Family Chow Hall

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

June 12th, 2006

We are definitely a meat-eating family. Most of our main dishes and dinners include meat. I guess it’s the way I was raised, besides the fact that meat is delicious, filling, and provides the fat and protein that growing kids need.

Not every meal must include meat, however, and I strive to have meatless dishes once or twice each week. This usually ends up being pasta of some sort. I guess I lack some imagination. Spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli, etc. Sometimes it will be soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Fresh Portabella mushrooms caught my eye at the warehouse club last week, so I am going to throw these babies on the grill tonight. Portabellas are the really large mushroom caps (stems already removed) that you see in the produce section of your grocery.

Portabellas have a meaty flavor, especially if you grill them, so you meat-loving families should give them a try. Don’t be suprised if they really fill you up!

Maybe not every member of your family will love these ’shrooms, so it might be a good idea to have a filling side dish to go with them.

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

4 Portabella Mushroom caps
3/4 c. virgin olive oil
2 t. minced garlic
3 T. lemon juice - optional
salt, pepper, a dash of red pepper, paprika, onion powder, basil, oregano, etc.

Gently clean the mushroom caps and set them on a paper towel to dry. (A true chef might tell you to never wash mushrooms with water because they are very absorbant. I DO wash them with water - how else am I supposed to get them clean?) Combine the olive oil with all the seasonings you want. Use a little imagination! It all depends on how you like it. Personally, I like the Italian seasonings, so I will be sure to have basil, oregano, rosemary, and garlic in my marinade.

Next, place the mushrooms in a zipper baggie and pour the marinade in as well. Close it up and refrigerate for an hour or two.

Then light up that grill and when it’s good and hot, put the portabellas on it. Just give them a few minutes (about 5) per side. Keep some water handy - when the olive oil drips down into the coals, you will have flare-ups.

You can eat these on a bun just like a hamburger, or cut and eat like a steak.

The flavor of grilled portabellas is a special treat.

Enjoy!

Entry Filed under: Italian, Recipes, Side Dishes, Supper, appetizers