Getting Swole: SIMPLE Protein-Packed Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

• 1 pint raw oyster mushrooms, cleaned (or whatever mushrooms you have)

For the marinade:

• 1/3C olive oil
• 1/3C water
• 1T balsamic vinegar
• 1t dried basil
• 1t dried oregano
• salt and pepper, probably 1t each
• juice from half a lemon

1. Clean the mushrooms. Everyone says you aren’t supposed to wash mushrooms but instead clean them with a towel. I’ve never followed this advice, but far be it from me to stop you
2. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a flat dish
3. Marinate the mushrooms for 30 minutes
4. Then, transfer mushrooms and some marinade to a saute pan and cook over medium-to-low heat for 3-4 minutes. They should lose a lot of water. Once they have sweated, cook for another 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

• 1C dried couscous
• 1 1/2C water
• 1 onion, diced small
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2t paprika
• 1/2t smoked paprika
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 1/2t ground coriander
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2C diced carrots
• 1/2C diced yellow squash
• 1/4C slivered almonds
• 1/4C chopped black olives
• 2T vegan butter
• handful parsley

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes over medium high heat
2. Add the dried spices and bay leaf
3. Add the couscous and water, and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until couscous is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes
4. Meanwhile: in a small saucepan, saute the carrots and squash in a drop of olive oil until slightly browned. Add the almonds and olives about halfway through. I like to burn the almonds a little. 
5. Add the vegan butter and the contents of the small saucepan to the couscous
6. Top the couscous with parsley, and remove the bay leaf
7. Ta daaa!

• 2/3 C canola oil
• 2/3 C chickpea flour 
• 2 medium onions, small dice 
• 1C chopped carrots
• 3C chopped celery (about an entire heart plus a ½ cup or more
• 3C chopped okra
• ½ C chopped mixed bell peppers (had some red and green left over from previous night’s salad, as well as a few tomatoes!)
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1C fava beans (found the awesome frozen favas pictured at Trader Joes!)
• 5 cups broth or water
• ½ T thyme
• lots of black pepper
• ½ T salt
• 1 package tempeh 
• Several handfuls of kale or your preferred leaf
• file powder*

Directions

1. First, we will make the roux. You can use any type of fat and flour to make a roux, but I like the ease of using (and finding, no matter the land) canola oil and the extra nutrient boost and earthy flavor from chickpea flour.
2. Over medium high heat, pour the oil into a big pot and let heat for a minute. Drop a pinch of flour in, and if it bubbles, whisk in the rest of the flour. 
3. Continue stirring or whisking as it forms a paste. Be careful not to let it burn; constant attention is necessary. 
4. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes. It should brown nicely. 
5. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and cook until very soft, a good 8-10 minutes. 
6. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme, stir through.
7. Then, add the okra, peppers, and broth or water and bring to a boil. Let it boil for a minute then lower it to medium heat, add the fava beans and kidney beans, and cover. Let it cook for about 20 minutes. 
8. Meanwhile, get out a frying pan. Chop the tempeh into small bites and dry-fry it over medium high heat until it is nicely browned (probably 10-15 minutes, flip midway).  
9. Make sure the okra is really soft like a baby’s bottom. Add the kale. 
10. Once everything is really soft and yummy, add the tempeh into the pot. Let it rest on a low boil for at least 5 minutes so everything can get magical.
11. *Add file powder to individual bowls, not to the pot, because this makes a ton and file powder gets wanky in stored leftovers, and apparently could also make the fresh gumbo too thick and somewhat stringy. Just sprinkle a dash on top of your bowl. 
12. Enjoy!!!