Originally posted on March 24, 2021
‘Good things come from bad things.’ That was a quote I heard during 2020 and I have thought of it often since. Jann Arden said it during the first episode of “The Jann Arden Podcast” recorded after the lockdown went into effect in 2020. If you haven’t downloaded, streamed, or otherwise found a way to listen to this Canadian gem’s podcast, go do so now. You can thank me later.
But yes, good things do come from bad things. I loved cooking before there was such a thing as a pandemic, and I knew a lot about it. During the pandemic, though, I had a little more time to explore and to learn about things didn’t know much about before. I stumbled upon Tabitha Brown, a vegan (Jann would approve) and I fell in love. This woman has crazy energy, a super inspiring story, and a way to make you look at food in a way you may have not thought of before.
To be clear, I am not a vegan. I love meat. My family loves meat. But, I also always love a new approach to food, no matter what that is. So, I followed Tabitha for months, just to see what she would do with food next. Recently, she posted a video for Vegan Deviled Eggs and I knew I had to try it. I love deviled eggs. I love mushrooms. I love everything about it. I even ordered black salt from Amazon to try the recipe. It really does taste like eggs, just like Tab says! I did make some modifications to the recipe, only out of necessity. Again, I’m not vegan and so I don’t keep vegan mayo on hand. I used regular mayo. I also didn’t have garlic powder (because I forgot it during the last trip to the store) so I used some finely chopped roasted garlic I had in the fridge. Also, she calls for sweet relish in her recipe and I will never have that in my fridge. I just chopped two small gherkins into the mix and called it a day.
Below I give you her full vegan recipe, and the separate one that I made with modifications. Mine was phenomenal. I bet Tab’s is even better. If you haven’t checked out Tabitha Brown or Jann Arden‘s podcast yet, now is a good time to see what they’re about. You will not be sorry.
Tabitha Brown’s ingredients:
5 cups mushrooms
1 jar pickle juice (for marinade)
2 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
4 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/8 cup sweet relish
2 tablespoons dried dill
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black salt
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
Smoked paprika
Kate’s ingredients:
7 – 14 small to medium mushroom caps
1 jar pickle juice (for marinade)
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
4 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 small gherkins, chopped finely
2 tablespoons fresh dill
2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped finely
1 teaspoon black salt
A pinch of sea salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
Smoked paprika
The biggest difference in the instruction between Tab’s recipe and mine is that I add a little water to the chickpeas when pureeing. Otherwise, the instructions are:
1.) Wash mushroom caps thoroughly and place in marinade for one to five days.
2.) Place chickpeas in a food processor and add water, only if using my variation. Blend until smooth.
3.) Place blended chickpeas in a bowl and add mustard, mayo, gherkins or relish, and other spices and herbs, except smoked paprika.
4.) Drain mushroom caps on paper towels and dab to ensure they are as dry as possible.
5.) Turn each mushroom cap upside down and top with creamy chickpea mixture. Sprinkle with smoked paprika.
6.) Serve and enjoy!