Meat-Free Cookout

Hope the day has found you all well. It has been a busy day for me, a bit of work, a bit of gift shopping(two of my five siblings have birthdays this month) and a little fun. But now as I sit here with a cup of hot earl grey tea, I can start to tell you about tonight's dinner which was Portobello Burgers with green sauce and smoked mozzarella. If you have ever had a portobella mushroom, they are a delight to eat. Once cooked, they actually have a somewhat beefy taste and I have ordered them in restaurants before where they were served like steaks.

Here are the ingredients......

2 tablespoons evoo and another 1/4 cup(got it)

4 large portobello mushroom caps(had to buy these and had to do a little searching, the first couple of stores, only sold the pre-sliced shrooms and that would not do. I did find some finally some about as big around as a hamburger bun)

Salt and pepper to taste(got it)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar(got it)

1/2 pound fresh smoked mozzarella sliced(bought Cappiello brand, I think it has a little bit more smokiness to it, any brand will do, but if you can get Cappiello)

4 crusty rolls slit(had to buy these and feel free to buy whatever kind you happen to like of the crusty bread)

1/2 medium red onion(got this)

4 leaves romaine lettuce(got some of this on hand)

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves(got some of this already)

1/2 cup fresh leaf parsley(got it)

3 tablespoons capers(got them)

1/4 cup pignoli nuts(had to buy these)

1 clove garlic(got it, but bought more anyway, since rachael likes to use this stuff like it is going out of style)

The juice of 1/2 lemon(ok, had to buy a lemon, was not going to use the imitation stuff i have)

1/2 cup grated parmigiano regiano or romano cheese(got this already)

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the two tablespoons evoo and mushroom caps. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and saute, 5 minutes on each side. Add vinegar and coat the mushrooms in it. when vinegar has evaporated, turn mushrooms cap side up and cover with sliced cheese. Turn off heat and cover pan with foil. Let stand 2 to 5 minutes for cheese to melt.

To make sauce, combine basil, parsley, capers, pignoli, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse grind until finely chopped and scrape into a bowl. Stir in evoo, salt and pepper and grated cheese.

Slather bun tops with green sauce. Place 2 portobello on each bun bottom and top with red onion slices, lettuce and bun tops.

The verdict............these are what veg-heads lke myself call the perfect meatless dish. It is tasty, filling and really a nice twist to that old cheeseburger standard. Plus the use of balsamic vinegar is a ice touch as it adds a nice tangy flavor. My friend said she thought this was a really great tasty item. As a side dish, I serve a little pasta salad I had grabbed at the store.

This was really easy to make, so if you are just starting to cook, preparing this will not only inspire confidence in you, it will impress anyone you are cooking for.

Until tomorrow...........