VEGAN CHAMPIGNONS GRILLÉS

[Vegan Broiled Mushroom Caps]

...this is a really easy and pretty recipe...the only 'difficult' part being the little fluted decoration of the caps...but you can, of course, omit that step is you want to without affecting the flavor at all...

...Julia says they are usually a garniture...but can be served as a separate vegetable or on toast as an hors d'oeuvre...which would be pretty...and tasty I'm sure...we had ours alongside some TVP beef tips...and they were delicious...

...wash and dry the caps...and separate the stems...save them for duxelles...

...Julia gives explicit instructions for how to flute the caps in the section above the recipe...she doesn't specifically say to flute the caps for this recipe...I just thought it'd be pretty...

...we arranged single servings in little boat shaped baking dishes...

...then brushed them with melted Earth Balance...

...you actually broil them upside down...or hollow side up...just sprinkled with salt and pepper...

...I turned ours back right side up to serve...so the pretty fluted tops would be visible...

...and we had them quite simply with TVP beef strips, a baked potato and salad...

...they were so simple and delicious...I do love mushrooms...if I were serving these for company though...I'd probably bake them in another dish as this dish they were baked in looks a little 'dirty'...

Substitutions:

only Earth Balance for the Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking p. 512...

Vegan Fonds d'Artichauts Mirepoix

[Buttered Artichoke Bottoms with Diced Vegetables]

...so now at the third recipe we finally get to eat the artichoke bottoms...and this part is pretty easy...

...you just cook the diced celery, carrots and onions in Earth Balance...

...and then add some country ham flavored TVP...

...when the veg and tvp ham are tender but not browned spoon them over the artichoke bottoms...

...and bake covered with buttered wax paper like in the VEGAN FONDS D'ARTICHAUTS AU BEURRE...

...very tasty...and I may even make it again...except I'll probably use canned artichoke bottoms instead of going to all the trouble of making them fresh...it'd be a lot less expensive and time consuming...and probably just as about as good...but fresh is always better...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for the Butter
TVP ham for the ham

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking p. 432...

VEGAN FONDS D'ARTICHAUTS AU BEURRE

[Buttered Artichoke Hearts/Bottoms, Whole]

...so...after you've gone to all the trouble of 'preliminary cooking' of the artichoke bottoms...VEGAN FOND D'ARTICHAUTS À BLANC ...you get to move on to the much simpler recipe for Buttered Artichoke Bottoms...whole...

...first you heat some Earth Balance in a casserole until bubbly...then Julia says to put the artichoke bottoms top down in the casserole...but I put mine bottom down...just because I thought they were pretty fragile and they'd get squashed if I put them top down...

...then you spread some Earth Balance on a piece of waxed paper and cover the artichokes with it...

...I thought it was funny that Julia warns you NOT to overcook the artichoke...because I thought they were pretty well overcooked already...

...so how could another 20 minutes in the oven hurt...HA!...

...and here they are...as Julia says 'ready' to receive any filling your recipe directs...so this is not a final recipe either...funny...I would have eaten them like they are...

Substitutions:

Only Earth Balance for the Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking p. 431...