New Orleans Inspirations: Cream of Root Beer & Cream of Almond Shaved Ice

• 1 pint raw oyster mushrooms, cleaned (or whatever mushrooms you have)

For the marinade:

• 1/3C olive oil
• 1/3C water
• 1T balsamic vinegar
• 1t dried basil
• 1t dried oregano
• salt and pepper, probably 1t each
• juice from half a lemon

1. Clean the mushrooms. Everyone says you aren’t supposed to wash mushrooms but instead clean them with a towel. I’ve never followed this advice, but far be it from me to stop you
2. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a flat dish
3. Marinate the mushrooms for 30 minutes
4. Then, transfer mushrooms and some marinade to a saute pan and cook over medium-to-low heat for 3-4 minutes. They should lose a lot of water. Once they have sweated, cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

• 1C dried couscous
• 1 1/2C water
• 1 onion, diced small
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2t paprika
• 1/2t smoked paprika
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 1/2t ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2C diced carrots
• 1/2C diced yellow squash
• 1/4C slivered almonds
• 1/4C chopped black olives
• 2T vegan butter
• handful parsley

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium high heat
2. Add the dried spices and bay leaf
3. Add the couscous and water, and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until couscous is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes
4. Meanwhile: in a small saucepan, saute the carrots and squash in a drop of olive oil until slightly browned. Add the almonds and olives about halfway through. I like to burn the almonds a little. 
5. Add the vegan butter and the contents of the small saucepan to the couscous
6. Top the couscous with parsley, and remove the bay leaf
7. Ta daaa!

• 2C all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
• 1t baking powder
• 1t salt
• 3/4C Earth Balance or vegan margarine
• 1/2C cold water

Directions:

1. Mix your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the margarine in with a pastry cutter or your fingers. I have a pastry cutter, but I used my fingers here! Ohhh livin’ on the veeedge.
3. Add the water and mix into a ball, then knead well, about 15 times.
4. Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for an hour.
5. Take the dough out and let thaw for 30-45 minutes before rolling out.
6. Preheat your oven to 350°.
7. Roll out to about 1/4inch thick and cut into small squares that will cover the bottoms of your muffin tins.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, just long enough to set the shape but not too long that they are fully cooked.

For the filling
Ingredients:

• 1 very large onion (to make about 2C diced)
• 1T olive oil
• 1t salt
• 1 box (12 oz.) silken tofu
• 5t The Vegg egg replacer powder
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 3T nooch

Directions:

1. First, we’re going to caramelize the onions!! Get a big heavy stock pot, heat your oil over medium-low heat, and add your onions. Cook, stirring often, for about 30-40 minutes over medium heat, to caramelize the onions. Add a pinch of salt halfway through. You can totally just brown your onions over high heat if you don’t have the time or patience, but caramelizing onions is one of those amazing magic tricks you should learn to do someday.
2. While your onions cook and then cool, mix your tofu, Vegg, salt and pepper, and nooch into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to mash the tofu. Do not puree or blend it, as it’s much more authentically egg-like when simply mashed roughly.
3. Add your onions to the tofu mixture.
4. Once you’ve prebaked your pie shells for 10 minutes and cooked your onions, fill each shell with the onion tofu mixture and press gently down. Put all the shells in a large glass baking dish (or two) and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes.
5. Check at 30 minutes to make sure yours aren’t burning.
6. Ta daaa! Enjoy!