Basically the idea is to post anything you're cooking/making whether it's something new-to-you or a tried and true go-to that you make all the time.
Things you can include in your post...
1) Ingredients and amounts
2) Preperation and cooking instructions and times
3) Macro counts
4) Variations
5) Picutes (if you're so inclined; I'm a horrible photographer)
6) Source for the original recipe (if you remember where you got it from), unless you're gifted enough to create recipes yourself
I'll go first...
Ok, last night I made grilled portobello mushroom and zucchini sandwiches with homemade pesto (dairy-free). This makes 4 servings (we had my parents over). But I've made it before, and this stuff is just as good warmed up, so you can make the batch and get enough for 4 meals.
Ingredients:
For the mushrooms...
4 portobello mushrooms, tops scrubbed clean, stems removed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
For the zucchini...
4 medium sized zucchini, ends removed
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large lemon (or 2 small lemons), zested
juice from the lemon(s) you just zested
For the pesto...
2 tsp pine nuts
2 tsp cashews
1 large clove garlic
8 tsp olive oil
4 tsp nutritional yeast
8 - 12 fresh basil leaves, depeding on size, more if needed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Preparation:
For the mushrooms...
1. Place mushrooms in a shallow baking dish with the smooth side (cap) facing up
2. Combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, and oregano in a small dish, wisk together to combine well
3. Pour mixture over mushrooms, making sure to spread the dried herbs around the caps and not just let them clump up
4. Let mushrooms marinate at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours if you have the time)
For the zucchini...
1. Cut zucchini length-wise in 1/4 inch thick strips, or just quarter them into spears, 4 spears per zucchini (I find that the stips to better on the sandwich because they lay flat, but spears are easier to cut)
2. Combine lemon zest, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a small dish and briefly stir to combine
3. Put the zucchini stips in a large zip-lock bag and drizzle in the olive oil and them lemon zest mixture; shake bag around until zucchini is well coated with oil and lemon zest mixture
4. Let zucchini marinate at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours if you have the time)
For the pesto...
1. Put nuts in a small skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, untill they start to brown slightly
2. Add nuts, garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, basil, salt, and pepper to a food processor and process until smooth
3. Taste and add salt and/or basil leaves as needed
Cooking:
1. Pre-heat grill to medium heat
2. Once grill is hot, add mushroom caps (smooth side facing up) and zucchini strips
3. Grill mushrooms for about 6-8 minutes per side, checking to make sure they don't burn
4. Grill zucchini for about 4-6 minutes per side, checking to make sure they don't burn (pull zucchini out of the bag as opposed to just dumping the contents of the bag on the grill, that way you leave most of the oil in the bag instead of dumping it all over your grill)
5. Add more time as needed depending on how soft you like your veggies
6. When mushrooms and zucchini are done, pull off grill and set aside in bowls, allowing to sit for 5 minutes.
7. Lightly toast some whole wheat bread (I use Rudi's brand as it's always dairy free)
8. Spread the pesto mixture on each piece of bread, add one mushroom, about 1/4 of the zucchini, and a few slices of tomato per sandwich
9. Enjoy!
Variations:
1. If you're trying to watch your oil consumption, don't use any oil with the mushrooms, the balsamic vinegar will be enough
2. If you don't have dried basil and oregano, just use a total of 2 tbsp of whatever dried herbs you have
3. You can substitute other nuts in for the pine nuts and cashews if you like, or just use all of the same nut
4. You can substitute other fresh herbs in for the basil when making the pesto if you like
5. If you don't have a grill you can use a griddle or even a skillet and just watch the mushrooms and zucchini to make sure they don't burn
6. Once the sandwich is made you can lightly brush both sides with olive oil and put in a panini press if you have one
Macro Counts:
I'll come back and add them, I need to calculate them
Sources:
The mushrooms and zucchini are just something I came up with on my own (it's not too hard to through oil, vinegar, and dried herbs together, lol).
The pesto is based on this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/yummy-vegan-pesto-classico/?scale=4&ismetric=0
Cheers,
John
EDIT: One additional thought. You can leave out all the oil (skip the pesto completely) if you're trying to watch the fat intake. I've done that many times and it tastes just as good. I made it this way last night because the parents were coming over and I wanted it to taste nice and rich.
