Grilled portabello mushrooms

Simple grilled mushrooms make a great vegetable side or makings of a vegan burger.

The great thing about this recipe for portobello mushroom burgers is its simplicity. I can throw this together in about 5 minutes and let it sit in the marinade for the afternoon, pulling them out in time to grill. And the cook time is short – I cook until I can easily slip a paring knife in and out of the center where the stem was,  since that is the thickest part. That it is tender in the center actually trumps the grilling time, since some mushrooms are just a bit bigger or thinner than others, so times vary.

I do really love how fast these are to make and I love getting outdoors to cook. It seems that over the past month or so I have been extremely busy with this or that, and it has left much less time for cooking dinner. In times like these, I often find myself turning to easy to grill items, and in this case, I grilled these with some cooked bratwurst and grilled corn.

Grilled portobello mushrooms

Serves 2

2 large portobello mushrooms
1/4  cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and rosemary in a small bowl.

2. Brush off mushrooms and trim the stem close to the cap. You can rinse these if they are especially soiled since they  will be going into the marinade straight away.

3. Put mushrooms and marinade in a zip-top bag, squeezing out excess air, and refrigerate for several hours.

4. Prepare outdoor grill (gas or charcoal) and grill caps 10 minutes, or until fork tender in the center, turning once. You can baste with extra marinade if you wish.

5. Serve these as  a vegetable side dish, or put them on sandwich buns with burger type toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, etc.)

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