Vegan Sautéed Shallot, Crimini and Fennel Green Bean Casserole: A Repost, because I said so.

What?! A repost? Jenn's getting that lazy?! No, silly panda. I just happen to make this every Thanksgiving as it's always a hit. And it's a bit of a spoiler for my soon-to-be-released cookbook, so why the hell not. Plus, my life has been crazier than usual in a major way lately, so I give myself full license.

Well, where to begin describing the blissful chaos that is my present life? For starters, I'm back in the Gayborhood! I'm beyond excited to once again be a resident of the city of West Hollywood. I mean, what the hell was I going to do with all my rainbow spandex in the damn Valley? On the downside, it meant I once again had to disassemble my kitchen and place recipe testing on hold. Let me tell you two orgasmic reasons that made the process entirely worth it:

A) My new kitchen has a bitchin' professional oven.
B) I have a KITCHEN ISLAND!

Now, don't be mistaken. I am not rich enough to afford an apartment with an island of granite already built in. No, no. Mine is of the Target.com, assemble-yourself-with-great frustration variety. But it's an island, nonetheless. And it's all mine. On wheels. So there.

What's also been keeping my blogging at bay has been the insane amount of traveling I've been doing over the past month in between (and around) the moving of apartments.  I went to San Francisco twice, one visit spent dramatically more sober than the other. As I write this post, I lie in one of most amazing, dingy motels Portland, Oregon has to offer. We're having an amazing time so far. I've been to Food Fight!, Hungry Tiger Too, (thanks, SugarHighVegan for taking us there and Quarrygirl for the referral), Vita Cafe (faux turkey benedict-gasm), and tonight I'm off to Portobello. I can't wait to try a level of vegan cuisine that rivals my own. Hopefully I won't be such a baby and leave crying because they show me up.

Of course, there's been quite a bit of crazy (good) in my personal life, too, but I'll save that story for a rainy day.

Three recipes on the slate for next week. Expect a slew of posts before the end of the year, kids.

Happy Chanukah!

Vegan Sautéed Shallot, Crimini and Fennel Green Bean Casserole

* 1 1/2 lbs Ready To Go Fresh Green Beans (recipe follows)
* 1 cup Vegan French Friend Onions
* 6 TBSP Vegan Butter
* 6 TBSP Flour
* 1/2 tsp Salt
* Fresh Cracked Pepper, to taste
* 1 1/4 cup Imagine Foods Creamy Portobello Soup
* 1/4 cup Vegan Heavy Cream
* 1/2 TBSP White Miso Paste
* 2 1/2 TBSP Corn Starch mixed with 3 TBSP Cold Water
* 1/4 cup Shallot, diced
* 1/2 bulb Fresh Fennel, diced
* 1 cup Crimini Mushrooms, chopped
* 2 TBSP Vegetable or Canola Oil
* 2 tsp Fresh Garlic, minced
* 1/2 tsp each of Dried Sage, Marjoram and Thyme

To Prepare The Green Beans:
First, make sure your beans are trimmed and ready to go. Place 3 quarts of water in a large sauce pot, and bring to a boil.
Get a large bowl with ice water ready. Keep it in the freezer so it stays chilled. Add 1 1/2 TBSP Kosher salt and the green beans to the boiling water. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes or until crisp-tender and still bright green. Keep an eye on the beans just in case they start to brown before the 6 minutes is up.
Drain beans in a colander, then plunge into the ice water. Drain well, then place a double layer of paper towels in single layer to dry, and top with a double layer of towels.

The Casserole...
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté garlic and shallots for 30 seconds, then add fennel, mushrooms, herbs and spices. Sauté until slightly softened. Remove the pan from heat, and set aside.

Using a whisk, in a very large sauce pan, melt the Vegan Butter over medium-high heat. And flour, 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper, and whisk together. Add the miso paste, and blend in well. Pour Creamy Mushroom Soup and Vegan Heavy Cream in gradually while constantly stirring. Continue stirring until the mixture begins to boil and thickens.

Add the green beans to the rest of the sautéed vegetables and about half of your French fried onions to the sauce pan, and stir well.

Pour that mixture into a casserole dish or pan and top with remaining French fried onions. Bake in oven at about 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Remove. Eat. Let it cool if you're more patient than I am. Enjoy.