Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Portobello Mushrooms!

I thought I would share last night's dinner with you.  Last night's dinner was intended to be Sunday's dinner.  But, it rained all day Sunday and Mr. McGhee wasn't in the mood to stand outside in the rain and cook.  So instead, Mr. McGhee and I stayed inside and watched this out the window.


This is our boy minis, outside in the pouring rain, jumping from the top of their swingset and trying to use an umbrella as a parachute.  Sometimes I wonder if my boy minis are really smart.  Or really....errr.....not smart.

Meanwhile, my tiny girl mini was inside doing this.



So, Mr. McGhee and I decided we weren't cooking, and packed up the minis and went out to eat instead.  And that's how Sunday's dinner became Monday's dinner.

We had gone to the farmer's market on Saturday and bought two beautiful portobello mushrooms.  I love the meatiness and earthiness of portobellos, so I was pretty excited to try grilling them.  I decided to try them two different ways, one following a recipe from Bobby Flay's cookbook and one of my own.  

Here's Bobby Flay's recipe for marinated grilled portobello mushrooms.

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • pinch of red chile flakes
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaf
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 8 portobello mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
1.  Heat grill to medium.
2.  Whisk together vinegar, mustard, garlic, red chile flakes, thyme and parsley.  Slowly whisk the olive oil until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper.  Store in fridge for up to 4 hours.
3.  Brush both sides of mushrooms with canola oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place mushrooms on the grill, cap side down, and grill  until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.  Turn the mushrooms over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer.
4.  Remove the mushrooms from the grill and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Place the mushrooms in a large bowl, add the marinade, and toss to coat.  Let marinate at room temp for 30 minutes before serving.  Mushrooms can be stored for up to 4 hours in fridge before serving.

Assemble your ingredients for the marinade.



Slowly add your oil.  Fridge for up to 4 hours.  DO NOT put mushrooms in marinade until after they are cooked.



Remove the stem.



Coat with oil and season.



Toss on the grill, cap side down.


Flip and cook the other side.





Slice mushroom.  


Toss mushrooms in marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.




I thought these were very good.  Mr. McGhee didn't love them, he said he preferred my shrooms over Bobby's.  Smart man.

Heids McGhee's pesto portobello  

  • portobello mushroom, stem removed
  • canola oil
  • salt and pepper
  • pesto
  • goat cheese
1.  Brush both sides of mushrooms with canola oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place mushrooms on the grill, cap side down, and grill  until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.  
2.  Turn the mushrooms over and smear top of the mushroom with pesto and spinkle with goat cheese.  Grill an additional 4-5 minutes.
3.  I served these with fresh garden tomato slices on the side.

Remove the stem.



Brush both sides with canola oil and season with salt and pepper.



Grill, cap side down for 4-5 minutes.



Flip over and smear pesto and goat cheese slices on top.  Grill an additional 4-5 minutes.



These were delish.  You could eat these alongside a grilled steak or chicken breast, or they could easily stand alone as the main dish.