Well, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. After five months, both kids have rebelled against plant-based eating. Of course, that’s not exactly how they approached it. They both asked if they could try a different way of eating for a while. It’s an eating and workout plan that Christopher used when he was a junior in high school and wanted to drop a few pounds. He ended up dropping almost 70 pounds in three months.
To me, one of the biggest factors in the success of any eating plan is having the right food available when you need it. Otherwise, you’re going to end up grabbing the wrong thing when you’re hungry and desperate.
With the eating plan the kids are following, the best and easiest way to prepare their meals is by meal prepping their lunches and dinners for them. I spend 2-3 hours on Sunday afternoon making their proteins, veggies and complex carbs. I described how I do it in my last post – Meal Prep Tips. I’ve developed some ways of saving time and energy while cooking 24 meals for the week.
*Disclaimer: Yes, I am aware that, at 19 and 16, they should be perfectly capable of preparing their own meals – and they totally are! But I only have a few more years of them living under this roof, so I’m going to do “Mom stuff” as much as I can!
So their meals are taken care of for the week, so that just leaves me and Michael to cook for.
I had a bag of fingerling potatoes that were starting to get…spongy. You know what I mean? When you squeeze one of them, it just doesn’t feel quite right. So I knew I needed to cook them. I hate throwing away food that I’ve let go bad. I caught these in the nick of time!
So I knew I was cooking potatoes. I looked in the refrigerator and saw a couple of cartons of sliced mushrooms. Aha! Two of my favorite foods!
I started by slicing the little potatoes into slices that looked like little coins. That took a while!
When I was done, I melted a little plant butter and drizzled in a little olive oil in a big skillet. I tossed in the potatoes and let them cook on high for about five minutes before adding the mushrooms. I let them cook together for another five minutes before adding salt, onion powder, and tarragon.
Oh, my gosh – tarragon! It goes SOOOO well with potatoes and mushrooms! And it smells incredible when you’re cooking with it! I can’t even describe the smell. It just smells like…tarragon!
Tarragon Mushrooms and Potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of butter (I used plant butter)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 pounds of fingerling potatoes, sliced into coins
- 16 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons of salt (more to taste – potatoes REALLY like salt!)
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon
In a large skillet, melt the butter and drizzle in the olive oil over high heat.
Toss in potatoes first and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for another five minutes before adding seasonings. Continue to stir occasionally and cook until potatoes are fork-tender.
Well Duh #1: Michael had his served over rice. I had mine in a quesadilla! But honestly, you could just hunker over the stovetop with a fork and go to town! They are that good!
Well Duh #2: If you don’t have (or can’t find) fingerling potatoes, baby potatoes would work just fine, too.
Well Duh #3: If you aren’t eating plant-based, this would make a great side dish to chicken, meatloaf, or pork chops!
Well Duh #4: I know it sounds like a lot of butter and oil, but mushrooms in particular DRINK any kind of moisture like little sponges! And, yes, you need both! The butter is for flavor and the olive oil keeps the butter from burning – or even browning too quickly.
Well Duh #5: I’ve had several readers and friends ask what made us decide to become plant-based eaters. We totally did it for Michael’s health, but here is the book that was partially the reason why we chose plant-based over other eating plans. If you’re even slightly interested, you should read this book! It’s called Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health.
Michael really liked this dish! I LOOOVED this dish. But I will pretty much eat and love anything that gets folded into a big tortilla and browned until golden. The kids kept drifting through the kitchen while it was cooking with their noses in the air as if they were following the wafting aroma into the room. They both had a nibble to try it. I’m all for a healthy eating plan, but giving your mom’s healthy veggie dish a tiny taste for quality shouldn’t be taboo!
If you’re looking for a new side dish – or plant-based main dish – this is a great one to try!
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Equipment Needed:
Large Skillet (this is my favorite!): https://amzn.to/2BK3Ytp
Wooden Spoon: https://amzn.to/2Z8b2Jy
Chef’s Knife: https://amzn.to/38IjH8E
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