My daughter said one time that she likes it better when I am home when she cooks because she doesn’t have to worry about making a mistake. One reason not to stress when cooking, is that sometimes when you don’t follow a recipe, either on purpose or accidentally, you turn out with even better results. For example, after Tony made the Turkey and Rice I asked him, “Did you follow the directions where it said to use a ‘plum’ tomato – you know, like a roma tomato?”
And he said, “No, I thought it said ‘plump’ tomato so I used a whole can of stewed tomatoes because that’s the closest we had.” I’ll tell you, I would not make it with any less — it was not too much tomato and the spices contributed to the flavor, along with the juice helping out to make the rice moist. On the other hand, my son used a tablespoon of cayenne pepper in the jambalaya instead of a teaspoon and we had to use a carton of sour cream to get through dinner. But still, we survived and it was a good learning experience.
My daughter got this recipe from a mid-80s Better Homes “New” Cookbook (I lost the front pages so I don’t have the exact reference). I suggest doubling the bean puree and saving half to use as a sandwich or cracker spread. In the pictures, you can see we divided each mushroom cap to two wraps; I would not do that again so the recipe is correct to make four wraps – each with a whole, large mushroom cap.
Portobello Wrap
4 Portobello mushroom caps
1/4 C Italian dressing (can use Creamy Italian w/out the mayo & cream)
2 C fresh baby spinach
1 T Italian dressing
4 8” tortillas
4 oz goat cheese (opt.)
Puree
1 19-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t chili powder
1/4 t sea salt
Use a spoon to scrape the black gills and stem from the underside of the mushroom caps. Brush both sides of the mushrooms with 1/4 dressing. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the puree ingredients in a food processor; cover and process until nearly smooth. Toss spinach with 1 tablespoon of dressing (you can wilt it or leave it raw); set aside.
Broil or grill mushrooms for four minutes on each side. Slice into strips.
Spread 1/3 of the bean puree over each wrap. Top with the warm mushroom strips, spinach mixture, and goat cheese if using. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down on plates.
