Mushroom Étouffée 

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Earth Balance (or butter/margarine)

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 large red onion--chopped

2 stalks celery--chopped

1/2 green bell pepper--chopped

1/2 red bell pepper--chopped

2 cloves garlic--minced

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons Worcheshire sauce 

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup white mushrooms--chopped

1 large portobello mushroom--chopped

fresh lemon juice

fresh chopped parsley 

olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, hot sauce

Method:

*Heat ~3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute mushrooms. Set aside.

*Melt Earth Balance over medium heat in medium to large stock pot. Add flour. Stir and cook to make a light tan roux. Add onion, celery, peppers, garlic, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Add a dash of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Cook and stir for approximately 5 minutes until the roux is a deep brown and the vegetables are soft.

*Add Worcheshire sauce. Cook 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and sautéed mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes until mixture thickens. Adjust seasoning according to taste. Just before serving squeeze in lemon juice and add fresh, chopped parsley. Serve with rice and cornbread.