Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

For a hearty vegetarian meal on or off the grill, these mushrooms are super tasty, low fat and ultra delicious - no one will miss burgers with these 'bellas around! The best part is that you can really top them with any produce you have hanging around the kitchen -- left over tomatoes, onions (green, red, white, whatever), chopped bell peppers, asparagus tips or stems (you'll want to parcook these first!), really anything!

Serves 2
Ingredients:

• 2 portabella mushrooms (2 to 3" wide), stemmed & trimmed
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 oz shallots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 cups washed spinach leaves

Directions

Preheat a grill. Rinse mushrooms. Brush cup side of caps with half the vinegar.

Brush both sides liberally with olive oil. Cook, "gills"/cup-side down for 4 minutes, brushing the top with balsamic vinegar. Flip and grill for another 5-7 minutes, brushing the freshly grilled gills with additional vinegar. Alternately, broil, cups up, on rack in a pan 4 to 6" from heat until juicy, 6 to 7 minutes.  Turn mushrooms over, brush them with remaining vinegar, and broil until browned, 5 to 6 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a 10 to 12" skillet stir shallots in butter over medium- high heat until limp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spinach and stir over high heat until leaves wilt, 3 to 4 minutes.

Place mushrooms, cups up, on plates and fill with spinach.

Other Filling Ideas:

• 1 TBSP Pesto with 1/4 cup grated Mozzarella cheese per mushroom
• 1 TBSP each Feta cheese and diced tomatoes, 1 TSP chopped mint per mushroom

Instead of cooking separate, after you flip the mushrooms on the grill (they are now cup-side up), fill with toppings and cook until cheese is melted.

- Kelsey Ganes

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