kid friendly

Some nights you just need an easy, kid-friendly meal; and nothing is easier than pasta.

We used gluten-free pasta because my 20 month old is gluten-free. He loved this pasta and the mushrooms.

This was his first time successfully feeding himself. He normally eats with his hands but he always tries to use the spoon. He totally rocked spooning this pasta into his mouth. He had seconds of this by the way.

I’m not typically a mushroom lover but my marinade really takes them to a whole different level. So if you don’t like mushrooms you will want to try them this way; if you like mushrooms this may become your favorite way to prepare them.

Mushroom Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp Braggs
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (vegan)
• 1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinaigrette
• 1 Tbsp Agave Nectar
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Sherry (optional, I use in Italian dishes but not Mexican)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of water
• Mushrooms of your choice, we prefer Portobello

Do

1. Mix all liquids for the marinade in a large bowl and stir to incorporate them all.
2. Wash mushrooms and pat dry.
3. Slice them then add to marinade.
4. Let them soak 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Cook the mushrooms however you prefer. I simmered these with onions for the pasta but will often grill them for fajita’s.

Serve

This marinade is extremely versatile. I use it, adjusting where necessary, for all of my mushroom recipes. I’ve had people who didn’t like mushrooms tell me they really enjoyed them this way. It’s a lot easier than the recipe I came up with for my Portobello Fajita’s. My Portobello Burgers are pretty good too if you are in a Portobello kind of mood.

I served this with a big ol’ garden salad! Yes that was just MY salad, in a serving bowl. My husband and 3 year old had their own. 😉

Just in case you are wondering, the Pumpkin Bread from yesterday’s post does make a delicious breakfast, especially with a cup of coffee.