I couldn't find any vegan recipes for panko-breaded portabellos, so I went out on a limb and invented my own. Oh, how I love it when a recipe bunny works out! These were delicious, decadent, and surprisingly quick to make. They're perfect for when you're having fast food cravings. Serve with a spinach salad and any dipping sauce you desire (I had mine with sundried tomato pesto thinned with a little water & lemon juice).
4 portabello mushroom caps
1/3 cup water
2 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp each salt & pepper
1/2 cup plain soy milk
1/4 cup flour
canola oil for frying
1 brown paper grocery bag, torn into dinner-plate-sized sections
Slice the mushroom caps into 1/2-inch thick slices. Toss the slices with the water and Braggs in a large covered pan and steam for 5 minutes, or until they start to darken. Drain well, rinse with cold water and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, mix the panko, yeast, onion & garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper together and spread in the bottom of a pie plate. Pour 1/2 inch of canola oil into your frying pan and turn it on medium high. Set up an assembly line leading up to your frying pan that goes thusly: 1. Mushroom slices; 2. Dinner plate with flour; 3. Shallow dish of soy milk; 4. Pie plate with panko; 5. Frying pan.
Once the oil is hot, dip each mushroom slice into the flour, then into the soy milk, then roll it in breadcrumbs and lay in the frying pan. Fry for 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Lift out of the oil and let cool on a piece of brown paper bag (the paper will absorb any excess oil).
Ingredient Notes: You can get portabello mushroom caps cheaply at Dahl's or in bulk at CostCo. Braggs Liquid Aminos, nutritional yeast and plain soy milk can be found at New City Market or Campbell's; if you can't find them, you can substitute soy sauce, finely grated Parmesan cheese, and any kind of milk you desire (cow, rice, almond) or water. Panko breadcrumbs are in the Asian section of most well-stocked supermarkets; I found mine at Double Dragon Market.
