Tempeh Stuffed 'Shrooms

HUMP DAAAAAAAY! At some point in the near future I'll get sick of that, I promise, but that day is not today.

Welcome to another delicious blog post. Lately my love for TJ's has blossomed into something beautiful. While there on Saturday I noticed a nice little six pack of "Stuffing Mushrooms" Special thanks to TJ's for making the food epiphanies easy this week. Without further ado....

Tempeh Stuffed Shrooms with Red Wine Reduction

What You'll Need:

6 medium sized mushrooms

For the reduction:

2 cups red wine

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs Earth Balance buttery spread

For the tempeh:

4 oz tempeh, diced

Chopped mushroom stems

1 Tbs vegan Worcestershire

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

1/2 cup water

For the stuffing:

Cooked tempeh (above)

3 Tbs red wine

1-2 Tbs Veganaise

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (plus est for topping)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Once again we have a lovely recipe coming to you from an index card. This time I had to do some veganizing to make it work. Bonus: I shaved off some serious fat from this recipe.

Thanks Mom!

First things first, prep your shrooms by cleaning the caps and removing the steams. Chop the stems into small pieces. Dice the tempeh into small pieces as well.

Add all of the tempeh ingredients in a skillet over medium heat. My mom's original recipe called for sausage filling. To mimic the taste of the sausage I added some liquid smoke and fennel seeds. Your shrooms will taste great without these, but it will definitely kick it up a notch to add them. 

Stir occasionally, allowing the liquids to cook off. Once done, set the mixture aside to cool.

While the tempeh is cooling, get your red wine reduction going. In a small sauce pan, combine all of the reduction ingredients EXCEPT the butter. Heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce reduce to a syrupy consistency, stirring occasionally

Balsamic not pictured :( But I remembered it for the sauce.

In a small bowl, combine the cooked tempeh with the remaining stuffing ingredients. Mix well, breaking apart the tempeh further. The stuffing should be able to hold its shape. If it's too crumbly, try adding more breadcrumbs to help it hold together.

Now would be a great time to pour yourself a glass of wine :)

Cheers!

Don't forget your reduction! Go give it a stir and check on the consistency. Remember we are going for syrupy.

Next step: stuff those shrooms. Go ahead and mound the stuffing above the cap. I used all the stuffing for 6 mushroom caps, so go crazy and be generous. 

Now lets give our shrooms some hair. In a small plate sprinkle a layer of breadcrumbs. One by one turn the mushrooms, stuffing side down, in the crumbs to coat.

Time to fry 'em up. Drizzle a bit of oil in a medium skillet and heat to medium high. Place in your shrooms cap side down and cook for a few minutes until browned.

Now comes the scary part. Flip the shrooms to stuffing side down and cook for a few more minutes until the breadcrumbs are toasted.

Girl, look at thoes shroom butts.

Flip 'em back over, turn off the burner, and let them chill while you finish up the reduction.

Continue to stir (and sip), while the reduction continues to simmer. When the reduction is just about the right consistency, add the butter and stir. 

Remove from heat. Plate up your shrooms and drizzle with the reduction.

Munch!

Happy Hump Day!