Magic Ginger Mushrooms & Spinach (gluten-free, soy-free, vegan)

I remember the first vegetarian restaurant I went to when I was in college. I became OBSESSED with how good veggies could taste and how it could be an entire meal… no meat. AH-MEEZING. While doing that full-time doesn’t work for my body, doing it part time works wonderfully. Eating plant-based has been so good for me in so many ways. It’s almost like magic how it can transform your health and happiness. Not to mention, I love being creative with vegetables, to think I was bored by them as a kid – how we grow so much wiser, eh? 🙂

One of the best dishes I could recall from my first vegetarian restaurant experience was a soy sauce mushroom dish… with some mysterious flavors I couldn’t grasp. It was the ginger melted into it, which I only realized it after I tried my hand at it a few times.

More recently, I’ve been trying to eat much less processed soy, and so I came across coconut aminos. What a great substitute! Totally soy-free, thank you once again, COCONUTS (for, ya know, everything). I cannot get enough! Anyway, you will not miss the soy here at all, it has that rich, dark, salty flavor and it works beautifully here.

Serve this as a side, a base, or on a table of tapas and you will be one happy plant eater. The seasonal spinach these mushrooms lay on is lightly steamed and it soaks up the pan sauce perfectly.

MY FAVE.

Also my fave? The feeling you get when you toast seeds or nuts without burning them. Somehow I always get distracted the second I stick something like that into the oven. You know, until that burning smell hits the air and you realize you just FAILED hard core. SIGH! Well I watched it like a HAWK this time, and it’s a super easy topping. So needless to say, I won this round.

Toasted seeds – 0, Me – 1

The taste combined with how simple and loving this dish is, makes it MAGIC in my book. XO

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cremini mushrooms
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or for soy version: sub for soy sauce or GF Tamari)
• 1 tsp Coconut oil
• Optional Topping show: lightly toasted sesame and hemp seeds (Spread 1 tsp of each on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for approx. 5-7 minutes on 300f degrees. Watch and do not burn!)

Directions

1. If you plan to use the toasted sesame and hemp seed topping, you can get that started first to set aside, see directions above.
2. Over medium-light heat, add coconut oil to a skillet and melt to cover the surface of the pan.
3. Add sliced mushrooms and let cook until softened, approx. 10-12+ minutes or so (low and slow… LOOOOVE those mushrooms up!).
4. The mushrooms should excrete water, making for a little bit of broth in the skillet. Make sure they’re cooking slowly and not sticking or burning. You want them to be soft and tender.
5. While that’s working, in a small bowl, add coconut aminos (or soy/tamari sauce) in a bowl and add grated ginger, mix to combine with a spoon.
6. Pour the ginger mixture over mushrooms and mix lightly with a wooden spoon. Let simmer for 2 minutes.
7. Add spinach over top and do not mix. Cover the skillet for approx. 5 more minutes so the spinach can steam and the flavors can all melt together.
8. Using tongs, grab the softened spinach and add to a serving dish. Next, pour the mushrooms with the pan sauce over the spinach. Add desired toasted sesame and hemp seeds or serve without!

Oh and feel free to #putaneggonit

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Hope you enjoy!
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Use #foodbymars to tag your FBM inspired creations! I’d love to see!

**Alison

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