Portobello Burgers

I love a good mushroom. That sounds a bit odd, I know. But really, I love any kind of mushroom as long as it is cooked right. When it comes to portobellos, I believe grilling is the most amazing way.

Unfortunately, I live in an apartment complex, and I don't trust the community grills. So I opted for baking them, which has never failed me in the past. I rank it as the best second option for cooking portobellos.

It was actually Justin's idea. We were sweeping through the grocery store and wondering what to eat. As we passed the mushroom section, he simply stated, "How about portobello burgers?" It made me happy to hear him opt for a vegan meal without me persuading him.

So we got home and I got started!

I prepared a marinade of olive oil, soy sauce, and pepper. Feel free to add cayenne as well.

Put the mushrooms in the marinade. Make sure they get covered in it if you accidentally used a bowl that was too small. Cover with aluminum foil (plastic wrap is okay too) and let it marinade for a while. I let it go for about 45 minutes but it would probably be best to leave it for about two hours.

Now, while those are marinating, go ahead and pull the seeds out of that pomegranate you got and talk to your sister on the phone because she may have a job opportunity for you!

Yum. Yum yum yum yum yum.

Okay so now you have pomegranate seeds to snack on, and you've talked to your sister about a possible job opportunity. Pull out your marinating mushrooms!

Line a pan with parchment paper and place the mushroom caps on it, bottom side up. Drizzle with the marinade.

Since I forgot to take a before photo, I took one while they were in the oven. Because I am brave like that. Okay! So, now chop some onion and garlic. Snack on 'em raw if you want. Or not. I'm not weird and love the taste of raw garlic/onion or anything. Nope...Not me...

Sautee them up. Leave them on low until the mushrooms are done.

I love how the second one held the marinade like soup.

So we ended up having to cut one in half because we only had really tiny slices of bread, but it was pretty damn filling. We topped it with the onions and garlic, and some spinach. Delicious. Filling. Hearty. Awesome for this time of year. The cons are that they are a bit difficult to eat but honestly, it's so good it doesn't even matter.

Bon appetite! And stay tuned for...something else in the future!

Pumpkin Seeds

Fall is my favorite time of year. I don't know anyone who doesn't love the colors, spices, smells, and slight chill in the air. However, here in Charlotte,  you can wake up and it's 40 degrees outside, and by mid day, you get a sunburn while working a table at the flea market. That's absolutely not what happened to me and Justin yesterday. Nope.

Anyways, we bought a pumpkin a bit ago, and it just sat on our counter. Finally, last night, sunburned and tired, we decided to carve it. When I was young my dad would always pull the seeds and roast them. I decided to do the same.

After cutting the top off, we scooped out all the pulp and seeds, placing them in a large bowl to soak in cold water, and then moving them to a colander. 

We got it scraped pretty good. Not one seed was lost. 

It's going to be impossible to get ALL the pulp, but as long as there isn't tons it's all right. Make sure they're washed well. They'll be super slippery too. Resist the urge to dry them too much. 

Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet that has been well olive oiled. I drizzled a little more olive oil on top, then salt and pepper. I mixed 'em around, spread them out again, washed my oily hand, and added more salt and pepper. 

Place them in the oven at 325 for 25 minutes. Once the timer hits about seven minutes left, it's okay to carefully reach in and snag one or two or three or four. 

Unfortunately, my camera died (it's very old...looking to get a new one soon!) and I don't have a photo of the finished product. :( But, imagine roasted, salted, and peppered pumpkin seeds that are delicious.

Health benefits of pumpkin seeds are:

Improved bladder function

Depression treatment

Prevention of Osteoporosis

Cholesterol fighter

Cancer fighter

So...we carved the pumpkin! We read on Homesteading Self Sufficiency Survival  that you can use a cookie cutter and a hammer if pumpkin carving isn't your forte. Deciding to give our pumpkin stars for eyes, it worked. Our star cookie cutter was sacrificed, and it even peeled the inside of the pumpkin even more! Observe:

But, the final result...

:) Happy October!