The past few days have been rainy and gloomy, the kind of days making us want to cuddle up inside on the couch with some delicious comfort food, such as this warm and hearty stew that will warm you from the inside out.
Perfect for those looking for something nutritious yet delicious and those pursuing alternative diets such as vegetarians, vegans, paleo and gluten-free. This rich stew will leave you craving seconds. And why not have it together with our favourite "life changing seed bread".
Creamy mushroom stew recipe
1 lb of mixed mushrooms, chopped with tough portion of stems removed (I used Portobello and White Button mushrooms and found them to be a great combination);
¼ cup of butter or ghee;
2 onions, chopped;
4 cloves garlic, minced;
Handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked;
¼ cup or so of red wine (this is really to taste, depending on how strong you want the flavor of the wine to be. A nice alternative to this would be fresh beef stock);
½ cup of heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk;
2 green onions, chopped;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Preparation
Before chopping the mushrooms, rinse them to remove any excess dirt and then pat dry.
Heat a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the butter butter or ghee.
Stir-in the onions and garlic. Cook until they begin to brown, about 7 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. After cooking for a few minutes you will notice that they let off moisture. You want to continue cooking until this moisture evaporates entirely.
Add the wine or stock as well as the heavy cream or coconut milk and stir well to ensure that the flavors are dispersed evenly.
Once the stew has simmered for a few minutes, add in the thyme leaves, green onions and adjust the salt and pepper seasoning. Allow to sit on a low heat for a few more minutes so that it thickens.
This stew is now complete. It is best served when in the “comfort” state-of-mind, but can really be enjoyed at anytime.
Recipe from Paleo Leap.
The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
½ cup / 65g hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups / 350ml water
Directions:
1. In a flexible, silicon loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!
Recipe from My New Roots