Rentia Greyvenstein
Registered Dietician (NZ), Qualified Chef
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 4 cups filtered water
- 250g brown rice pasta
- 1 bag 400g white button mushroom
- 1 bag 250g brown mushrooms
- 2 small onions
- 1-2 tbsp butter/ghee or olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 can coconut cream or milk
- 3 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, and some extra for garnish
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
Optional: 1 can white beans to increase protein content
Dietary needs: Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, sugar-free
Instructions
1. Soak the cashews
Soak the cashews in filtered water 1 to 2 hours before preparing the meal.
2. Cook the brown rice pasta
Boil water in a large pot. Place your desired amount of rice into the boiling water.
3. Chop the mushrooms and onion
Roughly chop the mushrooms and onion and place it in a food processor to break it down to a mince-like texture. You could possibly keep some of them whole, but if your knife skills are not great, place it in the blender.
4. Saute
Saute the mushroom and onion in a stainless-steel pan over medium heat, stirring every now and then for about 15 minutes. The mushrooms should caramelise and become dry and mince-like. Add a few tablespoons of water to prevent it from burning.
5. Add garlic and tamari
Once the mushrooms-mixture goes dark brown, add finely chopped garlic and 3 tablespoons of tamari to the pan and mix well. Remove from the heat.
6. Combine cashews, parsley and coconut cream
Place the cashews, parsley, and coconut cream in a blender and blend until a smooth consistency.
7. Add nutritional yeast
Add the nutritional yeast to the blender and blend again until smooth.
8. Add the cashew mixture
Add the cashew mixture to the pan and mix thoroughly.
9. Prepare the pasta and add the sauce
Strain the pasta and add the cream.
10. Plating
Season to taste, and add more parsley as a garnish.
Recipe Note:
In New Zealand, the summer is a bit slow to arrive, and we have been having a lot of rain. Vegan mushroom carbonara is a comforting dish for a rainy day but could also be eaten cold.
My meat-loving South African husband enjoys this dish and finds it hard to believe it is vegan. Also, mushrooms are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants ergothioneine and glutathione, possibly protecting us against neurological diseases and cancer.
Did you know that mushrooms are also a rich source of fiber and protein?
To learn more about the benefits of mushrooms please see our article, The health benefits of mushrooms and fungi.
Rentia is a qualified dietitian and chef who has worked in the food industry for the last decade, collaborating with companies such as Nandos and McCain, helping them with food product and recipe development.
She has had, and overcome, her struggles with food allergies and sensitivities and learned to navigate a pain disorder. She is well aware of the impact that food has on our physical and emotional well-being and believes that the food we consume is one of the best tools for healing available.
Rentia sees herself as a champion for healthy eating but is also a foodie at heart. Her passion is to enable people to eat foods that heal and nourish without making them feel deprived, and her special focus lies in child and maternal nutrition.
Rentia is hosting cooking classes at different venues around Auckland and is also seeing clients at her practice, and through a tailored and client-based approach is assisting them to get back on the path of health and recovery. You can find Rentia at The Healing Plate.
