VEGGIES

Roasted Brown Cremini Mushrooms with Sage and Chives

low carb vegan recipe

1 pound brown cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved
2 tbsp garlic or herb flavored extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic, with water squeezed out
8–10 fresh sage leaves, scissored
1 small handful of fresh chives, scissored
Salt and black pepper to taste

Makes 4 servings.

Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C.

As a lazy cook, I am always seeking opportunities to take scissors to ingredients rather than chop them. Long straight chives stems and huge sage leaves are just perfect for cutting with scissors! So cut away.

Clean the cremini mushrooms and cut them in half, and toss with the olive oil and seasonings in a large tossing bowl. If you don’t have a tossing bowl, a mixing bowl will also work. Make sure that the oil and seasonings are evenly coated with the mushrooms.

Salt and black pepper to taste and toss one more time.

Spread the seasoned mushrooms out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and roast for about 15–20 minutes or until the mushrooms look awesome (it sorta depends on how large your mushrooms are).

If you’re into opening oven doors and getting heat waves over your face, halfway through you can give it all a little stir to make the roasting more even. Personally, I am either a lazy cook, or I appreciate minor imperfections as part of my cooking aesthetic.

When serving, garnish with additional fresh chives and sage if desired. This will allow the discerning palette to make micro discriminations between fresh and roasted spices. If you find the taste of fresh sage as a garnish overpowering, just, you know, sprinkle some more salt and pepper on top!

Your kitchen, if not home, may smell like roasted chives and sage for hours, but that’s cool.

Here’s a tip: sauté a plant-based burger (one of the ‘convenient proteins’ discussed in the Pantry Stocking section). On the plate next to it, nestle these roasted mushrooms. Then, dump a big ladle of the Red Pepper Sauce from the Pasta section on top of both: this is a nifty and tasty fast meal!