Gardein "Beef" Red Wine Stew

I guess you could technically call this a vegan "Beef Bourguignon", but this dish seems to be a lot more than just "beef and red wine". I know I'm not breaking any molds here by making a stew. According to wikipedia they've been making stews since the 4th century BC, but I'd like to think they weren't making mock-meat stews like this. In fact, I bet they weren't this good.

I like this stew a lot. Stews sometimes have the bad rap of being bland, and it makes sense. I think people rely on the beef flavor too much. But when you're working with mock meats, you have to be a little more inventive. It doesn't really matter what red wine you use, it's just an accent to the overall flavor. The touch of chipotle powder adds a smokiness and the basil & oregano give it some herby savoriness. By adding the carrots last, they don't get overcooked and mushy-- and I hate mushy carrots. So you have some good texture contrasts in there. And if you've never had gardein before, you'll love these skewers. They have a meat-like texture with a beefy flavor, which is good for a "beef" stew.


[[Gardein "Beef" Red Wine Stew]]
Serves 4. Or 2 if you're hungry.

2 tbs. vegetable oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2 packages of Gardein BBQ skewers
1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley
1 tbs fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 1/4 cup red cooking wine
2 cups no-chicken broth
1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, sliced
more parsley for garnish

-- In a ziplock bag or a large bowl, add flour and onion powder. Mix together to fully incorporate the onion powder.
-- Remove the gardein from the packages and remove skewers. Rinse the gardein chunks with cold water to remove excess sauce.
-- Place rinsed gardein in the flour mixture and shake to full coat in flour. Remove coated gardein from the flour mixture and discard excess flour. Set aside the gardein.
-- Get a large pot and add 2 tbs vegetable oil. Heat on medium/high heat.
-- When heated, add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Lower the heat if the garlic starts to burn.
-- Add the gardein to the heated vegetable oil/garlic mixture. Allow the gardein to get crispy and flip to cook the other sides. About 3-5 minutes per side.
-- Lower the heat to a medium/low. Add the onions & all the spices and cook with the gardein about 5 minutes allowing them to get soft.
-- When softened, add the red wine. The red wine will simmer down and should begin to thicken from the flour on the gardein. This may take 5-10 minutes. Raise heat if it's not simmering.
-- After it simmers and thickens, add 2 cups of warmed no-chicken broth. Stir to fully incorporate.
-- Add the carrots, mushrooms, and bay leaf. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. It will begin to thicken some more and the vegetables will soften.
-- Serve over mashed potatoes or rice and garnish with parsley. Remove the bay leaf first!