Sunday Dinner with a Friend
This weekend, I had a friend staying with me. As we were lounging around Sunday, pouting over the thunder storm’s thwarting of our plan to go to the pool, she suggested making a fancy dinner for ourselves. She had a concept, I added a few thoughts, and together we came up with this awesome meal:
Strawberry Spinach Salad
On a bed of fresh, organic spinach, put sliced strawberries, mandarin oranges (check label carefully or no Splenda nor syrup; we went with Sunkist brand), toasted sliced almonds, and optional goat cheese. We found some perfect dressing, too: Strawberry Pomegranate.
Veggie Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Saute some vegan sausage with a little oil; we used Gimme Lean brand. Combine
the cooked sausage with breadcrumbs (prepared ones may not be vegan, check the label), fresh chives, and local goat cheese or a vegan substitute. Wash baby portabello mushroom caps, and remove stems. Spray, brush, drizzle … somehow coat the caps in oil. Place them in a dish, fill each cap with some of the stuffing, and give the top a second coat of oil. Cook at 350-400 degrees for 20 minutes. If you have extra stuffing, you can form patties and fry them in a saute pan and a little oil to make your own burgers.
It was a great meal, especially since a meat-eating friend was so excited to create a vegetarian meal with me. And now the leftovers are calling my name!
Try making your own stuffed mushrooms by following these basic steps, but mixing whatever you love into the stuffing: bell peppers, onions, garlic, more mushrooms, rice, Old Bay seasoning, …
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