Mushrooms Berkeley

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

This recipe appeared in my email one day. Sent to me by my Great Uncle Cliff.

Cliff, who I don't think would mind if I described him this, was a child of the '60s...so in other words is now an "old hippie". (Which I say with affection, because what is better than those stories about Woodstock and backpacking around Europe and communes). Anyway, this was a favorite recipe of his taken from a true original vegetarian cookbook, The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. Which is something I don't own but, hey, Christmas is coming!

This is technically a side dish, but my family tends to eat it as an appetizer with crackers or on crusty bread. The sauce is delicious, thick and rich tasting but certainly on the sweet side. This is worth making for a mushroom lover, and is pretty simple. It's great for a party, because it can simmer while you're prepping other things.

24 oz. Fresh mushrooms (halved or quartered, but not sliced)
2 Bell peppers (I like red, cut into long strips)
1 Medium sweet onion (finely chopped)
2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS Brown Mustard
2 TBS Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (The Wizard makes some, and so does Annie's)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Red Wine
Black Pepper to taste

1. Mix together the mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar and red wine and set aside while you heat sauce pan or electric skillet to medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil and saute the onion until it turns translucent.
3. Add the peppers and cook for 2-3 mins.
4. Add the mushrooms and then cook covered for 2-4 mins.
5. When the mushrooms begin to brown around the edges, uncover and add the sauce.
6. Simmer uncovered for 45 mins. The end result is a thick, caramel colored sauce and juicey mushrooms.

Thoughts- I'm thinking you could dial down the Brown Sugar to a 1/4 cup and still have success. I'm also wondering if the addition of some hot sauce near the end might punch it up a bit.