Shroom and Spinach Lasagna Rollups

So, I proposed the idea of vegetarian gumbo to the husband last night, hoping he'd be able to look forward to Meatless Monday. Unfortunately, the conversation didn't go quite as I had planned.

Husband: Doesn't gumbo usually have sausage in it?

Wife: Yes

Husband: So, you're going to just make vegetables? 

Wife: I'll make rice, too.

Husband: Ya know, I agreed to this whole Meatless Monday thing when I didn't think it'd really happen. I mean, we haven't had an actual meatless meal yet, have we?

Well, we have, but it was almost a month ago. I realized I not only had to come up with a meatless meal but it needed to be a really good meatless meal. I was determined to show the husband that we could go meatless - and that he wouldn't mind.

Portobello Lasagna Rollups

Not that I'm trying to pat myself on the back too much, but I must say tonight's dinner was a total success. I put my new Ellie Krieger cookbook to work again tonight; it's safe to say Ellie's Portobello Lasagna Rollups will be seen regularly at our dinner table!

Had I steered away from her recipe, I'd post my own version. But Ellie's version sounded so good that I followed it as close as possible. Whole wheat lasagna noodles, part-skim ricotta and mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms, tomato sauce. What else would it need? It all sounded perfect. The rolls weren't that hard to assemble, either, but I must confess that the more I rolled, the better they looked. 

With the rollups ready for the oven, I was feeling pretty proud of myself. I made 14 rolls, even though Ellie said to make 12. (Actually, I cooked two extra noodles in case I tore a couple.) 

Just in case this meatless meal didn't impress the husband, though, I thought I'd make him a little something special: bread. I knew even if he did like dinner, he'd really like fresh-baked bread.

At about 5:10, the husband pulled in the driveway. I had sent him a text earlier in the day asking if he wanted to know what I was planning for dinner, but he said he wanted to be surprised.

"It smells like spaghetti and meatballs in here," I heard him say as he walked through the front door. I told him about the lasagna rollups, but I left the bread a surprise until it was time to sit down.

The husband went to the bedroom to install the new blinds and hang the new curtains I picked up this afternoon; and I finished setting the table. 

"And bread?!" The husband couldn't hide his excitement about the bread. I knew at that moment even if he thought dinner was mediocre I'd scored big points with the French bread.  But lucky for me, the husband was happier with more than just the bread. He thought dinner was good, really good, he told me. And he didn't even miss the meat!