Mmmmm Mmmmm Good

Last night we served dinner at the Salvation Army. The menu was Hamburger Hotdish - basically Hamburger - browned with onion with a bunch of Mushroom Soup - topped with Tater Tots - it's a favorite with the kids up here - I had never heard of it down south. This was served with a big pot of mixed vegetables. And for dessert we made cupcakes. I went to our church to cook the food about 2:00 and then we hauled everything up to the Salvation Army building about 6:00 PM to serve. So, what's a vegan to do when she has to sit at a table with a bunch of people eating the above. Well, she plans ahead and makes an exact vegan copy of what they are having. I made a tiny "Hamburger" hotdish and a bowl of mixed veg - no butter and had that ready in the kitchen for when it was time for the servers to sit down and eat.



I made my vegan Mushroom soup:

1 can Mushroom stems and pieces - put the whole thing in the food processor and pulse a couple of times - or if you like the big chunks just leave it as it is.
2 cups of soy milk - I used light this time but I've used full fat before - it makes a creamier soup.
1 vegetable bouillion cube
2 shakes of cayenne pepper - not sure how much that is - adjust to your taste - I like it better than black pepper which seems too harsh for a nice rich mushroom soup.
A pinch of garlic powder - again you don't want it to be overpowering.
2 Tablespoons of flour.

I just stir it with a whisk until it's thick and bubbly. It's the perfect base for a green bean casserole with french fried onions on top. And it's good with some Saltine crackers for lunch.

For my tiny hotdish, I cooked some chopped onion in the micro - see the world's hottest onions post - and added some Morningstar Farms crumbles and stirred in enough Mushroom soup to make it creamy and topped with tater tots. When I went back to the kitchen and got my plate - it looked exactly like everyone else's, except that my mixed veg was not overcooked - haha.