sweet miscellany

seasonal plant-based recipes

Recipe Update: Stuffed Portobellos

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I made stuffed portobellos the other night for dinner and thought I would share an update that is fitting for the winter weather.  I posted the original recipe back in August and it can be found here.  The portobello part of the recipe is obviously the same, but the filling has been re-worked.  Lovely strips of red chard are sauteed with garlic, pecans, and a bit of herbes de provence before being tossed with plump wheat berries and piled onto a roasted portobello cap.  To finish it off, I topped it with a bit of salty feta, but if you wan’t to keep it vegan, you could use a nice coarse sea salt or omit any toppings all together.  And, for the gluten free peeps, you can use quinoa or brown rice instead of wheat berries for equally delicious results.

Stuffed Portobello Caps with Red Chard and Wheat Berry Stuffing
I used red chard because I have been finding particularly beautiful bunches of it at the store, but feel free to use any type of chard you like.  If you don’t have herbes de provence, it will be just as delicious without it.    

2 large portobello mushroom caps, gills and stems removed
1 medium bunch of red chard, ribs removed and sliced into strips
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp herbes de provences
1 cup of cooked wheat berries (or 1 cup of cooked GF grains)
about 2 tbsp of feta cheese, crumbled (or coarse sea salt if making it vegan)
sea salt
olive oil (or ghee)

Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.  Brush a bit of olive oil on each mushroom cap, season with salt and pepper, and place on the baking sheet with the gill side facing up.  Roast at 350 for 8-10 minutes until tender and juices are present.   While mushrooms are roasting, heat a skillet to just below medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Next, add the chard, a bit of salt, and the herbes de provence and saute for about 3-4 minutes or until the chard begins to wilt.  At this point, turn the heat down to low and add the wheat berries, pecans, and a bit more salt.  Toss everything together and heat over low until everything is warmed through.  Pile half of the filling in each mushroom cap and then top with the feta.  Enjoy!

serves 2

Honeyed Pears with Fresh Ginger & Toasted Pecans

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First off, let me wish a very happy birthday to my sister Michelle!  I wish I could send you a lovely gluten free layer cake with a lovely ganache dripping down the sides, but maybe this will suffice in the meantime (or at least give you a laugh):



My brother in law Steve, my sister Michelle, and my other sister Dawn trying on my
Great Aunt’s furs on Christmas


I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to make a list of resolutions for this year, but the R word seems to make things a bit daunting so I’m going to call them goals.  I have three different sheets of paper with random goals and ideas scribbled on them.  I am hoping I can combine them into one list and somehow do it in a way where I wouldn’t mind having it displayed above my desk.  That will be a project perfect for this coming weekend.  I’ll post some pictures if it ends up looking anything like the jumble of pictures in my head.

In keeping with my goals of being overall healthier and posting more gluten free and vegan foods, I give you honeyed pears with fresh ginger and toasted pecans over greek yogurt.  In case you vegans out there were saying, “But that’s not vegan!”, I’ve got the substitutions for you, and they are rather simple.  Instead of honey, use a smaller amount of agave or maple syrup.  And, instead of greek yogurt, use your favorite dairy-free version.  Voila.  Or, if you don’t eat any kind of yogurt, you can serve this over oatmeal, ice cream, and anything you can think of because these pears are delicious. 

I added some ground flax seed to my yogurt, which is a great source of omega 3s , but you can omit it if you want.  And, if you don’t have fresh ginger lying around, you can use a bit of ground ginger (1/4 to 1/2 tsp) or some crystallized ginger (about 1/2 tbsp finely chopped).  Any way you make it, the combination of pears, ginger, a bit of lemon, and honey is amazing.  It will wake you up in the morning or give you a much needed pick-me-up in the afternoon. 

Honeyed Pears with Ginger and Toasted Pecans Over Greek Yogurt
this will serve 2 as a breakfast portion, but you can easily adjust the measurements to make it for 1 or for a full house

about 1/2 of a large red pear, sliced
about 2 1/2 tbsp of honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice (I used a meyer lemon since they are in season)
about 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger (I used a microplane)
handful of pecans, chopped and toasted
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 cups (2 servings) greek yogurt

Mix the flax into the yogurt, divide into 2 bowls, and set aside.  In a small sauce pan over low heat, warm the honey, lemon juice, and ginger until combined.  Add the pears and continue to cook over low heat, gently tossing the pears to coat them in the honey.  Cook for 5 to 10 minutes (this will depend on how ripe your pears are) until the pears soften just a bit but still retain some bite.  Put half of the pears in each bowl on top of the yogurt, then drizzle the sauce over both.  Sprinkle each with half of the toasted pecans.  Enjoy!