My husband is from South New Jersey and grew up on delicious fare like the infamous Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich. Before I went veggie, you bet your ass I had one made in its native habitat “up north.” And no, they cannot replicate them worth anything outside the area! It’s something in the bread, the water…I don’t know. Anyway…thank you Daiya, for making vegan cheese that tastes great, stretches and melts just like it’s cow-made counterpart. Hubby thought the cheddar shreds we used tonight tasted eerily like the real thing! Needless to say, this one’s going to be a regular on our “Bar Food Sundays” menu.
Ingredients:
2 large green bell peppers (make sure to get ones that stand pretty level on their own)
2 large green bell peppers (make sure to get ones that stand pretty level on their own)
1 log of LightLife brand Gimme Lean Ground Beef style veggie meat
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
3 shallots or one small sweet onion thinly sliced
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 cup Daiya vegan cheddar cheese
Paprika and black pepper to taste
Make:
Preheat oven to 425. Slice shallots and mushrooms and set aside. Heat oil in a medium skillet on medium/high heat and add onions and garlic. Sautee until the “raw” garlic smell goes away. Add the log of Gimme Lean veggie meat and cut it into smaller chunks with the spatula. Then, smash with a fork until it’s chopped into small pieces. Season with paprika and pepper now if you wish. Add mushrooms and sautee about 10 minutes or until veggie meat starts to brown. If you feel like the meat is drying out while you are browning it, don’t add more oil; add a few tablespoons of water at a time to keep it moist. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut tops off bell peppers and gently remove the core with a knife and/or spoon. Sprinkle a layer of the Daiya cheese on the bottom of the pepper, followed by a layer of the veggie meat mixture. Repeat layers, gently pressing them down firm so as to pack it into the pepper tightly until you reach the top. Cover with a generous amount of Daiya cheddar shreds and roast for about 25 minutes on the rack in the middle or bottom third of the oven until the peppers are soft, but not so soft they fall apart. You want them to be soft, but just crisp enough to still hold all that cheezestake goodness inside. Serve with a side salad or sweet potato fries. Makes 2 large stuffed bell peppers.
Veggie Diva's Kitchen 