Week 6: Portobello Cheesesteaks & Kale

I am not too proud to admit that once upon a time in my life I was obsessed with Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. Yep, the kind with real steak from actual cows. The affair lasted only a summer but I still remember it with a fond intoxication. Probably because each time I scarfed one down, I was precisely that. But now I'm a grown-up with little people's health solely determined by my choices –– little people who will have to find Philly Cheesesteaks on their own time. Nowadays, I get most of my thrills from plant-based food sources, so when I found this recipe for Portobello Cheesesteak sandwiches, my heart fluttered with excitement. With the summer of 1994 in mind, I chuckled over how far I'd come. Not only was I making the Philly out of mushrooms and pita bread, I was actually going to serve it with steamed kale. Ahhh, life's little ironies.

Unlike it's artery-clogging counterpart, this sandwich was very beautiful. Besides richly dark portobello mushrooms, the recipe called for yellow bell peppers, sliced onions and mozzarella cheese. I went ahead and added cilantro since I had it on hand, which gave it a crisp, springtime boost. The steamed kale was superb, but admittedly took this meal into its "Extreme Makeover" phase, which many would scoff at. But to all you naysayers out there, lighten up –– I have yet to give myself over to Tofutti Cream Cheese.

PS - Since the hubby erased my photo of this fabulous sandwich, I've added the one from the cookbook so you can see how pretty it is.