot and cook stirring frequently until mushrooms are starting to brown.

Add 1 tab Bragg's and 1 tab worcestershire and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until liquids are absorbed and remove fmushrooms rom the pan and set them aside. Add remaining oil and margarine to the pan. (hopefully there is brown residue in the pan from the mushrooms). Add the chopped leeks and onions.  Saute over med heat until starting to wilt and add garlic. Cook for a minute or two then add tomato paste. Stir constantly and allow to caramelize a little. Add wine and cook until reduced by half.

Add broth and mushrooms and continue to simmer over med heat for approx. 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle flour a little at a time on top of mushrooms mixture stirring after each addition until flour is incorporated. Cook for another 5-15 minutes. Add additional broth or water if too thick. Stir in cashew cream and serve. Great served over whole wheat pasta or brown rice (I used brown Jasmine).


Cashew Cream

Keep this one in your repertoire. This is the best substitution for heavy cream. Very delicious, handy, and much better for you!

Soak a small amount of raw cashews in water. Just put them in a bowl or jar and cover with water. You can soak them overnight but an hour or two works well. I have used them without soaking and works well if you have a VitaMix or similar high speed/power blender. Drain cashews and put them in the blender. Add just enough water to blend the cashews. Start out with a small amount of water. You can always add more. Blend until totally smooth and the consistency of sour cream. Keeps for about a week in the refrigerator. Many more recipes to follow using this wonderful cream.

Baby Lima Beans


For a side dish I decided to do something with some frozen baby lima beans that were hanging out in the freezer and they turned out great.  They are something I rarely ever cook but will be adding them to our favorite list.

I sauteed some onions and garlic in olive oil.  Then added 1 small tomato (diced).  I cooked this mixture for a few minutes then added frozen baby lima beans and a small amount of water.  I added my Tuscan Salt (secret recipe) and black pepper.  Simmered them in the pan for about 10-15 minutes adding a little water here and there if needed.  Finished with a small amount of chopped parsley (remember Italian is the only good kind) and served them with the stroganoff.  MMMMMM..