Mushroom, Spinach and Roasted Bell Pepper Side Dish

We've been talking about ways to eat healthy without feeling food deprived. If we think about the meals  many of us grew up eating, we'll realize our meat servings were huge and way larger than the portion size recommended today.


It's not practical to think that you can weigh every food you put on your plate. What you can do, however, is learn to recognize what key portion sizes look like, so it will  help you know the right amount to serve yourself.

• Develop visual cues by matching portion sizes to familiar items.
  • A three-ounce serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards or a bar of soap.
  • A medium potato is about equal to a computer mouse.
  • A half-cup of rice would just about fill a regular-sized cupcake wrapper.
  • One ounce of cheese is about the size of four dice.

Eyeball food portions based on the amount of room they take up on a dinner plate. For example, on an 8- to 10-inch plate, half of the plate should be covered with vegetables, one-quarter with a starch like rice or a potato, and one-quarter with a protein.

Rather than focusing on the fact that we're cutting down on the size of the meat serving on our plate, let's focus on the delicious vegetables we are adding to our plates.

Tonight I did something a bit different  for dinner.  I fixed grilled pork chops, a vegetable side dish and included a tri-colored orzo pasta* as the carbohydrate.  But, I didn't serve myself a pork chop.  Instead my plate was filled with vegetables and orzo pasta.  I chose to combine the two to make a hearty, meatless "casserole" and I have to tell you it was delicious and very filling.  You might want to try doing this if you don't usually include meat in your diet.




 

 

 

 

Mushroom, Spinach and Roasted Bell Pepper Side Dish

 

¼ cup robust Joe and Son’s Olive Oils Extra Virgin Olive Oil…I used Organic Picual

2 pounds fresh white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced

1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup roasted red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips. Use jarred roasted peppers, drained, or roast your own.

3 ounces of fresh baby spinach leaves…washed and dried. (This is about 3 generous handfuls of spinach.)

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon Greek seasoning blend…I used Cavender’s Greek Seasonings in this recipe.

Salt and pepper

Additional teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling.

 

Let me start off by saying I have an unorthodox way of cooking  fresh mushrooms. I place them in a large saute pan and cook them over low heat until they release their liquid and then I drain the pan. At that point I start my recipe.

In a saute pan, place the sliced mushrooms and cook over low heat for about 8- 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes or so, until the liquids are released. Drain the pan and return to the stove. Pour the Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the mushrooms and stir to coat them evenly. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the spinach, roasted bell pepper strips, red pepper flakes and the Greek seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about another 5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.

Drizzle with the remaining Olive Oil before serving.

Serve hot.

*I used 1 cup uncooked orzo and followed the package instructions. I drizzled the orzo with a little of the Hojiblanca EVOO.