Gluten Free and Vegan Grilled Portobello Tacos

Last week I was feeling quite inspired to makes some portabella mushroom tacos! It just so happened that my trusty subscription to the previously mentioned Vegetarian Times provided me with a recipe for just that! Unfortunately they did not have the recipe online, so I can not post it for copyright reasons - but I will shed light on how to make your own version!

First, I must say that these were some of the best tacos I have ever had! The mushrooms were cooked on my indoor grill with a marinade of olive oil, pepper and balsalmic vinegar, which made them so amazing. They were juicy and meaty and divine, making the price well worth it! That is my one issue with portabellas - they are so yummy but so expensive. Four of them cost me $7 - but surprisingly they fed us for two meals, which made me happy. I hated left-overs as a kid, but now I hope for them. They also had avocado slices on them (one of my favorite things ever!) and were topped with a home-made salsa verde, which gave the tacos a finishing touch.

Anyway, here are some easy ingredients that will help you craft your own tacos:

- Corn Tortillas
- Grilled or Sauteed Portabella Mushrooms
- Avocados
- Shredded Cabbage
- Tomatoes (which I forgot)
- Salsa Verde (Trader Joe's has some!)

Have fun with these! Spice them up! Add some other ingredients! They are not your mother's tacos! They made me feel like we were eating in a nice restaurant. :)

Oh, and now a word about quinoa. This little super grain is great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free! It is packed with protein, essential amino acids, fiber and iron. It can be easy for a GF girl to go crazy on rice and corn, so I love using quinoa. I made a "Mock Tabbouleh Salad" from The Gluten-Free Vegan Cookbook to accompany our tacos and I was so pleased with it.

Andrew is pretty much hooked on quinoa now and I have to say - this was one of my favorite quinoa salads yet. Sometimes quinoa can be too bland or nutty tasting, but this one was amazing. It had freshly chopped parsley and mint, tomatoes, green onions, red bell pepper and kalamata olives and was dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and herbs. The pairing of the kalamata olives and mint was the best part! The salad is best chilled, so I always make my quinoa hours ahead of time and let it cool in the fridge before adding other ingredients. I also find it's better over night or after a day, when the quinoa has had time to soak up all the flavors.

Happy Eating!