Bavarian Spiced Portobello Mushroom Pasta

It was a dark and stormy night... and there wasn't much in my fridge except a lonely portobello cap and half a can of diced tomatoes.  So, I settled in to accepting the likelihood that there would be another pasta dinner on the horizon.  But tonight I decided to try something a little different.

I poked around my pantry for a box of spices a friend had gotten me for New Year's Day (thanks, Jessica!) and discovered this one marked "Bavarian Style Seasoning" which had me intrigued.  The label stated that this was a hand-mixed blend of crushed brown mustard, rosemary, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and sage. It sounded sausage-y to me, so I figured it would work well with the portobello.

I started by dicing the mushroom and sauteing it in olive oil until soft and lightly browned.  Then I threw in some sliced garlic and fresh basil. Once the garlic was golden and fragrant, I added about a teaspoon of the spice mix and some salt and pepper.  Instant aroma!  I deglazed with the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer until it thickened, about 10 minutes.

I tossed the penne pasta with the sauce, then topped it with some fresh thyme sprigs from my garden.  For a twist on the standard pasta sauce, this hearty, savory, and slightly tangy topping was a success.

Last night's dinner

Normally on a Thursday night I go for something simple for dinner:  pasta, rice and beans, a salad, maybe even just a bowl of oatmeal.  Yeah, that's how exciting it can be in the Well on Wheels kitchen when not cooking for clients.  But I have a class coming up next week and I wanted to test some recipes.

The portobello mushroom caps looked particularly good, so I picked up a couple with the intention of marinating them in a balsamic vinaigrette then baking them in the oven.  I would serve them with leek and baby pea risotto with ratatouille.  This seemed like a good plan, but I just felt like the "meat" portion wouldn't be substantial enough, so I decided to fill the caps with some tamari marinated tofu.  Perfect!  If only I had a handful of shredded Daiya mozzerella to melt on top, this meal would've been over the top.  It was pretty delicious, nonetheless. 

Although the meal was filling and satisfying, I was craving something sweet for dessert.  I browsed the fridge:  nothing.  Then the freezer:  the mango ice pops just weren't gonna cut it.  And then I noticed a little box of pearls on the freezer door, tapioca pearls.  Eureka!  These would work perfectly with the leftover coconut milk I had in the fridge and the fresh strawberries I had bought earlier in the day.  It was a little tedious stirring the heated mixture for about 20 minutes, but in the end, worth it.  The perfect ending to a perfect meal.