Day 98: Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

~recipe & photo updated in 2007~

Simple and good, these were!

I'd looked for a marinated mushroom recipe, something for a meaty-ish vegetarian sandwich. (Suggestions welcome!) But this will do, for now, as is, for mushrooms on the side.

FYI: Spelling portobello (portabello? portabella? portobella?) is a trick. Even Epicurious spells it a couple of different ways.

2007 Photo Update: So I made these again -- they're so simple and quite good! But since I had such good luck washing the mushrooms for Kalyn's Roasted Asparagus & Mushrooms, I decided to wash two of the portobellos and brush the other two. Much to my surprise, the washed ones cooked faster and tasted better! I suspect it's because they had more moisture to both 'carry' heat into the flesh of the mushrooms and to withstand the hot grill. They even look better in the photo. Anyway, do as you like but from now on, I'm washing mushrooms (except when they're eaten raw).

GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
Prep time: 5 minutes
Grill time: Maybe 10 minutes?
Serves: 4

4 small (about four inches in diameter) portobello mushrooms, about 8 ounces

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic (from a jar)

Salt & pepper to taste

Remove stems from mushrooms. (Hmmm ... why? I was followed a recipe but as I think about it, they're probably edible so maybe a trim is in order but the stems may stay. 2007 Update: These were clearly inedible, very woody aka "compost"!) Brush away any dirt. (Rinse if you must but I suspect this could result in mushroom-mush. 2007 Update: Nope! See the note above.) Place gill-side up on a shallow rimmed plate.

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Pour mixture over the mushrooms, letting some sink into the gills, letting some pour over the sides. Move the mushrooms around a bit to soak up a bit of the mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grill til cooked through, about 10 minutes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 76 Cal (76% from Fat, 9% from Protein, 15% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 3 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 6 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 3 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 2 points