Day 236 - Roasted Portobellos (Take 2), Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing, and Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

Remember when I tried to make the Roasted Portobellos at my friend Emily's house, but her oven was calibrated weird and they didn't turn out right? Well, tonight's the night I'm redoing them. Let's see if it was really the oven, after all...

Roasted Portobellos (Take 2)

Turns out Emily's oven wasn't the culprit. Or maybe it just contributed to an already awkward situation. These mushrooms are just not great. I just don't think you can cook a portobello effectively in 40 minutes at 400°, especially if it's sitting in a bath of marinade. I even drained away the marinade at 40 minutes and cooked them longer, but I was still left with soggy, rubbery mushrooms. I don't know what the solution is, but I think it may involve more oil, higher temperatures, and maybe the Maillard reaction. But this is definitely not the way to a great portobello mushroom.

SFO: 3
No one's going to want this, but least of all someone who's gunning for some meat.

Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing

Though the main attraction on this salad is subpar, thankfully, the supporting players are all nailing it. The dressing is vibrant and tasty, and the avocado, onions, and chick peas provide nice texture and flavor contrasts. One word of advice, for those who don't love raw onions. I now always marinate (pickle?) my raw onions for 15 or so minutes in the vinegar for the dressing. This takes away all the nasty bite but still leaves great flavor and even a little crunch. If you can figure out how to make a great portobello, this salad would be a knockout. Like my friend Alysha (pictured here).

SFO: 8
This would be a 10 with a great mushroom.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

Flawless. Perfectly balanced. Easy. This is one of those brilliantly designed yet simple recipes. And here's the kicker: I'm saying all this about a recipe that has red bell pepper in it! That's how good it is!
 
What a great blend of ingredients: mango, pepper, scallions, cilantro, quinoa, and beans. Creamy, sweet, savory, fresh, piquant, chewy, every bite is a dream.

Of course, there's only 2 grains of salt in the recipe, so you're going to want to add more. Or a ton more, if you're me. 

But can we discuss that the peppers didn't bug me? I mean, I could taste them, and it's not like I liked them or anything, but they didn't ruin the dish for me! Amazing!

This would be perfect for a pot luck or a picnic. The vegans will WORSHIP you!

SFO: 9

Yup, I think even bratty omnivores would go for this.