Portobello Mushroom Steaks with Balsamic Asparagus

Submitted by Lauren Schreiber, Trimester 3 student at Logan College of Chiropractic/University Programs

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Ingredients
4 portobello mushroom caps
2 cups filtered water
¼ cup plus 3 tsp. nama shoyu
½ fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
¼ cup plus 2 TB. olive oil
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 TB. Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. stone-ground mustard
1 tsp. maple syrup (or to taste)
1 bunch asparagus (or enough for 4 servings)
½ medium red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
½ medium yellow or orange bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and diced

Directions

1. Cut mushrooms in quarters and place in a large baking pan, gills facing down. Add water and ¼ cup nama shoyu, and marinate in a dehydrator at 145 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove and strain out marinade, reserving ½ cup.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine basil, garlic, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons nama shoyu, salt and black pepper, and stir well. Turn mushrooms over and evenly distribute basil mixture on top.  
3. Place remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, stone-ground mustard, maple syrup, and remaining 1 teaspoon nama shoyu in a cup or small mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
4. Bend ends of each asparagus stalk, and they will naturally break off at the exact place necessary. Place asparagus in a dish or pan. Cover with balsamic marinade.
5. Place a dehydrator tray in the dehydrator to hold the dish (containing the asparagus). Dehydrate at 145 degrees F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
6. Add remaining ½ cup marinade to the bottom of mushroom pan and put in the dehydrator along with asparagus. Dehydrate at 145F for 45 to 60 minutes.
7. Remove asparagus and mushrooms from the dehydrator and arrange on plates. Sprinkle with red and yellow bell peppers.

Nutritional Analysis
Yield: 4 Servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Dehydrate time: 1 or 2 hours
Serving size: 1 mushroom
Each serving has:    
265 calories
21 g total fat
3 g saturated fat
6 g protein
19 g carbohydrate
5 g fiber
0 mg cholesterol
392 mg sodium
 

Portobello Mushrooms: An excellent source of selenium (very important mineral for optimal antioxidant activity), many of the B vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and potassium. In addition, their polysaccharide and beta-glucan components exhibit anti-cancer properties. http://www.healthcastle.com/month_portobello_muhsroom.shtml

Nama Shoyu: Because nama shoyu is a fermented soy food, it shares many of miso’s very powerful medicinal and nutritional properties while avoiding the problems associated with unfermented soy foods. It is said to aid in digestion and is rich in minerals. Scientists have given particular attention to the high concentration of brown pigment in shoyu, because of its strong antioxidant and anticancer properties. A recent study by the National University of Singapore reports that the dark soy sauce has antioxidant properties that are 10x more potent than the antioxidants in red wine, and 150 times more effective than vitamin C!  Nama Shoyu is also un-pasteurized and virtually the only ‘living’, ‘raw’ soy sauce available in North America. It's full of health-giving ‘live’ enzymes and beneficial organisms like lactobacillus. http://foreverhealthy.net/html/archives/articles/shoyu.asp

Fresh Basil leaves: Contain many health benefiting essential oils such as eugenol, citronellol, linalool, citral, limonene and terpineol. These compounds are known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.  Also contains exceptionally high levels of beta-carotene, vitamin A, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zea-xanthin. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process.  http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/basil-herb.html

Garlic: This herb was first used in Ancient times by the Egyptians to treat wounds, infections, tumors and intestinal parasites.  This amazing herb has also demonstrated the ability to protect against a variety of environmental toxins. Garlic’s sulphur compounds are potent antioxidants which protect cell membranes and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) from damage.  http://www.lifestylekarma.com/2008/10/15/garlic-nutrition-facts/

Asparagus: Contains vitamin C, folic acid, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, antioxidant-rich (glutathione), and is anti-inflammatory. It is also a good source of thiamin, B6, and potassium. http://www.asparagus.org/maab/nutrition.html

Bell peppers: Excellent source of vitamins A, C, E, B6, and folate. http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50#healthbenefits