These mushroom skewers with peanut sauce will make you forget chicken satay
Indonesia's famous satay typically features chicken, grilled on skewers and served with a spicy peanut sauce. Most vegan versions I've seen sub in tofu, tempeh, seitan or another soy- or wheat-based meat substitute. As much as I love all of those (with a special place in my heart for Indonesia's own tempeh, of course), any one of them can be off-putting to home cooks: especially meat eaters, but even vegetarians and vegans. (I once received an email from a reader who told me that he and his family make every one of my recipes every week — except the handful that have featured tempeh.)
Here's a version that will appeal to most everybody: Portobello Mushroom Satays. These skewers are quick to prepare and cook, and you can serve them as a fun, interactive appetizer for an omnivorous crowd or turn them into a main course with the addition of a little rice. The portobellos, of course, are the meatiest mushrooms around, so they're a natural. Just cook in a grill pan or skillet (or, weather permitting, feel free to head outside to the grill). The sauce comes together easily — it's a quick blend of peanut butter, ginger, lime juice, ground ancho chile and water — and a little toasted coconut offers a dash of sweetness and crunch. Eaters can dip, sprinkle and devour.
The recipe, from “Vegan in 7” by Rita Serano, lives up to the author's promise of easy plant-based recipes built from a smart — and short — ingredient list. That's something we all can get behind.