I stopped eating meat about ten years ago. In the beginning, just like a lot of transitioning vegetarians, I relied on meat alternatives, like frozen veggie burgers and “chicken” patties. I admit I still have a Morningstar Griller every now and then…gasp.  They do seem to satisfy the primal cravings I occasionally have.

But, they really are processed food and I’d rather get my nutrition from whole foods.  So when I’m looking for comfort food, I love grilled portobello mushrooms. I even season them with a steak rub (I use Penzey’s Mitchell Street Steak Seasoning) and serve them with mashed potatoes and a homemade steak sauce.

For this recipe, I roasted a head of garlic and steamed yukon gold potatoes. For an extra nutrition kick, you could use sweet potatoes. I mashed the garlic and potatoes with Earth Balance and almond milk. Then I made the steak sauce. You could use a store brought brand, but check the ingredients because it probably has high fructose corn syrup — which is just yuck. Next I seasoned the mushrooms and grilled them with the asparagus. I sauteed some spinach in olive oil and then arranged everything on a plate.

So, I think even my diehard meat-eating friends would be happy with this meal. I know I love it!

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