Hey all!

Yesterday was another gorgeous day in the Pacific Northwest!

What better way to break in the grill than to throw a couple of burgers on it? It was feeling like a mushroom sort of day, so we went out and got ourselves a couple of nice, big portobello caps. I really like portobello mushrooms. Some people get really excited about steaks for the same reasons that I get excited about portobellos.  They’re juicy, meaty, and the charred bits are the best! These are also infinitely more delicious than a boca burger, and almost as easy.

Grilled Portobello Burgers

2 large portobello mushroom caps

1 large clove of garlic (or to taste)

2 generous pinches kosher salt

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

Fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Clean your mushroom caps with a damp cloth and remove the stems my gently twisting. Be careful and don’t break them in half like I accidentally did.

Finely chop the garlic. Sprinkle your salt onto your chopped garlic and chop some more. I like to give it a good smash with the blade of my knife, so the garlic is almost a paste.

Finely chop your herbs. I used fresh rosemary and thyme because I have a couple of flourishing plants living on my patio. Feel free to substitute  your own favorite fresh herbs, or a couple of pinches of whatever dry herbs you have on hand. You’ll want to use less if you’re using dried herbs.

Mix together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a shallow dish that is large enough for the mushrooms to lie flat on. Since I broke one of them, the pie plate worked fine. Side note:  My favorite balsamic vinegar comes from this little shop down on St. Helens Ave. in Tacoma. They make their own and it is awesome!

Add your garlic and herbs to the balsamic vinegar and olive oil mixture.  Grind some black pepper over the whole concoction and then place the mushrooms gills side down into the mixture.

Spoon some of the marinade over the top. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, an hour is better.

Preheat your grill and oil the grates. I like to spoon some marinade into the gills (really get it saturated) and over the top right before throwing it on.

Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until you can see the edges start to curl and the mushrooms shrink a bit. Flip and cook for another five minutes. The texture should be still firm, but less crunchy (like a raw mushroom), more….squishy, for lack of a better word. You don’t want to overcook it to mush.

Toast your buns in the last couple of minutes.

Once you flip the mushrooms, add sliced cheese and close the lid on the girl for a minute or until the cheese is all melty.

I fried up a couple of eggs and threw them on top since this ended up being breakfast for me, along with some tomato and avocado.

Look at this finished masterpiece! It was delicious.

♥