speedvegan

One of my friends is engaged to one of Jose’s friends. She and I have gym-dates twice a week. Last week, we decided to have dinner after our workout. Jose was burning the midnight oil so it was just the three of us. My friend’s fiance ordered mushrooms and I noticed she squirmed when they arrived. Apparently, he loves mushrooms and she despises the texture. I happen to love mushrooms, but Jose, sadly, hates them also. I asked them to come over for dinner so that I could prepare my favorite mushroom dish. So this weekend, they came over and I made Bowtie Pasta with vegetables (for her and Jose) and mushrooms (for me and her fiance). She was nice enough to write down measurements while I tried to make three dishes at the same time.

Pasta:
16 oz whole wheat bowtie pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt (to taste)
fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Bowtie Pasta with Vegetables, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Vegetables:
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
8 oz carrots, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt (to taste)
fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Bowtie Pasta with Portobellow Mushrooms, originally uploaded by speedvegan.

Mushrooms:
3 portabella mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp red wine
1/2 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
salt (to taste)
fresh ground pepper (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine pepper, carrots and broccoli in large bowl.

3. In small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, parsley, basil and oregano.

4. Add mixture to veggies until they are fully coated. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and place in oven safe dish (preferably glass).

5. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

6. Prepare pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, start preparing the mushrooms.

7. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, parsley, balsamic vinegar and lime juice.

8. Put mushrooms in medium size bowl and cover with the marinade you just prepared.

9. Transfer mushrooms to heated medium size pan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

10. Add wine, hot sauce, salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.

11. Drain pasta when done and transfer to large bowl. Add olive oil, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. mix well.

12. To serve, combine pasta with vegetables or mushrooms or both !

I was really happy with the way the mushrooms turned out. I will have to invite them over more often !