{ raw vegan, gluten-free*, serves 2-4 as appetizer }
There’s nothing quite like warm, marinated, “roasted” mushrooms fresh out of the dehydrator. Which sounds peculiar in a way, since the first thought of dehydrated mushrooms may remind you of the packaged and shriveled specimens that need liquid to give them life.
That isn’t the least bit true in this case. When mushrooms are “cooked” in a dehydrator, they rival the flavor of a slow simmered stove top sauté. They have less moisture and more flavor intensity. Portobellos are known to be an awesome meat substitute, but they really stand on their own delicious integrity just fine. So dehydrating them is the perfect way to create a beefy-style carpaccio.
Bocconcini, being small little balls of mozzarella, have been reinvented as a cashew based “cheese”. Freshly grated horseradish gives it a really nice kick and pairs well with the sweet baby beets.
For the mushrooms:
2 large portobello mushroom caps, gills removed
1/3 cup madeira wine
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup nama shoyu*
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbs sherry vinegar
1 tsp herbs de provence
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
*for gluten-free preparation, omit nama shoyu and substitute with 1 tsp sea salt
Whisk together marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place mushroom caps in an airtight plastic bag and pour over marinade. Seal, and evenly marinate for at least 2 hours.
Place caps on lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4 hours. Remove, and thinly slice into strips.
For the beets:
8 baby beets, quartered
1 tsp good balsamic vinegar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
In a small bowl, sprinkle the beets evenly with the sea salt and let sit for an hour. Add vinegar and olive oil, turn to coat, and spread beets onto lined dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 4 hours, until vinegar has reduced and beets are glazed.
For the bocconcini:
1 cup soaked cashews
1 tbs freshly grated horseradish (or to desired strength)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tbsp cold water, for thinning
Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until as smooth as possible. Slowly drizzle in cold water as needed to smooth the mixture, but it should still be thick enough to form 1 1/2″ round balls. Refrigerate the mixture for about an hour before forming bocconcini with your hands.
To assemble:
Arrange the mushroom strips on a serving plate. Spoon over any excess marinade if desired. Sprinkle over some arugula drizzled with olive oil and sea salt (optional), followed by the baby beets and bocconcini, and serve.
<3, JMK
