Portobello mushrooms are like a vegan/vegetarian’s DREAM. Besides being velvety delicious, portobellos are super filling and very high in protein. Restaurants commonly use portobellos as a meat-free alternative to burgers, and I’ve seen fellow vegan bloggers grill them as an alternative to steak. I’ll have to try that sometime. Tonight I was in the mood for an extra-healthy, protein-filled meal. Portobello caps filled this criteria perfectly, and so did quinoa and some veggie-powered pesto.

Pesto on its own is great, and there are plenty of brands of vegan brands to buy or vegan pesto recipes to try. I was in the mood to be a little creative and add some extra nutrition power, so I decided to try chopping up some baby bella mushrooms, green pepper, and onion, cook them up, and process them with pesto into a sauce. Such a simple meal with pure, easy flavor and a major health kick.

1 cup uncooked quinoa

4 portobello caps

2 handfuls of spinach

salt and pepper

olive oil

4-5 baby bella mushrooms

1/2 green pepper

1/2 yellow onion

1 garlic clove

2 Tbsp vegan pesto

1/4 cup vegetable stock

fresh basil (optional garnish)

Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water on simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy. When the quinoa is finished cooking, place a handful of spinach in the pot and cover with a lid to steam quickly from the heat. Meanwhile, put the portobello caps on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil; bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Chop mushrooms, green peppers, yellow onion, and garlic clove, and add to a skillet with olive oil and cook until soft. Place the cooked veggies in the food processor with two tablespoons of pesto, a handful of fresh spinach, and veggie stock. Process until mostly smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the portobello mushrooms with quinoa, cooked spinach, and power pesto, and garnish with fresh basil if desired. Enjoy!

Serves 2