Broccoli & Mushroom Napoleons! GF, V, BED!

Tonight, my parents went out on a date night:) Cuuuute

such soft, pastel colors!

And that meant only one thing…time for a kitchen party!!

So what did I do? I went into the kitchen, turned on Justin Bieber some age-appropriate music, and made a big ol’ mess! :D I love kitchen experiments, and this was definitely one! You see, I never get too adventurous when I’m cooking for 3, in case I make an epic failure of a meal. But when it’s just me, I let my creativity soar — the sky’s the limit!

fabulously chewy mushrooms!

So what did I make? Broccoli & Mushroom Napoleons! Layers of Broccoli Cream, Sautéed Mushrooms, and Roasted Radish Cream, sandwiched between homemade Buckwheat Crackers. So. Delicious.

rich and luxurious broccoli and radish creams!

Now, you may be thinking….radish??? But trust me, when you roast radishes, they lose that spicy bite, and become wonderfully sweet — almost like candy!!

And…it’s Gluten Free, Body Ecology Diet friendly, with a Vegan option!

a terrific tower of textures and tastes :)

Here’s what you need: (serves 1 hungry tummy or 2 little appetites)

Radish Cream:
7 radishes, quartered & roasted
1/4 cup raw cashews
1-2 tsp EVOO
salt

Broccoli Cream:
1/2 stalk of broccoli w/ stem, broken into florets and steamed
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 garlic clove
salt

Buckwheat Crackers:
1/4 cup of Buckwheat, cooked in 1/2 cup veg stock
1 egg white ((Vegan Option: 1 flax or chia egg))
2 Tbsp almond flour
salt

2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your radish quarters on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil, and bake for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, cook your buckwheat until it absorbs all the liquid, about 6-7 minutes! Fluff and let cool.

Once it’s cooled, add it to a bowl with your egg white, almond flour, and salt. Mix well to combine. Take some parchment paper and cut 8 medium-sized squares. Then, divide the mixture into 4 even portions. (You’ll have 1 cracker left over). Put 1/4 of the mixture onto 1 piece of parchment. Put another piece of parchment on top and spread it out as thin as you can. LEAVE THE TOP PAPER ON…it will be a parchment paper sandwich! Do the same with the other 3 fourths of the mixture. Then, place the “parchment sandwiches” on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, when you take them out of the oven, the parchment will fall right off! YUM!

While your crackers are baking, saute your mushrooms and steam your broccoli for about 3 minutes, until tender and bright green. Rinse broccoli under ice-cold water, drain, and add to your food processor. Puree with 1 garlic clove, 1/4 cup raw cashews, juice of 1/2 a lemon, and salt. You’ll need to scrape the sides a few times. Puree until you get your smooth and thick cream. Transfer to a bowl, and rinse out your food processor — you’ll use it again!

Then, put your roasted radishes, 1/4 cup raw cashews, EVOO and salt into the food processor, and process until you get a rich cream, scraping often. By this time, your crackers will be ready.

dig in!

To assemble: Place one cracker on your plate. Dollop 2-3 Tbsp of the broccoli cream on top. Place another cracker on top of that. Then dollop 2 Tbsp of the radish cream on top, and sprinkle the top with your mushrooms. Place another small tsp of the radish cream on the mushrooms (that’s your “glue”), and place another cracker on top of that. Finally, dollop 1 Tbsp of the broccoli cream on the top and garnish with any extra mushroom slices! Dig in!

*You will have 1 extra cracker, and enough of the creams to make another napoleon. The creams would also be great as veggie dips, sandwich spreads, or on your leftover cracker:)

This meal was outrageously delicious!! Not only was it aesthetically a show stopper, but it tasted awesome! The flavors, textures, and colors made this meal one-of-a-kind! The broccoli cream had a fabulous lemony undertone, that was complimented by the subtle garlic note. And the radish cream was slightly sweet, and paired beautifully with the nutty buckwheat!

Gluten Free and Body Ecology Diet friendly!!

And the textures were outstanding! The crackers were super crunchy — we’re talking crrrrrrunch factor 101! They went so well with the luxuriously rich and creamy broccoli and radish creams. And the mushrooms chimed in with a fabulous chewiness. I ate my napoleon layer by layer…so good.

love the rosy pink radish cream:)

And finally, the colors were beautiful. The soft green, and mauve-y-pink were stunning against the golden buckwheat and dark mushrooms. Fabulous!

Do you like to listen to music while you cook? Do you ever experiment in the kitchen?

See ya tomorrow!

Need a food processor? Here's the one I use: