bonjourhan

That’s what my carnivorous husband said of this vegetarian meal.

I told him what I was going to make, and he sounded very skeptical. “Where’s the meat?”

“Um… there is noneBUTITWILLBEDELICIOUSJUSTGIVEITATRY!”

He ate two.

And another for dinner.

Success.

I know, the suspense is killing you. It’s a slightly altered recipe from Better Homes and Gardens called “Portobello Wrap with White Bean-Chili Spread.”

(The photo is not mine, it’s from the Better Homes and Gardens website.)

It makes four wraps. One is enough for a meal, even for Stephen (who is not exactly a dainty eater).

Ingredients

I changed around the ingredients a little (I CAN’T HELP IT!). You can click on the picture for the original recipe, but MINE is the one for which Stephen professed his undying love, so it’s up to you…

• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1/4 cup of this mixture… I sloshed together some olive oil, white vinegar, balsamic vinegar and Italian seasoning, stirring until combined. I know this frustrates some of you to tears. I’m sorry. Maybe try 1/2 olive oil to 1/4 white vinegar and 1/4 balsamic with a heavy sprinkle of seasoning?
• 1 19-oz can white kidney beans (cannellini), drained and rinsed
• 2 cloves garlic (I minced mine with one of my favorite kitchen tools ever)
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups fresh spinach (I used baby spinach from a bag)
• 1 Tbs of the confusing oil-and-vinegar mixture (separate from the rest)
• 4 8-inch (aka large) tortillas
• 4 oz. feta cheese (um… that’s what the recipe said. I’m not sure how much I used.)
• A few sprinkles of shredded cheddar

Directions

If your significant other thinks a rounded meal is steak, you may field questions about the absence of meat during this process. Smile encouragingly and keep working. I have an awesome husband who has great faith in my random efforts in the kitchen, so he’s always willing to try new things.

1. Place the mushrooms on a baking pan (with edges so it doesn’t drip) and brush both sides of each mushroom with the 1/4-cup oil-vinegar mixture. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Blend the beans, garlic, olive oil, chili powder and salt in a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. Set aside.
3. Toss the spinach with the remaining Tablespoon of the oil-vinegar mixture and set aside.
4. Preheat the broiler (basically, set your oven to “broil,” which means some intense heat is only going to come out of the top heating element and not on the bottom). Move your top oven rack till it’s about 6 inches from the top of the oven. Place the pan of mushrooms on this top rack and broil about 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, take out the pan, flip the mushrooms over and put them back in for another 3 minutes. Take them out and slice them into strips.
5. Spread some of the bean purée on a tortilla and top with mushroom slices, spinach mixture and cheese (mostly feta but with a tiny sprinkle of cheddar). Roll it up and repeat with the next tortilla. If you’re not going to eat them all at once, you can place the wraps in the refrigerator.

Side note: As I was writing this blog post, Stephen walked by and said “Oh man, those were so good!” I’m telling you – don’t knock it till you try it!

Another side note: I don’t deprive my husband of meat all the time. I’m pretty sure I ate a year’s worth of beef last week. This wrap was totally warranted.

I don’t want to mess with perfection, but I’m sure curiosity will get the better of me – I’d love to try this recipe with gouda cheese next time. Or even better, a combination of gouda and feta. Mmm.