Meatless Monday Recipes - Tropical Quorn Cutlets and Italian Stuffed Portobellos

Coconut-Crusted Quorn Cutlets with Passion Fruit Sauce and Mango Salsa

1 package (4) Quorn Naked Cutlets, defrosted

1 cup organic shredded coconut (if you use unsweetened, toss it with a tbs. of sugar)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp. + one pinch salt

1/4 tsp. + one pinch pepper

1/2 tsp.+ one pinch garlic powder

1/8th tsp. curry powder (optional)

2 tbs. canola oil

1 tbs. Earth Balance buttery spread

2 free range organic eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl or on a large plate, mix coconut, panko, and spices and toss to combine. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dip each cutlet in egg mixture, then into coconut breading. Pat breading down into the cutlet with your hand. I re-dipped into egg and breading again for a thicker crust, but this is optional.

In a 9-10 inch skillet, heat oil and Earth Balance over medium heat. Add cutlets and cook each side until nicely brown. Transfer the skillet to pre-heated oven and continue to cook 7-10 minutes until warmed through.

Passion Fruit Sauce

1 tbs. Earth Balance

1 tsp. garlic-herb butter if you have it (I always keep it on hand and buy extra to store in the freezer)

1 cup frozen passion fruit juice concentrate (I used Goya brand, if you can't find this, you can use passion fruit juice from a can or bottle OR frozen mango juice concentrate can be substituted)

1 tbs. sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian or Ethnic aisle of your supermarket)

Melt Earth Balance and garlic-herb butter in a small saucepan. Add juice concentrate and sweet chili sauce. Cook on medium-high heat until slightly reduced. This takes 2-3 minutes. Serve on top of warm coconut quorn cutlets.

Quick Mango-Avocado Salsa

1-2 large mangoes, peeled and diced (depending how much you want to make)

1 large, ripe avocado, cubed

1/2 red pepper, diced (optional)

1-2 tsp. sweet chili & mango or plain sweet chili sauce (Blue Dragon is my favorite, you can find it in the Asian foods section)

1 tbs. fresh chopped cilantro (more or less to taste)

4 leaves fresh chopped mint (optional)

Juice of one lime

Toss all ingredients together gently and serve with above cutlets. This is also good with fish or chicken.

This meal would pair well with Thai, Jasmine, or Basmati rice.

Pesto Panko Stuffed Portobellos 

This my version of a recipe I saw on Grill It! With Bobby Flay

4 large portobello mushrooms, gently cleaned with a damp cloth* (you could also use baby bellas or another smaller mushroom to make this a party appetizer)

1-2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup panko or Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 cup prepared or home made pesto (see my recipe from this entry, or if you want to purchase it, I recommend Bear Pond basil pesto which you can find at Whole Foods)

2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley

3/4 cup Whole Foods shredded Paremsan Three Cheese Blend or your own fresh grated Parmesan

1-2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced into rounds (you will need 4 slices)

4 slices fresh mozzarella or fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine is the size you'll need)

salt to taste, if needed

pinch fresh ground pepper

*Portobello tip - gently remove the mushrooms stem and gills for more stuffing space 

These can be done on the grill, but I made them in the oven this time.

Preheat oven to Low-Broil. Brush olive oil on the the mushroom cap and season with a sprinkle of salt.

For stuffing: Combine breadcrumbs, pesto, parsley, shredded parmesan blend, and pepper (taste before adding salt - mine didn't need any because the pesto and cheese were salty enough). Mixture should be slightly moist and not too crumbly, if the mixture seems too dry, add up to 1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil. Scoop mixture into hollowed-out mushroom caps. Top with a slice of fresh tomato and fresh mozzarella. Drizzle oil in the bottom of a baking dish and place mushrooms in, stuffing side up. Broil for about 10 minutes, until caps are soft and cheese begins to melt. If the mushrooms are not soft after 10 minutes, switch from low broil to bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes more.

Fun Foodie Facts

Good news for vegetarian Phillies fans - Citizen's Bank Park ranked #1 on PETA's list of "vegetarian-friendly major league stadiums." As of this season, they offer veggie burgers, faux-steak and faux-chicken sandwiches, mock crab cakes, hummus and pita, and even vegan rice krispie treats!

Rounding out the top 5 for vegetarian fare were 

AT&T Park - San Franciso Giants

Minute Maid Park - Houston Astros

Comerica Park - Detroit Tigers

Coors Field - Colorodo Rockies

Stay tuned for my review of a wine and cheese pairing that I attended at Crossing Vineyards and Winery in Washington Crossing, PA.