Sarah J. Blige

Mushroom caps are a highly versatile and very simple appetizer.  They can be prepared in infinite ways, but my favorite way is vegan and tasty. Get creative and mix together different vegetables and spices to your heart’s content, or just use whatever ingredients you have that are in grave danger of expiring soon. Here’s my recipe for adorable and juicy vegan mushroom caps.

Serves:

4, but this recipe can very easily be halved, doubled, or increased by the power of six (fatty.)

What you’ll need:

-8-12 large white mushrooms
-half a medium-sized bell pepper (I like orange)
-half a tomato
-about two tablespoons fresh cilantro (or to taste)
-a quarter of a purple onion
-1 1/2 vegan sausages (I recommend Tofurky kielbasas)
-1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese (Daiya is by far the best tasting vegan cheese out there and melts much better than the others)
-sun-dried tomato salad dressing (The Organicville version is totally vegan, gluten-free and organic)
-one teaspoon of oil (olive or grape seed)
-*optional: 1-2 tablespoons of Tofutti cream cheese (this will make the mixture thicker and “creamier”)

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the vegetables,  cilantro and veggie sausage and sauté with oil over medium heat for about five minutes. Stir in the vegan cream cheese and set aside. Remove the stems from the mushrooms by gently wiggling them out (it helps to put a little bit of pressure on the under side of the cap while you coax out the stems). Stuff the hollowed out mushroom caps with the mixture and top with cheese. Arrange mushrooms on a baking sheet (in a flower pattern, perhaps?) and pop in the oven. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about five minutes before devouring.