Mushroom Bourguignon over Cauliflower Mash

Dice the onion and carrots. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or pot over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrots.

While they get started, mince the garlic. And chop the mushrooms either into quarters or ⅓” thick slices. Add mushrooms and garlic to the carrot and onion. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir. Cook for 5 minutes until golden on some edges. If veggies are browning too quickly at any point, reduce the heat.

Add the tomato paste and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Next add wine (or vinegar or soy sauce), bring to a simmer, and add 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to a simmer and return to stir occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes at a steady simmer, but not a full boil.

Bring 2 ¼ cups of water to a boil over high heat in a medium pot. While that’s happening, chop the cauliflower and stems into 1 - 2 inch chunks (the only part you should set aside for this are the leaves - if you have nice leaves though, chop them up and add them to the pan with the mushroom mixture).

When the water is boiling, add the cauliflower and boil for about 10 - 12 minutes or until the florets are quite tender when pierced with a fork. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid, then drain in a colander and let it sit for a few minutes to really get all of the liquid out.

Return the drained cauliflower to the pot and melt the butter in it. Add about ½ teaspoon of salt and mash with a masher or large fork. Stir in the cream and mash until you like the consistency - you can go for very smooth or chunky. It it’s too thick, you can add more dairy or more of the cooking liquid until it’s a texture you like.

Return to the mushroom mixture and give it a taste. If it needs more salt, add another pinch. If it looks dry, add a few tablespoons of water; if it looks watery, turn the heat up and simmer another few minutes to reduce.

Serve a dollop of cauliflower mash topped with an offset scoop of mushrooms and sauce. Garnish with parmesan if you aren’t vegan.