Mushroom Tacos

I really wanted to make Jamie Oliver’s mushroom shawarma dish but realized it was too hard and the ingredients were difficult to find. Where am I going to find a jar of preserved lemons in rural Illinois during a pandemic?!

Nope, I needed a simpler version. Luckily, Steve found portobello and oyster mushrooms at the store. For my easier take on Jamie’s dish, cook in a skillet:

• 2 sliced portobello mushrooms

• 1 sliced cluster of oyster mushrooms

• 6-7 sliced button mushrooms

• 1 teaspoon of paprika

• 1 teaspoon of cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

• Chili powder to taste

• Salt and pepper to taste

While the mushrooms are getting soft, I did use Jamie’s recipe for flour tortillas, which were SO easy to make. I’m never buying tortillas at the store again. For 4 small flour tortillas:

• Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of filtered water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

• Knead into a dough, adding more flour or water depending on whether the dough is too sticky or dry.

• When the dough is workable and no longer sticky, cut into four even pieces.

• Roll out each piece with a rolling pin.

• Add about a tablespoon of oil to a skillet on high-medium heat.

• Place two tortillas on the skillet at a time (depending on how big your skillet is).

• Flip when one side starts to form brown blisters.

Carb So Hard

Steve and I recently watched The Game Changers on Netflix. It’s a fascinating documentary about the health benefits of a plant-based diet. There’s one memorable scene of a doctor comparing the blood samples of three athletes: one who ate a beef burrito, one who ate a chicken burrito, and one who ate a bean burrito. As soon as we watched that scene, we committed to eating healthier. With a more plant-based diet and the fact that I’m still nursing the baby, I need more carbs. Plus, it’s hard to find time to cook and eat while taking care of a baby. Carbs are quick and easy, including this crusty bread recipe I’m making on the regular.

Ingredients

3 cups of King Arthur bread flour

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of instant yeast

1.5 cups of filtered water

Instructions

1. Combine water, yeast, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir until you start to see tiny bubbles (the yeast activating).

2. Add the flour and knead until the flour is combined. If the dough is too sticky, add some more flour (about a tablespoon at a time). If the dough is too dry, add a teaspoon of water. The dough is just right when you can touch it without it leaving residue on your fingers.

3. Keep the dough ball in the bowl and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Set aside for at least a couple hours.

4. Once the dough has risen, shape it back into a ball. Using a knife, slash a few seams into the dough to allow it to expand more evenly.

5. Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.*

6. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper that’s large enough to cover the sides of the cast iron.

7. Place the dough onto the parchment paper.

8. Cover the cast iron pan with the lid and bake for 20 minutes with the lid on.

9. Take the lid off. A golden crust should have formed.

10. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Depending on your oven, the bread is done once it’s reached a golden brown on the sides. (You can really tell it’s done if you knock on the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow.)

*For a soft sandwich loaf, bake in a loaf pan for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.