Lentil Bolognese (vegan)

Servings: 6
Author: Nisha Vora

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

My husband and I thought this was especially delicious, perfect for company.  The texture is very "meaty" and the taste has depth.  Serve this up with a crisp green salad and some garlic toast for a grand meal!

Ingredients
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or use more oregano)
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (5.3-ounce) (150g) tube of tomato paste 
½ cup (120 mL) dry red wine 
3 cups (720 mL) vegetable broth
1 cup (185g) red lentils, soaked 
¼ cup (32g) walnuts (or pecans), crushed finely
1 (14.5-ounce/410g) can of crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand 
12-16 ounces (340-454g) long, wide pasta (such as tagliatelle, pappardelle, or fettuccine; or tube pasta such as rigatoni or penne rigate; or gnocchi)
1 tablespoon high-quality balsamic vinegar 
Flat-leaf Italian parsley or fresh basil, chopped or slivered (optional)

Instructions
Soak the 1 cup of lentils in water for 30 minutes, or up to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, prep all the other ingredients (i.e., chop the onions and garlic, chop the walnuts, etc.) 

Heat a 12-inch deep sauté pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and once it’s shimmering, add the onions and season with a pinch of salt. 

Stir occasionally and cook the onions until a light brown fond starts form on the surface of the pan, about 5 minutes. 

Add a few spoons of water to deglaze the pan, and stir. 

Continue cooking the onions, adding more water every few minutes and stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the onions are softened and golden brown, 9-10 minutes. 

Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Stir frequently and cook for 60-90 seconds. 

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes to caramelize, stirring very frequently, until it’s darker red in color. 

Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the smell of alcohol has burned off and the mixture is jammy. 

Pour in the broth to deglaze the pan, stirring any browned bits on the bottom of the pot and stirring the broth into the tomato paste to combine. Add the lentils and walnuts, and stir to incorporate. 

Heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and sticking. (If using crushed tomatoes, you may need to add a little water or lower the heat as needed to prevent burning.) 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Reserve a ladle or so of pasta water (may not need it). 

Drain the pasta but do not rinse it. 

Taste the Bolognese for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste. Finish with the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. 

Add the hot cooked pasta to the Bolognese and toss until well coated in the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water as needed to ensure the sauce coats the noodles. 

Garnish with chopped parsley or basil, if using.

Notes
If you're not serving all of the Bolognese at this time, transfer the amount of Bolognese sauce you'd like to eat to the pasta pot. Add the hot cooked pasta, turn the heat to medium, and toss to coat. Store the leftover Bolognese sauce separately in the fridge. 

This recipe is best with tomato paste from a tube, not canned tomato paste. For the best tomato flavor, use whole peeled tomatoes and crush them by hand. Crushed and whole peeled tomatoes are hard to find in 14.5 ounce cans, so I usually use half of a 28-ounce can. 

You can try sautéing finely diced mushrooms after the onions to add in some of that natural umami, which walnuts bring. And/Or, if you have dried porcini mushrooms, you can blitz those in a spice grinder or small food processor into a powder (or use store-bought porcini mushroom powder), and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of that when you add the veggie broth. Enjoy!

Information: (1 of 6 servings)  Calories 378; Total Fat 8.2g; Saturated Fat 0.8g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 936mg; Total Carbohydrate 59.2g; Dietary Fiber 6.1g; Total Sugars 7.5g; Protein 14g; Calcium 50mg; 4% Iron 4mg 23% ;Potassium 650mg 14%

“Meaty” Plant-Based Chili

Recipe from Pinch of Yum

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 6 servings

This chili has lots going for it.  Though it is plant-based, it truly tastes and feels meaty.  It’s also very filling.  It’s loaded with good-for-you ingredients, most of which you may already have in your fridge/pantry.  It’s easy to make and perfect for a food prep day.  Most importantly, it’s just delicious!

The “Meat”

1 cup walnuts

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, washed, stems removed

4 medium carrots, cut into chunks

The Chili:

2 tablespoons olive oil* (You can use water or veggie broth for sautéing instead of oil.)

1 onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (6-ounce) can diced green chiles* (or fresh minced jalapeños)

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

2–3 Tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1–2 teaspoons salt (more or less to taste)

2 (14-ounce cans) diced or crushed tomatoes* (with juices)

1-2 (14-ounce) cans beans of choice* (rinsed and drained)

1-2 cups water (depending on thickness preference)

Make the “Meat” – pulse all ingredients in a food processor until broken down into a chunky paste-like texture. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until very soft.

Add green chiles, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and soy sauce. 

Add your “meat” to the pan – once it mixes in and starts cooking, it should start to resemble chili meat. Let the “meat” cook for 10 minutes or so to soften the vegetables. Season with salt.

Add tomatoes, beans if you want, and water to get the consistency right. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes to soften the vegetables, thicken it up, and let the flavors come together.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings. 

Topping Options: Hummus; Vegan Cheese; Avocado; Red Onions; Corn Chips; Vegan Yogurt or Sour Cream; Etc…

Notes:

*I used what I had in my pantry and so instead of a can of green chiles, I used 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilis mixed in along with 1 can of regular diced tomatoes. (If you like a really mild chili, just use plain canned tomatoes without chiles.)  I also used 2 cans of beans, 1 can of black beans and 1 can of mixed beans because we like our chili beany.  

*Because I didn’t have any corn chips, I took several corn tortillas out of the freezer, thawed them in the microwave, sprayed them with cooking spray and sprinkled with some Trader Joes Chili Lime Seasoning.  I then air-fried them at 400F for about 7 minutes until crispy.

Red Lentil Chili Instant Pot (Vegan)

Recipe from High Carb Hannah

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes about 5 cups (5 servings if paired with Brown Rice and No-Oil Hummus)

My, my my!  This was especially good and great to serve on a cold winter's day.  This was also very easy to prep and with the Instant Pot, took no time at all to finish.  I was afraid that with the unusual (to me) ingredient of dates, that the chili would be sweet, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The subtle sweetness of the dates dances perfectly with the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar. I served this over some brown rice and put a little dollop of Delicious No-Oil Hummus which took it over the top.  I have a 6-quart Instant Pot, but the recipe author said she uses a 3-quart Instant Pot for this.  You can certainly double the recipe and then freeze the chili for another time.

3 Medjool dates, pitted

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups water

15 oz. can diced tomatoes

3 oz. tomato paste (about 1/2 of a small can)

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup dry red lentils

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 Tablespoon ume plum vinegar

Blend the dates with the water until they are completely blended.  (If the dates are a bit hard, let them soak in the water for 1-2 hours or heat the water you plan to use in the blender until hot and then leave the dates in the hot water for about 15 minutes.)

Place the date water and the rest of the ingredients except the vinegar in the Instant Pot.  Set the Instant Cooker to High Pressure for 17 minutes.  Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 15 minutes.  If after 15 minutes the pressure pin is still up, use the valve to quick release the pressure.  When the pressure pin has dropped, open the Instant Pot and stir in the vinegar.  

Note:  Ume Plum Vinegar, also known as Umeboshi Vinegar, has a sour, fruity flavor.  It is a by-product of pickling umeboshi plums.  Most supermarkets carry it.  I did see on Google that you could substitute red wine vinegar in a pinch, but since it lasts a looooooong time, it might be a lovely addition to your pantry.

Stovetop Method:  Bring the ingredients to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until thickened and the lentils are tender.

Nutritional Information: (1 cup chili) 246 calories; 0.7 g fat; 0.1 g sat. fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 847 mg sodium; 52.1 carbohydrates; 16.4 g fiber; 23.1 g sugars; 12.5 g protein; 66 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 718 mg potassium

Pulled Jackfruit (Vegan)

Pulled Jackfruit stacked on corn tortillas, with vegan yogurt;
purple cabbage slaw; cherry tomatoes; avocados
served along side sweet corn and grapes.

Recipe from LazyCatKitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 8-10 servings

This dinner made the husband VERY happy.  I loved it too.  It is not something to serve on a first date unless you plan to hose each other down afterwards.  Anyway, this tastes fabulous. It is so interesting to me that when prepared like this, jackfruit tastes amazingly like a pulled pork.  But no little piggy was harmed in the making of this dish. 

The thing is, this jackfruit recipe can be and should be prepared the day before you plan to serve to get optimal flavor.  The recipe below is for the jackfruit portion with suggestions about what to serve it with.  Be sure to purchase jackfruit in brine and not syrup.  I buy cans of jackfruit in brine at Trader Joe's.  

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 heaping teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 pinch ground cinnamon

2-3 pinches ground cloves

1 teaspoon sambal oelek (This is Indonesian chili paste that we think tastes amazing.  It can be found in the Asian section of a supermarket.  It comes in a jar.  It keeps for a long time in the fridge once open. You can substitute chili powder, if need be.)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 (20 ounce) cans jackfruit in brine

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the best flavor, prepare this a day in advance.  Drain and rinse the jackfruit.  (The jackfruit pieces will be triangular in shape.  The pointy part of the triangle is part of the core, perfectly edible.  You can mince this if you wish, but I don't bother.  I just pull the triangles apart into shreds.  The jackfruit will become quite tender like pulled pork once it's cooked. There are also little round seed-like pieces as well.  We eat them too.)  Shred the jackfruit pieces after rinsing in water.  Set aside.  

Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy bottomed pan.  Saute the onion until softened and lightly caramelized.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon, cloves to the onion mixture.  Saute for a minute or so.  Mix in the tomato and chili paste.  Now add the prepared jackfruit along with the soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and apple cider vinegar.  Stir well.  Season with the pepper.  Simmer the mixture gently for another 10-15 minutes.  (If it gets too dry, you can add a couple of tablespoons of water.)  Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.  Place the jackfruit mixture in the fridge overnight.

Just before you are ready to assemble the tacos/sandwiches, preheat the oven to 390F.  Spread the jackfruit mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a little browned.  

Serving suggestions:  Corn tortillas or whole-wheat flour tortillas or whole-grain hamburger buns; vegan or dairy yogurt or sour cream; purple cabbage slaw* (directions below); tomatoes; avocado chunks; Quick Pickled Red Onions; salsa; lettuces; lime wedges; cilantro; Homemade Guacamole

*Purple Cabbage Slaw:  Shred some purple cabbage into a large bowl.  Squeeze the juice of one lime over the cabbage.  Sprinkle with salt, to taste.  Massage the cabbage for about 1 minute.  It will become more limp and tender.  Add some minced cilantro, if you wish.  Set this aside or chill in the fridge until ready to serve on the tacos.

Instant Pot Vegetable Stew (Vegan)

 

Recipe from Teresa Sklenicka of A Plantiful Path

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Serves 6 generously

The hubster and I thought this stew was savory, flavorful, and very satisfying.  What seems to make it stew-like and not soupy is the addition of red lentils.  They cook up so perfectly that they are not noticeable at all.  They provide extra protein and act as a thickening agent.  The addition of mushrooms is optional, but we thought they added to the meatiness of this delicious stew.  Serve it with a toasty whole-grain bread and a crisp green salad or fresh fruit for a meal fit for a king.

1 onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

5 cups vegetable broth

6 carrots, chopped

8 small to medium Russet potatoes, cut into large cubes (I used about 4 cups of whole mini potatoes.)

5 large cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms, quartered (Optional, but we thought they helped the stew seem meaty.)

3/4 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons dry parsley (I used about 1/4 minced fresh flat-leaf parsley because I usually have it in the fridge.)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

1 dry bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt (This wasn't in the original recipe, but I used salt.)

1 cup frozen peas (I used fresh peas because I had them.)

In a 6 quart Instant Pot, saute the onion and celery until soft.  Add the garlic and sate for 1 minute.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.  Add about 1 cup of the broth and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the Instant Pot.  Add the carrots, potatoes, red lentils, mushrooms (if using), the remaining broth and the seasonings.  Stir will.  Be sure the Instant Pot is set to Sealing.  Pressure cook for 10 minutes.  Hit the Cancel button and allow the Instant Pot naturally release the pressure.  When the pin has dropped, remove the lid and stir in the peas.  Replace the lid and set a timer for about 4 minutes to cook the peas.  

Nutritional Information: (1 of 6 servings) 337 calories; 80.7 grams carbohydrates; 14.1 grams protein; 13 grams fiber; 12.4 grams sugars; 13603IU Vitamin A; 34.85 mg Vitamin C; 15 mg calcium; 4.34 mg iron

Instant Pot White Bean Stew (Vegan)

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Make 4 generous servings

This stew is just delish and perfect to serve on a rainy day.  Good enough for company, in our opinion.

Stew:

12 oz. (340 g) dried white beans, such as cannellini or great northern beans, soaked overnight*

3 medium shallots, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 large or 2 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and grated (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes.)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika

Bouquet Garni: 2 bay leaves + a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley + a few sprigs of thyme, tied tightly together with kitchen twine

1 ½ - 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

Gremolata Topping:

1 large handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley (leaves and stems)

1 large clove garlic, peeled and left whole

1 small lemon

Coarse or flaky sea salt

For Serving: (optional)

Lemon wedges

Extra-virgin olive oil

Crusty whole grain bread, toasted**

Pour the soaked and drained beans into the inner lining of the Instant Pot.  Add the vegetable broth, shallots, garlic, celery, grated potatoes, cumin, paprika, the bouquet garni, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Pour the crushed tomatoes and scoop the tomato paste on top of the other ingredients, but do not stir, allowing the tomatoes to sit on top.  (This prevents the tomatoes from the blocking the Instant Pot’s heat sensor and burning!)  Secure the lid and set the pressure release to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook setting at High pressure and set the cook time to 12 minutes.  When the time is up, press Cancel and allow a Natural Release.  While the stew is cooking, prepare the Gremolata Topping.  Roughly chop the parsley.  Using a Microplane, grate the garlic directly over the parsley and zest the lemon on top of this mixture, taking care not to zest the white pith of the lemon underneath the skin.  Mix the garlic and lemon zest into the parsley and chop until everything is finely minced.  Sprinkle with a bit of the coarse salt.  Set aside.  When the pressure has released and the pin has dropped, open the lid.  Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, if needed.  Fish out the bouquet garni and discard. Transfer the stew to bowls and top each bowl with some of the gremolata.  If desired, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the stew.  Serve the whole grain toast.  Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

*To soak the beans, rinse them first.  Add them to a large bowl along with 1 ½ Tablespoons salt and enough water to cover the beans above 2 inches.  Stir until the salt has dissolved. Cover the bowl and leave it on the counter overnight.  The beans will swell during this time.  Drain and rinse the beans before using.

**To make Garlic Toast, lay slices of whole-grain bread on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Place the cookie sheet under the broiler.  Broil the bread until it’s toasty brown. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and rub the raw garlic over the surface of the toast. Sprinkle with kosher salt (or sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper.  Flip the toast over to the other side and repeat the process.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie w/Cheesy Cauliflower Topping

Serves 8

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I had tested Spring Vegetable Shepherd’sPie with Turkey recently and we loved it.  However, I wanted to try something similar but without meat.  I found this Martha Stewart recipe, but because I loved the riced cauliflower and Boursin cheese topping of the turkey version, I decided to use the same topping for this vegetarian shepherd’s pie.  Riced cauliflower is now available frozen and is very convenient. Traditional shepherd’s pie is topped with mashed potatoes, but the cauliflower-cheese topping is absolutely delicious and a bit healthier too. This dish had an issue that I needed to address, but it tasted very yummy and so I thought I’d post this recipe with how I dared to adapt a Martha Stewart recipe. 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 Tablespoon tomato paste*

1 Tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (I used Annie’s Naturals.)

1 bay leaf

1 cup French lentils, rinsed

4 cups water**

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons water

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 cup frozen peas

2 (12 oz.) packages frozen riced cauliflower

1 (6.5 oz.) package light garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin)

Heat the oil in a large soup-type pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring until tender and most of the moisture is cooked out of the pot.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, 4 cups water**, and lentils; season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes or so.  If the filling seems too soupy or watery, in a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons water.  Pour the “slurry” into the filling, stir and then allow to cook until the filling thickens a bit.  Add the peas.  Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer the mixture to a 2½-3 quart baking dish.*** Prepare the frozen riced cauliflower according to the package directions.  Place the cooked cauliflower into a food processor along with the cheese.  Process until well blended.  It should look like mashed potatoes.  Dollop over the hot filling and spread.  (It may sink in a bit, but forge ahead.) Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until bubbling.  Allow the shepherd’s pie to stand for about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to set a bit.  Serve with a crisp green salad.

*After spooning out 1 Tablespoon tomato paste, measure out by tablespoons the remaining tomato paste into an ice tray.  Freeze the tomato paste and then put them in a freezer-friendly container and pop them back into the freezer for another time.

**The original recipe called for the 4 cups water, but after following the directions, the filling seemed to be very “soupy” and I worried that the pie filling would not thicken up.  So, I ended up adding a “slurry” of cornstarch and water to the filling and cooking until it thickened up some.  I think next time, I will just add 3½ cups water and then see if that makes a difference.  You might try doing that and then you may not need a thickener.

***The original recipe called for a 2-quart baking dish, but I only had a 2 ½ quart dish.  Thank goodness, because the mixture came almost to the rim of the dish.  So, be sure to use a dish that has at least a 2½ quart capacity.

Nutritional Info: (1 of 8 servings) By my calculations, 1 of 8 servings = 248 calories and 8.0 grams fiber.

Slow-Cooker Beer-Braised Short Ribs

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated

Husband-Tested in Ellen’s Kitchen (Alice’s Friend)

Serves 4-6

Recently, my good buddy, Ellen, invited me to spend a weekend with her.  She’s a terrific cook and always serves up wonderful meals when I visit.  Her husband is a meat and potatoes man.  Since he was in attendance for this particular meal, Ellen made this fabulous rib dinner.  She began this rib dish on the first morning, browning the ribs and prepping them in the slow cooker.  When they were finished cooking, she put the ribs in the fridge overnight so that she could scoop off the unwanted fat from the cooking liquid before serving.  She served the ribs with the succulent sauce with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots along with Beet and Apple Salad.  Next time you have special guests, do make these make-ahead ribs.

5 pounds English-style beef short ribs (6-8 ribs), trimmed of excess fat

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 pounds onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 (12 ounce) bottles dark beer (The dark beer creates a sauce with a lot of personality.)

2 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca (The tapioca will thicken the sauce as it cooks.)

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, divided

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

12 pitted prunes (The prunes will melt away over the long simmering time, adding color and deep, complex flavor to the sauce.)

3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Season the rubs with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add half the ribs, meaty side down, and cook until they are well browned, about 5 minutes.  Turn each rib on one side and cook until well browned, about 1 minute.  Repeat with the remaining sides.  Transfer the ribs to a slow cooker insert, arranging them meaty side down.  Repeat with the remaining ribs. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet.  Add the butter and reduce the heat to medium.  When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 25 to 30 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook, coating the onions with the tomato paste, until the paste begins to brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the beer; bring it to a simmer, and cook, scraping the browned bits from the pan, until the foaming subsides, about 5 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the tapioca, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, soy sauce, and prunes.  Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker insert with the ribs. Set the slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until the ribs are fork-tender, 10 to 11 hours.  (Alternately, cook on high for 4-5 hours.) Transfer the ribs to a baking dish and strain the liquid into a bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, use a spoon to skim off the hardened fat from the liquid.  Place the short ribs, meaty side down, and liquid in a Dutch oven and reheat over medium heat until warmed through, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the ribs to a serving platter.  Whisk the mustard and the remaining teaspoon of thyme into the sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the ribs.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.