Wild Mushroom, Portabelllo and Vegan Sausage Wellington

Filling:
1 large yellow onion, chopped or thinly sliced
3 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons of chopped garlic
2 Tablespoons of each chopped: fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh tarragon, and fresh sage
2 teaspoons of white truffle oil
2 Tablespoons of white wine
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms
1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 Tablespoon of dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons of vegan butter
1 cup of pecans
1 cup of walnuts
2 Beyond Meat Sausages; Sweet Italian (7 ounces total)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

For the Wellingtons:
Vegan Puff Pastry. I use Pepperidge Farms. Follow thawing directions on the package, and have them thawed completely when you are ready to make this dish.
1/2 cup almond or soy milk for sealing the Wellington

Cook the Portobellos:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a spoon or dull knife, gently scrape off the gills from the underside of the portobello caps. Thoroughly coat the mushrooms with olive oil but don’t drown them. Using your hands is great for this.

Arrange the oiled caps, gill side up, on the baking sheet and top with the chopped herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook the mushroom caps for 10-15 minutes until they are slightly browned but still holding their shape. When they are cool, move the caps to a plate and discard the liquid.

PRO TIP: or you can save this liquid to use as broth to make risotto or as a base for a soup!

Prepare the filling:
Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and starting to gently brown. Add the herbs, stir and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the white wine and brown sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Cook for 2 more minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Heat 2 T of olive oil in the same large skillet over medium high heat. Add all the chopped mushrooms, salting them lightly, and sauté until mushrooms are tender.  Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to do the mushrooms in batches.

PRO TIP: I like to sauté each type of mushroom separately, since they have different textures and therefore slightly different cook times.

Transfer the sautéed mushrooms to the large bowl with the onions and herbs.

In the same skillet, cook the Beyond Sausage on medium heat; breaking them up into small pieces as they cook. (You can also hand crumble them before adding them to the pan.) Be careful not to overcook; cook just until the sausages are hot and slightly brown. Add the sausages to the large bowl with the mushrooms, onions and herbs.

Melt the vegan butter in a small pan and add to the large bowl mixture and combine.

Combine the pecans and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until reduced to small pieces. Add the nuts to the large bowl.  Add the breadcrumbs and combine. Add truffle oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the portobello mushroom caps in half and set aside.

When ready to assemble the Wellington, preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly flour a large piece of parchment paper (or a large cutting board. I roll this out right on my butcher block kitchen counter, floured of course).  Roll out the puff pastry dough on it to form a 10x14 inch rectangle about an 1/8 inch thick. (You’ll be folding this pastry sheet in half once the filling is added.)

Spoon half of the filling mixture onto the rectangle, lengthwise along half of the sheet on the 10” direction. Leave a border of about 1.5” on the side you are putting the filling onto. Layer the portobello cap halves on top of the filling, then add more of the filling mixture. Use your hands to softly mold the mixture so it is a gentle mound or log shape.

PRO TIP: This recipe usually makes quite a bit of mushroom filling, so you’ll probably be able to make 2 Wellingtons, or you can save it and use to fill ravioli. It also makes a great topping on crostini for appetizers.

Brush the almond or soy milk along the outer edge of the pastry sheet and also down the very center of the sheet. -Fold the empty half of the puff pastry sheet OVER to cover the mushroom mixture; matching edges. You should now have a rectangle shaped puff pastry “pocket”, with a 1” margin/border all the way around the Wellington. Press the edges firmly to seal the Wellington.

PRO TIP: I like to use a fork and press the tines into the edge like a fringe. It helps seal the Wellington and also looks really nice!

At this point, you can also use some extra puff pastry or trimming to make decorations on the top. Use the almond or soy milk to attach them to the Wellington. I like to roll scraps into “snakes” and curl them on top of the Wellington.

Bake the Wellington until puffed, golden brown and heated through; about 60-70 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve warm.

You can refrigerate the assembled Wellington for up to three days before cooking. Have fun, and enjoy!