Oregano and Basil-Rubbed Vegan Marsala Flank Steak stuffed with Saffron Wild Mushrooms

I'm pretty sure that this time of year indicates the need to reflect and give thanks for what we're grateful for on this earth. The history behind Thanksgiving is atrocious, but acknowledging gratitude is important. I find it most helpful to make a pros and cons list, thus the cons highlight the pros of the past year. 

Pro: I bought the oven of my dreams, and we happily engaged and eloping to Cabo. 

Con: Grandma Jenn is quickly loosing her title as "Pimpstress of Mystery." 

Pro: I have an adorable little new pup. 

Cons: Adorable dog does not always understand that outside is the bathroom. There's no grass in my neighborhood, and buying a fake lawn patch was not the solution.

Pro: My cookbook is getting published. 

Con: My desire to tackle my workload must now overpower my desire to smoke a bong. 

Pro: I bought all new furniture. 

Con: The furniture was from Ikea. I am practically a professional contractor now.

True, the pros far outweigh the cons. I feel I've also grown a great deal as a chef, dog parent and human being. A year ago, I didn't believe I had the space in my life to care for a rescue dog, but am so glad Izzy and I found each other. I also never imagined I'd have so much laundry to do every week. 

I truly have a lot to be thankful for, especially my amazing friends and family. 

With so much positive change in just one year, that tiny-monster voice in the back of my head surfaces. I am going to tell it to STFU, and believe that all will continue on a positive path. The past has shown me the many ups and downs of life, and I'm not used to so much good. It's tough for me to imagine anything going completely sideways. To protect myself a bit, I find it important to note that, even during one of the best years of my life, there was some little bad amongst the good. Life is never all good or bad. 

I'm also truly thankful for my family's undying emotional support of my creative endeavors, my OCD cleaning tendencies + my new lime green vacuum. Also, The Veggie Grill for opening up the street from me. The now 5+ restaurants that will deliver vegan pizza to my home. My new, bangable oven. Armor-All doggie training pads. My sister's unparalleled dedication and intelligence levels, and her graduation from college this year. My super cool neighbor that sells cosmetics to Sephora. And lastly, Best Buy for declining my credit card application and saving me from acquiring debt. 

Side note: Does anyone ever get approved for a Best Buy card? I have several credit cards that I pay off immediately and pretty great credit. 

2009 was a good year indeed. 

 

Oregano and Basil-Rubbed Vegan Marsala Flank Steak stuffed with Saffron Wild Mushrooms

• 1/2 cup Tamari
• 1/8 cup Marsala Wine
• 1 1/2 cups tightly packed Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1/4 cup Fresh Oregano Leaves
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• Splash of Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• Pinch of Black Pepper
• 2 TBSP Vegan Butter
• Pinch of Spanish Saffron Threads
• 1/4 cup Shallots, finely diced
• 1/2 Leek, white part only, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup Oyster Mushrooms, sliced
• Large pinch of Salt, for Mushrooms
• Black Pepper, to taste, for Mushrooms
• 1 1/4 batch of Vegan Beef* (Recipe follows, or sub Vegan Roast/Beef products)

*When making the Vegan Beef, instead of cutting into steak size pieces before dropping into the broth, leave it all in one piece. Shape it into a long, flat rectangle that's about 7-8 inches long and about 4-5 inches wide. 

Drop into the broth and boil for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes. Drain well, and you're ready to go. It should look like this...

 

Place the vegan Steak in a large, shallow container. Combine the Tamari and Marsala wine, then pour over the steak. Allow the steak to marinate for 1/2 hour on each side. 

When finished marinating, reserve the marinade for a dipping sauce. *You can also reduce it in a saucepan if desired.*  

In your food processor or blender, puree the Basil, Oregano, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper until it forms a uniform paste. Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Preheat your oven's broiler. In a medium saucepan, melt the vegan butter, then add the Saffron, Leeks and Shallots. Sauté 5-8 minutes, until soft. 

Add all the mushrooms to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Set aside. 

Butterfly slice the "steak" so that it opens like a book, being careful not to cut the "steak" into two separate pieces. Place the mushroom stuffing inside of the steak, then roll it up lengthwise and tie up well with kitchen twine. It will now look like this...

  Rub the steak all over with the Basil/Oregano paste, then CAREFULLY broil for 5-10 minutes per side until brown but not drying out (aka, keep an eye on this shit). Let it rest for 2-3 minutes, remove twine, carve and serve.