Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff with Vodka

Serves 4

Season: Winter

101 Cookbooks

If you have an Instant Pot, please make this. Please. Pasta fans especially, this one is for you. It is an Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff. And, as many of you know, within the Instant Pot community, mushroom stroganoff is quite popular. You see many versions of it highlighted. Some are over-the-top decadent, others are quite healthy and hearty. This is my take, trying to land squarely in the later camp.

My rogue move? Infuse a bit of vodka with crushed caraway seeds. Use it to spike your mushroom base as it cooks. So, a bit like penne alla vodka, but the mushroom stroganoff version. You can use whatever pasta you like (whole-grain, gluten free, chickpea, rice, etc.), I use creamy nut milk in place of actual cream, and a splash of olive oil to kick things off to start, in place of slabs of butter. You won't miss any of it. This version is vegan, vegetarian, cozy, comforting, simple, and adaptable.

Recipe by 101 Cookbooks. 

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound brown mushrooms, stemmed, chopped 1/2-inch
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
• 1 3/4 cup mushroom broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 cups dried pasta (see headnotes)
• 1/2 cup homemade cashew cream*, or almond milk
• to serve:
• lots of dill, or chives and some toasted almonds

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine the caraway seeds and the vodka, set aside. Sauté the olive oil and onions in the Instant Pot on the highest SAUTE setting for a minute or two. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms, and cook for a few minutes more, until everything softens up a bit. Stir in the tomato paste, and then the flour, and cook, stirring gently, but constantly for another few minutes, to toast the flour a bit. Add the mustard, salt, and pepper, broth, and pasta. Give one last stir to distribute the pasta evenly, and press CANCEL to stop the SAUTE.

2. Close the pot, and secure the lid. SEAL the valve. Select PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL) and calculate your cooking time. To do this, refer to your pasta package, the time will be half of the shortest recommended cooking time, rounded down to nearest minute. For example my pasta package recommended 7 - 9 minutes. Take the smaller number (7), cut in half (3.5), round down to nearest whole number (3). SET/ADJUST TIME - in my case, to 3 minutes. When finished, carefully QUICK RELEASE pressure by shifting the valve to VENTING. Gently shake or tap the pressure cooker, and then carefully open away from you. Stir in the vodka-caraway mixture, simmer for a few more minutes, and stir in cashew milk. Taste and adjust seasoning, serve topped with lots of dill and almonds.

 

NOTES:

*Puree 1 cup of cashews, and 2 cups of water in a high-speed blender for a full minute or two. If you don't have a high-speed blender, please soak the cashews in water for at least an hour before blending for smoothest consistency.

Stovetop Version: Follow the instructions, up to the point of adding the pasta, cooking in a large skillet (instead of the Instant Pot). Cook the pasta separately in a pot of salted water, and stir it into the mushroom mixture. Finish with the cashew milk, and toppings.

Kale-boosted Variation: Stir a few big handfuls of well-chopped kale into the mushroom stroganoff just after it finishes cooking. Let it collapse a bit over a couple of minutes, and stir in the cashew cream before serving.

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