Fancy Vegan Food!

Very finely chop the oregano and parsley. This should take about 5 minutes per herb. Take your time, you want it cut small.Dissolve the kosher salt in the waterCombine the garlic, red pepper flakes and minced herbsStir in the red wine vinegar, then stir in the olive oilStir in the salt water mix.Bring 1 cup water to a boil and pour it over the dried mushroom, allow them to steep for at least 30 minutes to soften.Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, but be sure to keep the liquid for the Portobello Mushrooms later on.Heat a heavy pan – like cast iron – over medium high heat until hotRub a little oil on the cut side of the onionsPlace them cut-side down in the pan and leave them to char for about 2 minutes. Once the edge is blackened, flip the onions over and add ½ cup water to the pan.Remove the pan from the heat. Once the water stops sim.mering, remove the onions. They will be tender by now.Set the onion petals asideCombine the potatoes, salt and 1 quart of water in a medium pot. Bring to a boilReduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered until the potatoes are tenderDrain well.Mash them thoroughly with a potato masher, or pass them through a food mill or ricer.Stir in the vegan butter until it is completely absorbedPass the potato mixture through a super fine strainer (known as a tamis), this will make it ridiculously smoothHeat the non-dairy milk until just below the boiling point, stir it in to the potatoes. You are look to make them very soft, but still firm enough to hold in a mound. Add more non-dairy milk as needed.Keep them warm.Slice the lobster mushrooms in large piecesHeat a teaspoon of oil or butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat.Add the onion or shallot and garlic, cook until tenderAdd the mushrooms and cook until tender and the colour is vivid. About 5 minutes.Set aside and keep warm (on a plate, wrapped in foil, in your oven on its lowest setting)Toss the Haricots Verts in just enough oil to coat them lightly.Season with salt and pepperHeat a heavy pan – like cast iron – over medium high heat until very hot.Add the green beans in a single layer.Press on them gently so that they stay in contact with the hot pan.After a minute or so, they should be charred. Flip them and repeat on the other side.You are looking to remove them when they are tender but will some crispness remaining.Heat a heavy pan – like cast iron – over medium heat.With a sharp knife, carefully score a crosshatch pattern on each side of the mushroom, slicing about â…›-inch deep. Repeat with the other mushroom piecesAdd the butter to the pan. Once melted, place the mushrooms in an even layer in the pan.Leave undisturbed for a couple of minutes to brown them well. After a couple minutes, give them a look. If they are not a deep golden brown yet, let them keep cooking.Flip the mushrooms and add the crushed garlic clove to the panAllow to sear for another couple of minutes until the second side is well browned.Pour in the reserved strained mushroom soaking liquid.Simmer until the sauce is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, baste the Portobellos frequently during the simmering. It will have reduced in about 5 minutes. Quickly remove the pan from the heat and set aside.Remove the mushrooms from the simmering liquid and keep warm as you assemble the plate.Ultimately there should be a bit more than 1 tablespoon of the pan jus left.Place two dinner plates in a low oven to warm (do this when you start the cooking the portobellos ).Check that all of your components are ready, and that those that need to be hot have been heatedRemove the plates from the oven. Look down on them an imagine the position that the hands of a clock would take (top/bottom 12 and 6, left/right 9 and 3)Beginning at the 9 o’clock position, just in from the rim, spoon a mound of potato puree. Aim for about the size of a golf ball, maybe a bit more.Place your spoon near the centre of the puree, rounded back of the spoon facing the right side of the plate, pressing it all the way through until it touches the plate. In one motion, both pull the spoon towards the 3 o’clock position and begin to lower the handle towards the plate. That will create a nice streak of potato.Place half of the green beans to the right of the main mound of potatoes (pretty much the centre of the plate). All the tips should be pointing in the same direction. Tips pointing to 11 o’clock, stem end to 5 o’clock.Lay a mound of lobster mushrooms at the 4 o’clock position such that they are next to the stems of the green beans and overlap the end of the potato puree streak.Lay two of the Portobello mushroom steaks over the green beans. They can be crossed over one another.Place an onion petal in a position that looks pleasing. Leaning on the portobellos is nice.Spoon a little of the chimichurri over top f the mushroom.Spoon half of the reserved mushroom jus in a circle around the plate, between the rim and the rest of the food.Sprinkle over a little bit of the finely diced tomatoes in areas that you feel need a touch more colour.Sprinkle a little finishing salt on the Portobello mushrooms.With a warm, damp towel, wipe the plate rim to remove any mess or fingerprints.“Hands Please! Entrees, table 2, hot food!”