So, over the past five years since we’ve shifted to a plant based diet, I’ve also started to teach myself to cook.
I still have to follow recipes but I am learning.
This meal is one of our favourites now and we experiment with the vegetables we put into the pesto with each meal. Sometimes I use arugula and spinach and I have tried kale and cilantro. If you like the taste of something, try it and see. Most greens will have a distinct flavour if they are fresh.
Portobello mushrooms are perfect if you are looking for a hearty type meal and this marinade makes them even better. The longer you let them soak, the better they taste.
The healthy benefits of eating Portobello mushrooms is that they contain a pile of anti-oxidants and one large Portobello Mushroom contains only 25 calories. This is a low density food that you can eat a lot of, without a lot of calories.
This meal provides roughly 20 grams of protein. That’s about 1/3 of my daily needs and almost half of Yim’s daily needs.
To figure out your minimum protein needs, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36.
Here’s the recipe for Yim and I. If you are making this for more than two people, scale it up.
What you’ll need
6 portobello mushrooms
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic – minced
½ tbsp dried oregano
½ tsp chili flakes
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
How to make the Pesto
2 cups arugula
1/3 cup pine nuts
¼ cup olive oil
¼ tsp salt
½ tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
Instructions
Clean the portobello mushrooms by gently rubbing the cap and gills with a damp paper towel. Place the mushrooms cap side down in a large dish. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade and once well combined, pour over the mushrooms. Leave them to marinate for 1 – 3 hours. Your choice on this. The longer, the better.
In a blender or food processor, combine all of the pesto ingredients and pulse until its blended into a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly and then place in the fridge until ready to serve.
Heat a grill pan on medium heat and grill the portobello mushrooms for approximately 5 minutes per side until they become tender. Once done, cut then into 1/2 inch thick slices (or not), drizzle any of the leftover marinade over each mushroom and then serve over a bed of arugula then add a spoonful of the pesto on top.
Add the walnuts and serve.
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