Many nights I forage in my kitchen looking for inspiration to make dinner.  When I can’t find her, I rely on Plan B: “go with what ya got.”  Yesterday I pulled out some portabello mushrooms I had been wanting to use for just this type of dish.  Like baked potatoes. portabellos are great for filling with all types of flavors.  They are quite meaty and absorb whatever liquids you use for marinade.  I paired them with the sweet potatoes I had left over from Thanksgiving, and another main course was born.

When I’m ‘batchin’ it, I  tend to whip together dishes that aren’t necessarily ‘blog worthy.’  Sure, they taste great, but they might be a hodge podge and not the best looking on camera.  Once I took a bite of this hearty goodness, I just knew I had to share it with you.

Stuffed Portabellos – Serves 2
Sweet potatoes are a terrific source of vitamins A (beta carotene), C, and B6 as well as calcium, potassium, and iron. They are high in fiber so they will stick to your ribs, keeping your blood sugar and appetite in check. One cup of baked sweet potato has 4 grams of protein and less than 100 calories.

2 portabellos mushrooms. cleaned and gutted
1 TB tamari sauce (or low sodium soy)
1 TB olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 lime, zested
1 TB lime juice
2 TB olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sea salt
1 TB chopped cilantro

Marinate mushrooms for one hour in olive oil, garlic, and tamari.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400.
Wrap sweet potatoes in parchment paper and foil and bake for approx. 30 minutes, or until soft.

Pour off excess marinade from portabellos and grill for 3 minutes on each side.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove flesh from skin and put into saucepan or skillet.
Add olive oil, cumin, salt and lime and cook on low heat until warm.

Scoop potato mixture onto mushroom and top with chopped cilantro.  Serve with green a salad and lime vinaigrette.