Can An Omnivore Enjoy A Vegan Cooking Lesson? (And Will It Taste Good?)

Back in February 2013, I met my friend JL Fields after she moved to Colorado Springs from New York. She had reached out to me asking if I’d be interested in teaming up for a vegan cooking video, and even though I’m not vegan, I immediately said yes. (I’m always open to learning something new!) I hadn’t met JL before she came over to film and was a bit worried that it would be awkward since I do eat meat and had just finished filming a video that involved it and the house smelled really good, but like meat. But we immediately hit it off and I’ve considered her a good friend ever since. JL is vegan but not one to judge those who aren’t, or to judge others in general. (Offering her a glass of champagne at 10 in the morning helped too!)

Last month I attended a vegan cooking class that JL and her friend (visiting from New York,) Michael Suchman held at Nourish Organic Juice (303 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs.) The class was called “Cooking Vegan When Living With An Omnivore,” and since my husband and I are omnivores, I thought this might be a fun class while learning how to cook and eat a bit healthier perhaps, and see if what they were dishing up really tasted good.

GOING MEATLESS, EVEN JUST ONCE A WEEK IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH, CAN SAVE YOU MONEY AND IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/about-us/why-meatless/

The first thing I did was check out the ingredients they were using. Sometimes I’m not the most adventurous when it comes to trying foods I’m not familiar with and I wanted to know ahead of time if I’d want to sample later…

Ok, ingredients don’t look “weird,” to me! Now on to the cooking lesson.

Michael was up first with his “Beefless Burgundy.” When doing a cooking class, demo, or video, the cook usually does some prep work beforehand to save time. Everything Michael was using were foods I happen to love.

But there was this meatless product I wasn’t so sure about…

The meatless product Michael used is called Gardein Beefless Tips which can be found at most grocery stores. I saw it at King Soopers for $3.99 and at Safeway for $4.99. I was excited to meet Michael, a former lawyer and meat lover, because I had tried a recipe from his website veganmos.com that he and his husband Ethan run and it was so good. (Watermelon Gazpacho.) Michael is now a Certified Vegan Life Coach and Educator and you can find tons of delicious, meatless recipes on their site.

http://veganmos.com/

JL is also a Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator, a Food for Life instructor, personal chef, career coach, and cookbook author. And one of the busiest women I know! I do believe she does more in one day than I do in a month. You can check out her recipes and all the events she’s part of at…

http://jlgoesvegan.com/

The reason the class was called, “Cooking Vegan When Living With an Omnivore,” is because when JL went vegan, her husband didn’t (even though he’s now a fabulous vegan cook himself,) and when Michael and Ethan first got together, Ethan was vegan and Michael wasn’t. These recipes are reminiscent of foods they enjoyed before they became vegan, which even omnivores will enjoy…full of flavor, texture, and oh my, it all smelled so good.

So, how did they taste? Fabulous!

Here’s the recipes, which are easy to make and seriously delicious…and you won’t miss the meat.

BEEFLESS BURGUNDY –

Recipe by Michael Suchman | VeganMos.com

Ingredients:

• 1 package Gardein Beefless Tips

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 8-ounce container sliced cremini mushrooms (you can use white button mushrooms instead)

• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced

• 1 celery stalk, chopped

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 1/2 cups red wine, divided

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth

• 1 beef-less bouillon cube

Directions:

Rinse and dry (with a paper towel) beefless strips to remove seasonings. Set aside.

On a small plate, combine flour, salt, and paprika. Toss beefless tips to coat.

Heat one tablespoon 0f oil in medium skillet on medium-high heat. Add coated beefless tips and sauté for three minutes or until evenly browned. Transfer from skillet to bowl. Set aside.

Add another tablespoon of oil to skillet. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about eight minutes, on medium-high heat.

Add mushrooms to the onions in the skillet. Continue sautéing until golden brown (reduced to about half the volume,) about eight more minutes.

Add remaining oil if needed.

Add carrots and celery, sauté for an additional two minutes. Add half cup red wine, scraping bottom of skillet to deglaze. Add remaining wine.

Add vegetable broth and bouillon cube to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beefless tips, stir to coat well. Simmer for another two minutes.

Taste before adding salt and pepper, if needed, and serve.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

MUSHROOM RICE –

Recipe by JL Fields | GoVeganWithJL.com | From Vegan Pressure Cooking (January 2015)

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• 1 cup chopped or sliced mushrooms

• 1 cup long-grain brown rice

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 to 2 teaspoons tamari

Directions:

In an uncovered pressure cooker, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the rice and broth. Stir to combine.

Cover and bring to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 22 minutes. Allow for a natural release. Remove the lid and stir in tamari to taste.

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Follow first instruction, in a saucepan, and then bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 50 minutes.

UMAMI ANASAZI BEANS –

Recipe by JL Fields | GoVeganWithJL.com | From Vegan Pressure Cooking (January 2015)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried Anasazi beans, soaked for 12 hours or overnight

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 cups half-moon slices onion

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms

• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 2 cups vegan beef-style broth

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 teaspoons red miso

• 1 teaspoon tamari (optional)

Directions:

Rinse and drain the soaked beans. In an uncovered pressure cooker, heat the olive oil on high. Add the onion and sugar and cook on high for 10 minutes. You don’t want to burn the onions, but you do want caramelize them, so stirring frequently is essential, as is adding water (as necessary) to avoid sticking. After 10 minutes, the onions should be soft and brown. Add the beans, mushrooms, liquid smoke, paprika, broth, and water. Stir to combine.

Cover and bring to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 5 to 7 minutes. Allow for a natural release. Remove the lid and stir in the miso. For a saltier flavor, add the tamari.

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Follow first instruction, in a bean or soup pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, tilting lid slightly to allow steam to escape, and cook for up to an hour, or until tender.

Yield: 4 servings

And here’s the recipe JL and I originally made together the first time we met…

https://www.719woman.com/featured-on-homepage-top/mediterranean-beans-with-greens-grains-10-or-less-meal-and-vegan/