Black Bean Stuffed Portobello with Avocado Poblano Mousse & Zucchini Salsa

Portobello mushrooms are practically the poster child for vegan and vegetarian cooking. But I have something to admit, I think they're rubbery. They squeak when you eat them. While I don't mind the taste, I just can't get past the texture. Normally when I prepare them, I dice them up small and cook them nice and crispy, this way I have avoided the squeak. Every now and then I prepare them whole and stuffed to see if I have come around to the texture and this time was no exception. The flavors were there, the marinade worked wonders and the stuffing was great but I chopped up my mushroom small and cooked it differently while my husband ate and enjoyed his mushrooms whole and chewy.

Two Years Ago
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Meaty, marinated portobello mushrooms stuffed with black beans, green chilies & garlic. Serve these with zucchini salsa and avocado cream with roasted poblanos.

Black Bean Stuffed Portobellos
serves 3
3 tbl fresh lime juice
2 tbl plus 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl tamari
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch of black pepper
3 portobellos, stems removed, gills scraped
1/4 yellow onion, minced
3 oz canned diced fire roasted green chilies
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbl fresh minced cilantro
salt and pepper

Combine the lime juice, 2 tbl olive oil, tamari, cumin, garlic powder and black pepper. Pour over both sides of the mushrooms and let marinate for at least 3 hours to overnight.
Preheat a grill pan to medium high and sear both sides of the mushrooms until tender, about 12 minutes total.
While the mushrooms are grilling, prepare the filling.
Saute the onion and green chilies in 2 tsp olive oil until tender and translucent, 7 minutes. Add the garlic and black beans and saute 5 minutes more to heat through. Toss the cilantro in and season with salt and pepper.
Pack each mushroom cap with filling and serve.

Avocado Poblano Mousse
1 poblano pepper
2 avocados
3-4 tbl vegetable broth
1 tbl fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat the broiler to high. Broil the whole poblano pepper right on the oven rack until charred on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, remove most of the skin as well as the stem and seeds. Roughly chop.
Combine the poblano, avocado, broth, lime juice and salt in a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Adding more broth if necessary to get the mousse smooth. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

Zucchini Salsa
1 tbl coconut or vegetable oil
1 small zucchini, small dice
1 small summer squash, small dice
3 oz canned diced fire roasted green chilies
1/4 yellow onion, minced
2 tbl fresh minced cilantro
1 tbl fresh lime juice
sea salt, to taste

Saute the zucchini, summer squash, green chilies and onion in coconut oil for 7 minutes until the vegetables start to become tender.
Remove from the heat and toss in the cilantro and lime juice. Taste and season with salt. Serve warm or room temperature.

A.L.T Pasta with Garlic Croutons

The whole concept of a BLT Pasta sounds intriguing but it sounds even better when turned into an ALT pasta filled with healthy fats and no cholesterol. Using avocado to make a creamy sauce compliments perfectly with slightly bitter greens and ripe tomatoes. This pasta salad incorporates so much of what summer has to offer and requires little cooking because these vegetables are already at their peak taste.


Whole wheat pasta tossed in creamy no-bake avocado sauce with grilled radicchio, tomatoes, romaine, raw corn and homemade garlic croutons.
 
Avocado, Lettuce & Tomato Pasta
serves 4
avocado sauce-
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 tbl lime juice
1 garlic clove
salt and pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If the mixture is too thick, thin out with some of the pasta water.

pasta-
2 hot house tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 radicchio, cored, roughly chopped
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
4 oz whole wheat elbow pasta
1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels (if corn is in season they do not need to be cooked)

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.
Toss the tomato and radicchio with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 5-7 minutes until slightly tender with dark grill marks.
Prepare the pasta al dente. Toss the pasta with the avocado sauce.
Serve the pasta in a big bowl with the grilled vegetables, romaine and corn. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with garlic croutons.

Garlic Croutons
2 cups stale bread chunks, medium dice
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss the bread with all of the ingredients and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing once in between until browned and crunchy.