Confession...I might have not tasted a dish because I did not like its ingredients. And I might have missed out on a great dish. Sometimes we decide we don't like a certain food and so we never try it again. We should try it again. And again. And again. Foods combined with different ingredients, prepared a certain way, or cooked with an alternate method usually taste completely different. Sometimes it is the consistency, the accompaniments, the presentation, or the dipping sauce that can make the difference.
Here are just a couple of my own personal examples:
I do not like maraschino cherries. I adore fresh cherries.
I do not feast on spicy tuna sushi rolls. I dig raw tuna and grilled tuna.
I do not enjoy raw cauliflower. I love cauliflower soup and cauliflower gratins.
I do not care for hamburgers and despise meatloaf. I am giddy for meatballs.
I do not appreciate grilled chicken breast. I fancy chicken skewers with a dipping sauce.
I hate green peas (yes, the "h word"). I tolerate frozen green peas and admire fresh green peas.
Do you have a personal example?
I have never been a huge fan of portobello burgers; however I would join the facebook fan page for grilled and stuffed mushrooms if there was one.
"Simple Plates like this"
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Adapted from Marinated Mushroom Caps,
Whole Living Magazine, June 2011
juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp grated lemon zest*
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
4 small portobello mushroom caps
1/2 cup raw cashews **
1 ear corn, shucked
Whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, garlic and salt. (*I never measure lemon zest)
Arrange mushrooms round side down in a shallow dish and pierce them with a knife or fork.
Soak cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes, drain, and pulse in a food processor until the consistency of a hummus. Taste and season with salt.
Once mushrooms are done marinating, remove them from their dish, spoon cashew puree into the caps, and top with corn. You can bake, grill, or broil these to your desired consistency. I put them in a 350 degree toaster oven for about 15 minutes and finished them off under the broiler for a couple minutes until the corn achieved some char.
**Vegans and those on raw food diets use cashews to make "cheese" and "cream". You can stuff your mushrooms with lots of different ingredients but I urge you to try the cashew cheese.
