A Healthier (and Delicious!) Version of Meat, Potatoes, & Veg
I get it. The umami of grilled steak, the creamy mouthfeel of a squishy starch, plus the virtuous plop of green on the plate: It makes everyone FEEL so good.
And a ton of people eat this way all the time. You’ve heard people described as “a meat, potatoes, and veg kind of person”.
The only problem? The usual meat, potatoes, and veg meal isn’t good for you. High in saturated fat and starch, low in fiber and vitamins, it’s decidedly heart-unhealthy.
So we created a vegan version of this comfort classic combo, one with plenty of heart-healing fiber and antioxidants, tasty and filling and truly “Mmmmmmm”- inducing.
Portabella mushrooms are coated in a simple teriyaki-inspired marinade, then grilled on a grill pan. Simple, fast, indoors. They come out like a good steak, I am not kidding, seared on the outside and moist on the inside.
Sweet potatoes are baked until super- soft, then sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, maybe some scallions.
Fresh broccoli florets are stir-fried with a bit of olive oil, garlic, and topped with slivered almonds.
Hubby and I LOVE this dinner… and it’s sooo easy! (Even when there’s a bit of a kitchen disaster thrown in… See pics). Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe.
Here is everything we used (the marinade ingredients are all things we keep in the fridge and pantry all the time):
Teriyaki-style Grilled Portabella Mushrooms with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Stir-Fried Broccoli
A healthy vegan re-creation of a comfort classic, delicious and simple to prepare. This is a hearty meal for two, with likely leftovers.
- 4 cloves garlic (chopped fine. most is for the marinade, reserve a teaspoon for the broccoli)
- 1 tbsp ginger (paste or grated)
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil (2 tbsp are for the marinade; 1/2 is for the broccoli, and 1/2 is for the potatoes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (low-sodium, or use liquid aminos)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil (dark toasted is more flavorful, but can be any sesame oil)
- 4 Portabella mushrooms (washed well, stems removed)
- 2 lbs broccoli florets (washed and roughly chopped)
- 2 tbs almonds (slivered or chopped)
- 3 scallions (chopped fine)
- 4 sweet potatoes (small ones will cook faster. )
Potatoes: Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Lightly brush surface of the potatoes with olive oil. Place in a baking dish with about 1/2 cm water and place into oven. (DO NOT add more water during cooking or pan may shatter, FYI).
Bake potatoes for approximately forty minutes, until a fork can be easily inserted. These can be baking while the rest of the meal is being prepared.
Marinade/ mushrooms: In a small bowl, mix the garlic (reserving about a teaspoon for later), ginger, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce or liquid aminos, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Pour marinade into the mushroom caps, rubbing some on the smooth side. (Alternatively, you can throw everything into a plastic bag). Marinate for at least 30 minutes or even overnight.
Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. When very hot, add mushrooms, and cover. Cook for about five minutes.
After five minutes, check to see if mushrooms have nice grill marks, and if so, flip and cover and cook for another approximately five minutes. (Hint: While you’re cooking mushrooms, you can also be cooking the broccoli.)
Heat a wok over medium-high heat. When wok is hot, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, then add broccoli right away.
Allow broccoli to cook, covered, for a minute or two. This allows a bit to become nicely browned while it steams.
Stir the broccoli, adding the reserved teaspoon of garlic. Cover for a minute then stir, cover then stir, so that garlic doesn’t burn while broccoli cooks.
When crisp-tender (about five minutes), turn off heat and cover until ready to serve meal.