portabella mushrooms....three recipes in one

sauteed portabella mushrooms

ingredients:

4 large portabella mushrooms

vegetable broth

Bragg's Liquid Aminos

how to:

my preferred method would be to marinate the mushrooms and then grill them, however, this florida girl is freezing her bootie off in utah right now and i'd rather be warm and cozy...inside.

slice mushrooms about 1/4" thick

pour broth into large skillet to cover bottom and add liquid aminos to taste.  

place sliced mushrooms in a single layer in skillet and sear on med-high heat until golden brown on both sides, adding more broth as it cooks off.   

now...what to do with these delicious morsels....

easy pasta sauce

ingredients:

vegetable broth for sauteeing

1/2 of a medium zucchini, diced

a handful of white or mini portabella mushrooms, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

lots of fresh basil

crushed red pepper to taste

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 jar of prepared pasta sauce (read ingredients closely, some have a ridiculous amount of added sugar and salt)  

4-6 slices of the portabella mushrooms 

how to:

saute zucchini, white mushrooms, garlic basil and red pepper in broth for a few minutes

add tomatoes and sauce, heat through

scoop out a cup or so of the sauce and put in blender with the portabellas.  blend away and add back to the sauce in the pan.  

combine, heat for a while on low to allow the flavors to blend.

serve over your favorite pasta

the blended portabellas really make this sauce happy.

portabella salad

ingredients:

greens of choice

sliced red onion

chickpeas

sauteed portabellas

feta or goat cheese

balsamic dressing of choice

how to:

you know what to do. :)

i have to confess that i didn't have a red onion....which i really wanted on this salad, so i threw on a handful of dried onions.  not my first choice, but it worked.  go with the red if you have one.

skillet penne

gotta love a hearty, quick, simple, one-dish meal

ingredients:

olive oil

mushrooms

garlic

1 or 2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can drained chickpeas

small bag of fresh spinach

lots of fresh basil  

salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

whole grain penne or pasta of choice

how to:

saute mushrooms and garlic in a touch of olive oil

add tomatoes and chickpeas, heat through

stir in spinach and basil until wilted

add seasonings to taste

stir in cooked pasta

veggie pesto stromboli

my spin on mama's stromboli, an old family favorite.

ingredients:

prepared whole wheat pizza dough of choice or homemade.  i use Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's, made fresh daily, inexpensive and available in the refrigerated section.

prepared pesto or homemade

fresh, raw veggies of choice. this time around i chose spinach, mushrooms, red bell peppers and red onions.

italian style cheese of choice

how to:

roll out pizza dough into a rectangle, roughly 5" by 13"

spread pesto onto dough, edge to edge

top with vegetables and cheese

fold sides and ends in and pinch dough to seal (kinda like a giant hot pocket)

flip it over onto a baking sheet, seam side down

bake at about 350 until dough is baked and golden brown....roughly 20 mins.