Flax, Walnut and Coconut Crusted Portobello Mushroom Strips

One of the foods that I used to cook the most often was chicken. My favourite way to prepare it was to bread it (not just with bread crumbs), and cook it on the frying pan. Obviously I won’t eat chicken anymore, but I’ve missed that type of food in my meals. I know that there are so many awesome fake-meat options out there for vegans, but I’m not a fan of soy products (lovely allergic reactions), and I also don’t like all of the chemicals and additives that are put in most of those foods. I’ve come up with great ways to mimic meatloaf (a childhood favourite), and burgers, but still no chicken breast strips. Last night, I came closer to this than I ever have in my life – and the flavour, well it’s pretty darn good!

These aren’t exactly like chicken breast strips, but they definitely satisfy that craving, especially with the right combination of spices! I’ll try these again with different combinations of spice, but for now – I’ll share with you all what I put together.

Flax, Walnut & Coconut Crusted Portobello Mushroom Strips

Ingredients:

• Sliced Portobello mushrooms (I made about 9 slices with this recipe)
• Flax “egg” (1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 3 tbsp warm water – in a bowl, stir, and set aside for at least 5 minutes)

Breading Ingredients:

• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup walnuts, crushed into small pieces
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt

Method:

• Combine all breading ingredients in a shallow bowl/dish
• Coat the first mushroom slice with some flax “egg”. You don’t need to completely cover the mushroom, but just make sure the whole thing is wet. Place the mushroom in the dish of breading ingredients, and use your hands to cover the top with the mixture, Flip it over, and do the same to the other side. Handle the mushroom carefully, as  you want to make sure the mixture stays on. Set the mushroom aside, lightly, onto another dish, and repeat this until you’ve used all of the mushroom slices.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat, and place the first few mushroom slices on the pan. If you need to use oil, put some coconut oil on the pan.
• Cook the mushroom on the first side for about 3 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 3 minutes. These times are approximate, and you should use your judgment for this. If you notice it’s starting to burn, take it off of the pan. If you’ve cooked it for a few minutes on each side and you don’t feel that the breading looks cooked, keep it on longer. Think of this as the same thing as cooking chicken strips – a few minutes each side or until cooked through.
• Once cooked, set aside on a dish, and repeat this for the remaining mushroom strips.
• Once the mushrooms are cooked, serve alongside a stir fry, or whatever other side dish you like! 
• For dinner, I made Richard and I a simple coconut-peanut stir fry.

Coconut Peanut Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• Bean Sprouts
• Whatever vegetables you like – I just used green bell peppers and red onion this time around
• Noodle of choice – I used whole wheat penne pasta, but have used rice noodles in the past as well. Pre-cooked before putting them into the stir fry!
• Peanut butter (about 2-3 tbsp)
• Creamed coconut – or coconut butter (about 2-3 tbsp)
• Coconut oil (about 1 tbsp)
• Coconut water  (about ¼ cup)
• Spices – I stick with cayenne pepper and paprika for this, simple and tasty!

Method:

• Melt the oil on your frying pan over medium to medium-high heat
• Add the vegetables (green pepper and onion) to the pan, and cook for a minute or two
• Add half of the bean sprouts you plan to use (they will shrink in size)
• After another minute, add the rest of the bean sprouts
• Add in all of the other ingredients except the pasta, and stir until a sauce forms in with the vegetables
• After a sauce has formed (it may take a minute or two), add in the pasta and stir everything together. At this point, turn down the heat to low-medium. You don’t want to burn the pasta!
• Take a taste! If you want more spice, add it!
• Once you’re happy with the flavour, serve alongside the Flax, Walnut & Coconut Crusted Portobello Mushroom strips, or whatever else you’ve made, and enjoy! 

Inside view of the mushroom strips

Mushroom Strips with Coconut Peanut Stir Fry