½ cup, Vegan Lardons (see below*) — ½ pound extra firm tofu, 2 tsp Local Spicery Bacon Seasoning, ¼ tsp coconut aminos (optional)
3 large portobello mushrooms caps, ½” slices, 2” long
1 cup pearl onions, peeled**
1 large or 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut to ¼”x ¼”x 3” matchsticks
1 medium onion, diced
½ tsp dried thyme
3 cloves, garlic, minced
1 cup, red wine
2 TBSP, Local Spicery Bada Bing Bouillon, dissolved into 2 cups, hot water
2 TBSP, tomato paste
2 tsp corn starch
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
*Vegan Lardons – Slice ½ pound, extra firm tofu into 1/8” slices, lay flat in ziplock bag and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer and defrost in the refrigerator. Cut slices into approximately ½” squares. Marinate in 2 tsp Local Spicery Bacon Seasoning plus (optional) ¼ tsp of coconut aminos. Air fry at 350 degrees for three minutes on each side.
** Peeling Pearl Onions – Fill a large pot ½ full with water and bring to boil. While water is heating use a sharp knife to slice off the root side of the onion. Put onions in boiling water for about a minute, then rinse in a colander with cold water. Skins should now easily slide off the onion.
In a large Dutch oven, sear pearl onions until soft, with a dark brown color and a few black spots. Use small quantities of veggie broth to deglaze if they start sticking. Add mushroom, diced onion, carrots, garlic, and thyme. Sauté until onions develop a brown color. Add red wine; reduce heat to medium. Allow to reduce by about half.
Add remaining veggie broth, reserving 1 TBSP, and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve corn starch in 1 TBSP reserved broth and slowly add to the sauce. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until sauce achieves the desired consistency. Add vegan lardons and cook for a few minutes until heated.
Season with Local Spicery Sel-Acious, fresh ground black peppercorn, and Local Spicery Bacon Season, as desired.
Serve over your favorite starch (polenta, mashed potatoes, noodles, quinoa, etc.) and top with chopped fresh parsley.
