Stuffed Mushrooms with Cashew Cream Couscous - Vegan

Step 1

First things first, soak the cashews in plenty of very hot (but not boiling) water. Set a timer for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Place the couscous, chives or scallions, olive oil and crumbled stock cube in a Tupperware box, mix to distribute the olive oil well, and pour the boiling water in. Quickly stir again, and seal the Tupperware container. Leave for at leave for at least five minutes without disturbing.

Step 3

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and use a teaspoon to carefully scrape out the gills to make more room for the all-important stuffing.

Step 4

Chop off the old dry end of the stems, and finely chop the mushroom stems by hand. If you are a martyr (mushroom stems take quite a while to chop finely because of their funny shape). Preferably quickly blitz in a food processor/pulse a few times in a blender, which is MUCH quicker.

Step 5

Dry-fry the chopped mushroom stems until they begin to stick, then add in the oil and crushed garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is lightly toasted and a pale brown. Immediately tip out the garlic mushroom stems into a mixing bowl.

Step 6

Turn on the oven to 180C Fan/200C.

Step 7

Fluff up the couscous with a fork and mix into the mushrooms well.

Step 8

By about now the timer for the cashews should be going off. Drain the cashews and tip into your blender or food processor along with all the other ingredients for the cashew cream sauce apart from the water. Process, adding a little of the water at a time and scraping down the sides, until the cashew sauce is creamy and smooth with no lumps.

Step 9

Mix the cashew sauce into the couscous and mushroom stems. Taste and check for salt, adding some if necessary (remember that stock cubes usually contain quite a bit of salt). Fill the prepared mushrooms, mounding the couscous on top so that they are really full.

Step 10

Add any optional toppings by pressing them into the top of the mounded couscous, and bake for 15-20 minutes. 15 minutes will give you soft cooked mushrooms and stuffing, while 20 will give a slightly crispy toasted edge to your stuffing.

Step 11

Enjoy!