Roasted Asparagus and Portabella Mushrooms with Horseradish Sauce

Finding prepared horseradish can be tough for a vegan. All too often, the brands I find in the grocery store are mayonnaise-based. Every now and then I'm able to find a jar that is just horseradish and vinegar, but once that jar runs out, I risk not being able to find it again.

So I was thrilled to notice horseradish root in the produce section of my supermarket. I chose the one that seemed the freshest--some were getting soft, so I skipped those--and brought it home to experiment with. This recipe is the result of my first experiment. In it, the horseradish is barely discernible. It turns out that cooking horseradish reduces its "heat" considerably; it also turns out that if you want to keep horseradish spicy after you've pureed it, you need to add vinegar to stop the flavor from escaping. So, if you want a horseradish sauce with more kick to it, add the fresh horseradish at the end (and taste as you add) or add a little vinegar to the horseradish before you put it in the sauce. But, if you want a sauce with only a hint of horseradish and no fire, this one's for you!



Roasted Asparagus and Portabella Mushrooms with Horseradish Sauce

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 large portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup plain soymilk
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. pureed fresh horseradish (or prepared horseradish to taste)
1 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp. water

Note: Be careful pureeing the horseradish because the fumes can be overpowering. If you use a food processor, turn your head away as you remove the top after processing.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the asparagus and mushrooms in a large, oiled baking dish and sprinkle with 2 cloves garlic. Roast, stirring every 5 minutes, for 10-15 minutes, until asparagus are just starting to brown. Remove to a serving dish.

While the vegetables are roasting, make the sauce: Heat the soymilk in a saucepan and add the 1 tsp. garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, horseradish, basil, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils. Add the cornstarch/water mixture, and stir until thickened. Pour over asparagus and mushrooms to serve.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free