Limed Jerked Seitan Crumbles with Marinara over Brown Rice Spaghetti, Cremini Mushrooms with Port and Lemon

From the Nasher dinner on Thursday, I had some leftover limed jerked seitan "crumbles" (i.e., the small pieces of seitan leftover - still nicely textured and flavored), as well as the marinara sauce. I slowly heated the marinara and added the crumbles, letting the mixture simmer for the duration of the dinner's preparation.

I also made a simple but tasty mushroom side dish. I started sauteing over medium-high heat about a fifth of a medium yellow onion medium diced to maybe 1/2". As the onion started becoming clear (after maybe 3 minutes), I took about 8 medium sized cremini mushrooms, sliced each into quarters, and sauteed for about 4 or 5 minutes till they were starting to show some brown color.

Then I added a large basil leaf from my garden and about a dozen rosemary needles, let it cook a minute and a half or two, then added about an eighth of a cup of Port (a red wine would have been fine, too), dashes of salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a little bit (1/4 teaspoon?) of fresh lemon zest (it just takes a little bit, but adds a lovely citrus nuance), and cooked for a final minute or so to let the wine get absorbed into the mushrooms and the alcohol evaporate.

I served the sauce atop some brown rice spaghetti, with another large basil leaf from my garden on the side and a little bit of nutritional yeast on top of the sauce. A carrot and the mushrooms completed the plate.

My wife, daughter, and I all loved the meal! The seitan by itself added a nice texture that, sans the additional flavoring, would make it resemble a Bolognese sauce. But the hint of jerk and lime that was left gave it a Jamaican feel, reminding me a little of dishes we enjoy at Nine Mile, one of our favorite Asheville, NC restaurants.