MUSHROOM & WALNUT SPICY "BOLOGNESE"

Hey guys! This is André. It's about time that we'd share the one recipe that turns us into wild animals and makes us eat twice as much as we probably should. Like our recipe for Black Bean & Avocado Quesadillas with Grilled Shiitake, this one was inspired by one of the recipes Rita used to make before we became vegetarian/vegan. She used to make a mean bolognese like no other. This plant-based interpretation of her old original recipe is absolutely delicious and it requires only whole, natural ingredients. Neither of us is fond of meat-like products and substitutes such as soy and seitan because they really make us feel like we're actually eating meat. Maybe that's precisely what some vegans and vegetarians look for in their meals, but for us, the idea of eating meat has become as irrational as eating a bar of soap or a piece of charcoal. So we're a bit put off whenever we get served a meal with meaty, spongy processed soya chunks.

We slice and chop the cremini mushrooms into different sizes and chop the walnuts into little pieces — these ingredients alone provide all the texture this hearty "bolognese" needs. The sauce is packed full of flavour thanks to the balanced mix of herbs, spices and condiments. Apart from being really quick to make, it is also a great freezer-friendly recipe that constantly saves our butts whenever we work late and don't feel like cooking. We usually serve it with spelt or quinoa spaghetti with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan "cheese", but we're thinking it would be great over some mashed potatoes or perhaps in a veggie lasagna. Give this one a go and let us know how it went!