PoRTaBeLLa MuSHRooMs!

If you're trying to go vegan but missing meat, Portabella Mushrooms are a great item to try for dinner!  They're wonderfully healthy and have the thick, juicy, richness of meat!    I thought I would give them a try and was very glad I did.  Even my husband liked them (and you know how picky men are!)

Usually you'll get two large Portabella Mushrooms in a package for about $6.00.  How's that for a cheap dinner!

You want to GENTLY remove the stem.  Just lightly rock it back and forth until it breaks off.  If you try to tear it out to roughly, your mushroom will split.

After you've thrown the stem away, gently wash your mushroom.

Rub the smooth side with your fingers to wash off any dirt.

On the textured side, gently spray the grooves to wash out any

dirt and debris.  Pat dry with a paper towel.

In a bowl, mix the following ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 cup Olive Oil

2 teaspoons Cumin

1 teaspoon Oregano

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

2 Cloves Minced Garlic (You can buy this in a jar)

Feel free to change the spices above if you like.

Take a small cooking brush and thoroughly coat each mushroom with your olive oil mixture.  If you don't have a brush, just spoon it over both sides of your mushrooms.

After you have thoroughly coated your mushrooms, set them on a plate  and just leave them alone for about 15 minutes to absorb
the wonderful flavor!

After 15 minutes, either grill your mushrooms on an outdoor gas grill (just like you would a hamburger!) or use a George Forman type grill indoors.  I used my George Forman grill.  I put each mushroom cap in the grill for about 4-5 minutes and they came out beautifully!

I served my mushroom "steaks" with a side of broccoli and a baked 

potato.  Since I normally ate steaks in the past with A-1 Sauce I thought I would try it.  It was great!  Of course, these mushrooms have such a wonderful flavor you really don't need any sauce with them at all.  Trust me, you won't miss meat with this dinner.  It's healthy, low fat and filling.  If healthy food doesn't taste good you're not going to stick with it right?  So with dinners like this you won't feel like you're "missing out" on anything.  
Who says healthy can't taste GOOD?

Why you should eat your mushrooms!

1 cup of Portabella mushrooms is only about 45 calories!

(Compare that to a steak!)

Portabella mushrooms are a source of phytochemicals!  In fact, they're one of the best sources of l'ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant.  Portabella mushrooms also have selenium, which helps the body produce its own antioxidants and operates in DNA repair of the body.  The iron and copper in these mushrooms aid in hemoglobin synthesis, which is needed for the transportation

of oxygen through the blood.  As if that weren't enough, the zink in these wonderful treasures plays a role in immune function, wound healing and cell division!  Worried about Alzheimer's disease?  They also have niacin, which has been linked to reduction of risk 
for this horrible disease.