Tarragon Portabella w/ Wheat Berries in a Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette
Tarragon Portabella w/ Wheat Berries in a Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette
It’s an ubiquitous French flavor paired with a faintly sweet and tangy dressing that makes this dish unique. Portabella is hearty and meaty, sauteed until it’s caramelized and deglazed with a sherry.
While all of these ingredients stand on their own alone, they make for a hell of an all star line up together. It’s a meal that can be eaten hot or cold. The longer they sit together, the better it gets.
The best part, it’s high in dietary fiber, rich in antioxidants, and happens to be vegan. Basically what I’m saying is it’s a really satisfying meal that happens to be extremely healthy.
Meet the Players:
Tarragon is an underutilized herb. It is the best parts of fennel, anise, and licorice. With hints of eucalyptus, this herb is expensive and a little more challenging to find fresh than it’s dry counterpart. At least here in the states that is true.
Wheat Berries are the whole grain form of flour prior to processing.
If you’ve ever eaten a bearnaise or hollandaise sauce, you’ve encountered tarragon. The flavor and fragrance are delicate and unique. It’s a French staple like cilantro is to Mexican cuisine.
Portabella is earthy and has incredible texture. It’s hearty, while being a canvas for all the flavors. It’s what makes mushroom a star in this dish. What makes it even better? Deglazing a pan with sherry and the caramelization makes this portabella mouthwatering.
The Wheat Berry is a powerhouse ingredient. It is the whole grain form of flour before flour got it’s bad rap. The wheat berry whole is high in dietary fiber and most definitely nutritionally dense.
This grain is nutty and chewy. If you’ve never had it you can attest that it’s better than the most perfectly cooked short grain brown rice you’ve ever eaten. If you have gluten allergies, sorghum replaces easily in the recipe as written.
Final Thoughts and Notes:
This is one of my favorite food prep recipes. When eating clean, this recipe is far from boring. It doesn’t matter if you’re eating clean or not, you’ll still want it.
Save yourself a trip to the boutique deli and make yourself a salad that will rival the best.
Make the dressing in advance and when you’re ready bring the rest of it together in a pinch. This recipe does well in the fridge for a few days. The best part, it’s flexible. It can be eaten hot or cold.
Let’s get started!
Tarragon Portabella with Wheat Berries in a Pomegranate Molasses Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a saucepan combine berries, water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
- While Wheat Berries are cooking, prep the portabella. Wipe the top of the portabello with a clean towel, removing any excess debris. Using a small spoon scrape away the brown gills underneath. Remove the stem with a knife. Cut in half and slice thinly.
- Heat oil in medium to high heat with a saute pan. Add garlic, tarragon and portabella.
- When the portabella caramelizes in color, add salt. The pan should gradually dry with toasty bits at the bottom. Add a splash of madeira to deglaze the pan.
- After the wheat berries are cooked, drain any excess water.
- While wheat berries are hot add vinaigrette, beets, and fold to distribute dressing. Add in portabella, flat leaf parsley, season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled!
- Enjoy!
Notes:
*Gluten Allergies? Sub sorghum in the recipe and cook the exact same way!
*For Vegan cooking, make sure to double check that your Madeira or sherry are vegan friendly.
**No madeira? Use a sherry or vinegar to deglaze the pan.
**Make sure to add the vinaigrette to the wheat berries (or sorghum if using) immediately after draining them (if you need to drain them). The heat helps to absorb the flavors while the grain is still warm.
**Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days.
**Can be served warm or chilled.
