After a long day and an intense work out, what I crave is a hearty but light dinner that’s not loaded with carbs–and this savory Seitan and Portobello Chimichurri hits the spot. Chimichurri is a delectable Argentinian chutney made of parsley, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. It is most often served with steak, but it’s perfect over pan-seared portobello mushrooms and seitan, which provides 20g of protein per serving. Parsley, on the other hand, is an excellent source of Vitamins C, A, K, and B12, and is a natural diuretic that will help you de-bloat. Serve this dish with steamed Basmati rice, or on its own.
Seitan and Portobello Chimichurri
Serves 2
8 oz seitan
2 portobello mushroom caps, in 1/2″ thick slices
1 bunch Italian parsley, cleaned and chopped fine (about 2 cups chopped)
3/4 bunch cilantro, cleaned and chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium avocado
salt and pepper
1. Put a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tbsp olive oil, then the minced garlic. Cook for about 45 seconds, or until the garlic smells fragrant. Take off the heat and set aside.
2. Put the parsley and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Add the sauteed garlic with the oil in the pan. Add another tbsp of oil, the avocado, lemon juice, and salt and pepper generously. Blend until it reaches the consistency of a pesto, adding a tbsp or two of water if needed.
3. Heat the nonstick pan again, and add the remaining tbsp of oil. When the pan is hot, add the portobello mushrooms, and cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side. You can leave the pan and go do something else for a few minutes (feed the cat, check Twitter), because you don’t want to move around the mushrooms too much before they brown nicely. Turn over, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the seitan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until seitan looks nicely seared. Take off the heat, plate the seitan and mushrooms, and serve with the chimichurri sauce on top. Bon appetit!
Photo: Peaceful Dumpling
