There’s no denying that when the leaves start to turn brown, and there is that little crisp in the air that, that it is time to bring out the harvest season foods! As sad as it is to say goodbye to summer, saying hello to fall comes with pulling out my favorite sweaters and some of my personal favorite flavors. In particular, this Shepherd’s Pie is a hearty, and savory, harvest season classic that comes together in satisfying textures layered with savory, sweet, and umami. Shepherd’s Pie is a standard item in many kitchens, and it is a heavily requested dish veganized. I just know you will be making this dish all fall and winter long, and you may even be tempted to bring it out in your fall and winter season holidays.
Hen of the Woods, also known as Maitake, is an incredible and complex mushroom, with many small lips, and has a tendency to crumble. Pressing the mushrooms condenses the flavors, and squeezes out the natural liquid, allowing it to soak up a delicious marinade while firming the texture into a bite-perfect steak. Joining the already meaty flavor and texture of this mushroom, the steak will brown and bring on the smokey flavors of the marinade leaving an aroma in the air and a bold flavor on the palette. This recipe is a sneak preview inspired by the recipe in my upcoming book: Plant Based Gourmet
Jackfruit looks strange from the outside– its giant and green, oblong and covered in a million tiny green spikes– but inside it is a mildly sweet fruit somewhere between a mango and an artichoke. The young green jackfruit can be found in cans, or it can be found whole or pre-cut closer to ripe in most asian grocery stores. I always like to finish my jackfruit in a cast iron pan (I use this one from Lodge)
A little bit of bravery and a very sharp knife will cut through the thick outer skin of the whole fruit, giving you a great base that can take on many flavors from pulled v-pork to jerk v-chicken, giving you a healthy plant-based alternative to classic foods! Even better, jackfruit grows in abundance, making this a sustainable crop for local farmers year-round.
Big Picture Vegan 