Comfort Queen: Vegan Match Meats Chicken with Wild Rice And Mushrooms Casserole (And Other Pithy Comments)

It's always "casserole" weather in this house. Could be a hundred outside. If I have a hankering for a one-pot baked pile of yum, then that's what I'm making. I don't shy away from the foods of the "soul". This dish is a basic that is so down home, you'll be looking for a funeral to take it to. When I was putting this together and realized that the amount I had just poured into my neat little 9 x 13 casserole dish was enough to feed a family of eight comfortably (plus allow for an upper arm workout from the lifting of the dish from the oven)--well, I could only think of one thing--how many nights would we be eating this and how many different ways might I be able to sneak this into a salad or wrap. I was so wrong on the family of eight thing. Mr.Thyme and I chowed at least half of this in our first night. We gladly ate it again for dinner the next night, then another day for lunch using it in, what else: wraps. Yum.

Last night, after we all went to bed, we got a downpour so heavy that it rained like an inch in twenty minutes. Not really a Nashville situation here yet, but let me say, it is really lush and deep green outside now. I was kept awake from three a.m. until five a.m. by some very worried canines who were crawling over my head and arms attempting to hide from all the lightening and thunder. Real fun. Then the power went out. We're in for more rain, and more storms today and tonight. Such is life in the Midwest in Spring.

As vegan foods go, my goal has always been to pretty much feed myself the way I've always liked to eat: heartily and robustly. I've always had an appetite and it runs on the not-so-much bean and sprout variety. I tracked a lot of vegan food blogs prior to beginning my own. Spent many a dollar on vegan cookbooks--and must say, many of those cookbooks barely get touched--sometimes, but not a lot. I also really and truly tried to love tofu. I do not love tofu. Nor do I love beans and sprouts. Eating cruelty free for me made sense--that's not up for debate, but my vegan food also had to be good food defined by "my good". 

My first encounter with a "homemade vegan burger" turned disaster. I was close, but without that egg for binding purposes, I felt completely lost and ended in a mush burger instead. (We've corrected.) Then there was my first vegan lasagna sans ricotta cheese, well sans any cheese. How in the world would I be able to concoct something so basic and so loving without the mighty curd? (Problem solved: thank you nutritional yeast!) Well, a few years later and many attempts later, I feel I can say with confidence, the art of home cooking and comfort eating does not have to be sacrificed when one is vegan. Creativity counts and so does a good appetite. It's not rocket science, it's the hunger.

My inspiration for this came from one of my new jewels of a cookbook: Home Cooking by Trisha Yearwood. (Remember those amazing chocolate chip cookies recently, that same book.) I love her introduction to this book where she says of her recipes, If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Truer words have never been spoken--especially with foods like this. I love home cooking. I tend to shy away from the "exotic" in most of my recipes--though I will throw down a curry now and then--and love it when I do. As far as exploring, I am not one who enjoys travel and probably never will again after having spent half my life on a plane and in hotel rooms. I would rather be here in my living room surrounded by my dogs, my husband and my garden, a knitting project (not too taxing) in hand. If the hotel horrors and Zone Bar diets on-the-go of my past did anything--it solidified my desire for creature comforts. I just cannot resist a good down home meal. Period.

Speaking of creature comforts, let me detour here a moment to talk about Idol. Our one TV date night this season. (We've reserved Top Chef Masters for On Demand night.) So last night as I watched the final four on Idol, I said to Mr. Thyme, "I think I'd be happy with any one of these kids winning at this stage." Until Crystal came out full barrel and did one of my all-time favorite-college-sorority-party-all-night-get-off-your-butt-sing-along-songs: I'm Alright by Kenny Loggins from the classic laugh-your-a**-off movie: Caddyshack. The song is a bit cliche now and I have heard it and sung it myself (in a car with tinted windows rolled all the way up) a million times. But it just does something to me when I hear it! (If you've not had the pleasure, I don't know that I'd say you must run out and watch the movie immediately, but it should be watched at least before you die.) I must admit, I thought Kenny Loggins passed away. I was wrong, that was Dan Fogelberg. I was relieved to see Kenny was still kicking! (But in my heart, I still want Steve Perry to return to singing in the spotlight--please Idol, bring Steve Perry out of retirement!) Okay, so Crystal's performance along with her duet with Lee--my god, what a perfect song night. Uh, Big Mike, Michael Jackson or not, you really need to not sing songs from fish movies again. 'Kay--why not Finding Nemo--an Ellen classic? And perhaps someone should acquaint Simon with the American movie lexicon prior to movie song night. Casey could sing the phone book and I'd be cool with that. (So would half the female population I am sure.) And all I kept seeing when I watched Jamie Foxx was his role as Wanda on In Living Color. I just cannot help it. My money is on Crystal to win it right now. But tied with Lee--he has that very uber-cool Dave Matthews thing going and I just love that! That's my story and I'm sticking with it. 

Vegan Match Meats Chicken with Wild Rice And Mushroom Casserole

1 package Match Meats Chicken

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons diced onion

1 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Amino

2 tablespoons canola oil for frying

Thaw the Match--but make sure it's cool still. Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon, then shape the Match into little half dollar medallions and set aside on a plate. Heat oil on a large saute pan and cook the Match until each side is slightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside on a paper-towel covered plate.

For the rest of the casserole:

2 boxes of wild rice mix (I used Uncle Ben's because that's what Trisha used)

2 tablespoons safflower oil or canola oil

2 4 1/2 oz. jars of sliced mushrooms, reserve juice of one jar, drain the other

1 package of fresh baby bella mushrooms sliced thin 

1 large jar sliced pimentoes, drained

1 large onion chopped

5 cloves garlic minced

1 stick Earth Balance Butter (1/2 cup) sliced into pieces

4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2-to-3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

2 cups veggie broth

1/3 cup slivered almonds

2 teaspoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons dried oregano

Spike seasoning or S & P to taste

dash of cayenne

Lightly oil a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare your wild rice mixture according to package directions. Set aside when finished. In a really large saute heat the oil up over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic and fresh mushrooms. Cook until the onions soften and mushrooms begin to brown a bit. Add the flour and whisk well to incorporate. Turn heat down to medium low. Add Earth Balance, veggie broth, soy milk--whisk well allowing the butter to melt. Next, add the pre-sliced mushrooms plus juice of one jar of mushrooms, the pimentoes, seasonings and finally the rice. Mix well. Turn off heat. Now, add the sliced almonds and parsley and remaining seasonings. Add other seasonings if you want--there is no law about the seasonings for this--it's up to you as to how you'd like to season this. I like a bit of heat, so I added some cayenne. Finally, add the Match Meats Chicken pieces. Toss well to combine. Pour the entire thing into your casserole dish and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. I would be sure to place a cookie sheet on the rack below the casserole just in case it bubbles over--mine didn't do it too much, but just thought I'd mention it.