Mushroom Seitan Stroganoff for One

My mom used to do wonderful things with mushrooms, and come fall, I reminisce happily about dinner-time in my childhood. Here’s my vegan version of one of my favorite mushroom-y memories.

1 TBLSP olive oil

¼ yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 oz. fresh button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (five or six medium-sized mushrooms)

Flat pasta for one serving

½  TBLSP vegan butter or olive oil

1/3 cup dry white wine

4 oz. seitan, sliced into strips or chopped bite-sized (or you could use the crumbly kind)

2/3 cup vegan sour cream (about 6 oz.)

½ TBLSP tamari (or soy sauce)

1 teaspoon water

Black pepper to taste

2 TBLSP fresh parsley, chopped finely

1.      Put the olive oil and onions in a large skillet and sauté slowly, over a medium-low heat, until caramelized, about 10 minutes.

2.      While the onions are cooking, chop the garlic and mushrooms.

3.      Put the pasta water on to boil. Add the pasta to the water when ready, but don’t let yourself get distracted and over-cook the pasta. If it finishes early, take it off the heat, drain, and toss with a little olive oil.

4.      Add the garlic to the onions and sauté for one minute. Then add the mushrooms and butter or olive oil. Raise the heat to medium-high, and sauté until the mushrooms are cooked down.

5.      Add the wine, and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the seitan, faux sour cream, and tamari (or soy sauce). Add a tiny bit of water or wine, if you think it needs to be more saucy.

6.      Add the cooked noodles and a tiny bit of the pasta water to the sauce.

7.      Add black pepper taste. Decorate with parsley.

8.      Serve immediately

I also like to toss in leftover (raw) string beans and cauliflower with the mushrooms (or cooked ones at the end with the noodles), or top with sliced olives or faux cheese (although it doesn’t really need the fat, what with the faux sour cream and all).