At the market this week someone suggested that I try the pink oyster mushrooms because they taste like bacon! I fried them up in a little bit of coconut oil and salt and sure enough the texture and taste was much like bacon even though my son asked how I even know what bacon tastes like! This dish was built entirely around these delicious mushrooms. If you can’t find the pink mushrooms, regular oyster mushrooms will suffice.
Serves 4
The Lentils:
- 1/2 cup of organic french or pui lentils
- 3 shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
- 3 garlic scapes cut into small pieces or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup of flat leaf parsley
- 1 Tbsp. of tamari
- lots of fresh cracked pepper
- 1/2 cup of freshly chopped basil. (Reserve to garnish)
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add the lentils.
Simmer for about 1/2 hour or until they are soft but still retaining their shape. Drain and rinse. In a medium sized saucepan saute the shallots until translucent. Add the garlic scapes or chopped garlic cloves and saute a few minutes more.
Add the cooked, drained lentils to the shallots and garlic along with the tbsp. of tamari and freshly cracked pepper. Taste to adjust saltiness if desired.
Set aside while you prepare the tomatoes and mushrooms.
To roast the tomatoes:
- a bunch of market fresh tomatoes on the vine
- a drizzle of olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425. F. Rub the olive oil onto the tomatoes and then place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 25 min. or until the skins begin to crack.
Prepare the mushrooms while the tomatoes are roasting.
The Pink Oyster Mushroom Bacon:
- 1 bunch of pink oyster mushrooms, pull the petals apart
- 2 tbsp. of coconut oil
- a good sprinkling of pink himalayan salt (just to keep things pink!)
Heat the coconut oil over medium high heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt.
Cook for about 10 minutes, turning frequently to ensure that they are evenly browned and crisp.
Set aside while you prepare the polenta.
The Polenta:
- 4 cups of boiled water
- 1 cup of corn grits (I like to use Bobs Arrowhead Mills)
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup of almond milk
- 2 tsp. of avocado or olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. of truffle salt and 1/2 tsp. of pink himalayan salt (or all himalayan if desired)
Add the cornmeal to the boiled water. Simmer for 15 min. stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When it is thick and tender add the remaining ingredients. Remove it from the heat.
To Serve:
Place a generous amount of polenta on each plate. Add a large scoop of lentils, a couple of the roasted tomatoes, and then lastly arrange the mushrooms on top. Serve topped with lots of freshly chopped basil and fresh cracked pepper.
