This flavorful plant-based mixture is perfect as a filling for wraps or cabbage rolls, or as a topping for salads or rice—really anywhere a little extra protein and added flavor is desired.
Steps
1
Preparing & Cooking the Ground "Beef"
Ingredients
2 gloves garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cremini mushrooms, washed
2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
Note: Feel free to play around with the type of nuts and spices in this mixture—sesame seeds, almonds, onion powder, chili powder, coriander and spice mixes such as garam masala all work well in flavoring the mixture.
To start, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Alternatively, this mixture can be dehydrated in a dehydrator for 4 to 5 hours.
Using a food processor, pulse the garlic a few times, if using fresh. Then add the nuts and spices, and pulse again. Then add the mushrooms and tamari and pulse until there are no longer any big pieces of mushrooms left. Depending on your food processor, you may need to do this in 2 batches, as you don’t want the mixture to be too fine. However, don’t be too worried about it, because even if over mixed a bit, this mixture will still turn out well.
Next, place the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and fold and turn the mixture over. Place back into the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked and dark brown in color.
If dehydrating, place onto dehydrator sheet, press the mixture flat and dehydrate at 118°F (47°C) for 4 to 5 hours. The mixture will darken and dry out quite a bit.
Once done, remove from the oven and use as a filling for dishes such as burritos, tacos, or vegetarian cabbage rolls. This mixture is also good sprinkled on salads or rice. It is even good in lasagna. Really, anywhere you might want to add ground beef, try using this delicious plant-based mixture instead.
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Made this today (7/30/2013) and used it as a filling for stuffed zucchini and topped it off with the left over sauce for our pizzas from earlier this week. This recipe was enough fill to stuff a 10 inch long zucchini.
Hi ~ if I baked it at a lower temperature ~ similar to slow roasting nuts ~ what temp would you recommend and would it create a dish similar to if it was dehydrated? Mahaloooooo ~ ~
Hi Adaire! Chef Kirk here! It's been a long time! I hope you are doing exceptionally well! So great question and great instincts! I find it very easy to dehydrate fruits and veggies in the oven and do it quite frequently - I tend to turn my 'conventional' oven down to it's lowest setting - which is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If using veggies, I like to trim them to small slices - and line them on a sheet pan. I'd say the process takes around 6 hours or so...but then yes, I end up with a similar texture and the kids love!!!! I hope this helps. Enjoy and thanks, as always, for cooking with Rouxbe!
Lisa, As a guideline, start with about a week of shelf life; baking will dry it out a little, so the shelf life will be extended; and dehydrating will extend the shelf life even more. There are other variables, so you will need to keep an eye on your own batch. And, yes, it can be frozen.
Realizing this is a mushroom based dish; however is there another that be substituted for the mushrooms due to mushroom allergies? Any recommendations?
Sally, you might consider ingredients like tempeh or extra firm tofu. I haven't used them in this preparation, but the textures could mimic that of mushrooms.
Great question and there is only one way to find out ... give it a try or test a small batch. I would suggest adding it at the end of the cooking process so it does not become overly saturated with any liquid (as the nuts mixture in it will soak up liquid) - which will change the texture.. ~Ken
Hello Natasha: My suggestions to replace the walnuts: 1- double the sunflower seeds; 2- replace with 1/2 cup of cooked, white beans; 3- add an extra half cup of mushrooms. From my own experience, I enjoy the flavor and texture from the white beans. Hope this helps. Thanks, Char
Hi Erika: You can use chickpeas, mash them coarsely so that the texture is similar to the walnut. Or, you could increase the sunflower seeds to one cup. Hope this is helpful to you. Thanks, Char
I'm a little confused about baking and dehydrating. Is it bake and then dehydrate or choose to either bake or dehydrate? How would I use baked versus dehydrated?
Thanks,
Julia
Hi Julia: Thanks for writing, sorry for any confusion. You have the option to bake, as described, OR dehydrate. Personally, I prefer the oven method, as it is faster, and the mixture doesn't get as dry. Hope this is helpful to you. Cheers, Char
Hello, Michelle! Thanks for writing. You could totally do a "Taco Tuesday" taco bar and the meateaters would love this, too! We are always thrilled to hear when a recipe is a hit! Nice work! Cheers, Char
I'm really excited about trying this recipe. I make a mushroom cashew loaf and sometimes make into patties or balls. It is the only patty I've ever made that my husband loves. Usually doesn't like the textures. In 13 years of eating WFPB I discovered the loaf recipe very early on - it is one we come back to often and makes a great holiday meal with gravy, cranberry sauce - it's the turkey!
Susan R, would you be able to share your mushroom cashew loaf recipe? I'm trying to transition my meat-loving hubby to plant-based eating and your option sounds perfect! Thank you!
I used America's test kitchen technique of making mushrooms shed there water by first cooking them on a stove top covered with a bit of water then uncovered until no more moisture then left to cool. I also swapped out the spices for nutritional yeast flakes for extra umami. It came out delicious. Thank you rouxbe .
Hi Amy-- this is my favorite and I love making it. I often switch out the spices to create a different flavor profile. Here is a close-up. Thanks for writing: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6ltOGPrhgR/ Let us know if you have any other questions. Char
Dawn T •What a great idea Harry — that sounds really good. Glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for sharing your idea. Cheers! Dawn
Eric W • Rouxbe Staff •Yes, Sheronda, you can use other types of mushrooms. White mushrooms work well in this recipe.
Adaire O •Hi ~ if I baked it at a lower temperature ~ similar to slow roasting nuts ~ what temp would you recommend and would it create a dish similar to if it was dehydrated? Mahaloooooo ~ ~
Kirk B •Hi Adaire! Chef Kirk here! It's been a long time! I hope you are doing exceptionally well! So great question and great instincts! I find it very easy to dehydrate fruits and veggies in the oven and do it quite frequently - I tend to turn my 'conventional' oven down to it's lowest setting - which is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit. If using veggies, I like to trim them to small slices - and line them on a sheet pan. I'd say the process takes around 6 hours or so...but then yes, I end up with a similar texture and the kids love!!!! I hope this helps. Enjoy and thanks, as always, for cooking with Rouxbe!
Lisa L •How long will this keep in the refrigerator or does it depend on whether it is baked or dehydrated? Can it be frozen?
Sally B •Realizing this is a mushroom based dish; however is there another that be substituted for the mushrooms due to mushroom allergies? Any recommendations?
Mary jo B •Can I put this into chili, or will it fall apart too much to mimic the ground beef?
Ken R • Rouxbe Staff •Great question and there is only one way to find out ... give it a try or test a small batch. I would suggest adding it at the end of the cooking process so it does not become overly saturated with any liquid (as the nuts mixture in it will soak up liquid) - which will change the texture.. ~Ken
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hello Natasha: My suggestions to replace the walnuts: 1- double the sunflower seeds; 2- replace with 1/2 cup of cooked, white beans; 3- add an extra half cup of mushrooms. From my own experience, I enjoy the flavor and texture from the white beans. Hope this helps. Thanks, Char
Susan R •I'm really excited about trying this recipe. I make a mushroom cashew loaf and sometimes make into patties or balls. It is the only patty I've ever made that my husband loves. Usually doesn't like the textures. In 13 years of eating WFPB I discovered the loaf recipe very early on - it is one we come back to often and makes a great holiday meal with gravy, cranberry sauce - it's the turkey!
Dr k K •Susan R, would you be able to share your mushroom cashew loaf recipe? I'm trying to transition my meat-loving hubby to plant-based eating and your option sounds perfect! Thank you!