Carbing Up For Marching Band With Mushroom Ravioli

Apparently marching bands are THE thing here in Texas. Who knew? Yes, probably every Texan knows this but me being a non-Texan had no idea until recently. They aren’t like this on the East Coast. Last week we eased into the band thing with a few half days and then worked our way up to a full day. I can see why marching band counts as an athletic credit.

We are now in full swing and there are 8 hours of marching a day for The Kid. Every weekday… until the end of summer. There are also several weekend days thrown in there too for extra practice, drills, and team building events. I’m surprised and impressed at the quality of the health tips that the band directors are sending home via email to prepare for practices in the Texas heat.

Yes, right now we hit over 100 degrees daily and practice is on the field with the sun beating down on you. It never occurred to me how much this is like preparing for an event like a marathon, triathlon, 5k, etc. The directors have sent home tips all summer – hydration reminders, things to bring to practice like sunscreen, ideas on healthier eating, and even suggestions to start getting up early and spending time outdoors to acclimate to the heat beforehand.

Definitely practice for your event in the conditions you will be working in. We never got this much great info from the athletic instructors! I’ll admit the first day was a little rough on The Kid and she ended up face planting in a faint on the field. She took it like a champ though and considered it a badge of honor. It takes more than that to keep us down in the Quest House. This is the first time she’s ever willingly chugged water. 😉

As part of her Band Quest Training Program, I’ve increased her carbs a bit so that she’s got enough energy to get through the day. I’m adding in more fruits and pasta (since that’s her favorite). I mentioned a few weeks ago about needing to try a dairy free version of mushroom ravioli and I’ve managed to put one together. Score one for carbing up! I modified an old butternut squash ravioli recipe that I have using wonton wrappers.

The wrappers can usually be found in most grocery stores over by the tofu in the produce section. They save you a ton of time over trying to make the pasta part yourself. Saving time = smile on my face. Mushroom ravioli is typically served in a white bechamel sauce made with milk or cream and flour. I used that sauce here, but you can also use a tomato based sauce if you prefer. My bechamel sauce is dairy free due to The Kid’s allergy but I’ve included dairy options too.

Dairy Free Mushroom Ravioli

• 8 oz mushrooms (sliced or not, your choice)
• 6 oz mini portabello mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp minced green onions
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 24 – 26 wonton wrappers

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk OR regular milk
• 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast OR parmesan cheese
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder

Place the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse several times until finely pureed. I had to pulse a bit and mix the mushrooms up a few times since the big chunks kept coming to the top. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick spray. Add the green onion and saute for 2 – 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Stir in the mushroom puree and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until most of the water evaporates. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool slightly. This is just so you can handle it, not for any major purpose so if you don’t want to wait you don’t have to.

Work with one wonton wrapper at a time and keep the rest covered so they don’t dry out. Place approximately 2 teaspoons of mushroom mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half diagonally and run your finger over the two edges to seal them into a triangle-shaped ravioli. Repeat until you’ve used all the mushroom mixture.

Start a pot of water to boil while you prepare the sauce. Whisk the milk and flour in a microwave safe bowl until blended well. Microwave the mixture for 1 – 2 minutes until it thickens. Stir in either the nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese, salt and garlic powder. Set aside. When the water boils, cook the ravioli for 2 – 3 minutes and drain well.

Serve the ravioli drizzled with the sauce and enjoy. Makes approximately 4 servings at 159 calories each (for the non-dairy version) – 9g protein, 30g carbs, and 1g fat. Seriously, look at that nutritional data! It wasn’t the prettiest dish I’ve ever put together but the taste is there. I froze half of the ravioli uncooked to have later in the week.

We use nutritional yeast in our house sprinkled on pasta, popcorn, and veggies since it has a cheese-like flavor. I will warn you that it will NOT fool a cheese eater in any way. If your kids and significant other are used to the taste of parmesan cheese, they will act as if you are trying to poison them if you attempt to sneak nutritional yeast into this sauce as a substitute.

The Kid has never had real cheese so she’s unaware. I’ve grown accustomed to the taste and appreciate it for what it is and don’t pretend it’s cheese. It’s kinda like a veggie burger. It won’t fool anyone into thinking it’s a beef burger, but it’s still pretty darn good.

Do you like ravioli with white or red sauce? Do you think you could be fooled by a veggie burger?