Portobello Filets

Portobello mushrooms so meaty they can be a stand-in for steak!

As many of my readers know, I am always looking for a new variation on the slider or mini hamburger.  I've done tuna and salmon burgers - not to mention chicken sliders - so a portobello burger seemed to be a natural progression. 

Mushrooms "before"

I picked up two meaty looking portobello mushrooms at West Side Market.  Unfortunately, when I peeled off the plastic wrap, parts of the mushroom skin were pulled off.  It didn't matter - they were still delicious in the end.  But I could tell that it wasn't a great idea to sauté the mushrooms whole, as was my original intent.  They were just too big. 

Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil

Mushrooms cut down to size

I decided to quarter the two large portobello mushrooms.  They cooked evenly that way.  And I'd say two portobello mushrooms per person is a good serving size.  They really shrink down considerably!

Toss in a half a lemon halfway through cooking

I cooked the quartered portobellos in my trusty cast iron skillet.  I cooked them in extra virgin olive oil and I added a generous squeeze of lemon juice about halfway through the cooking process.  First, I got the skillet extremely hot - heating it over medium heat for about 5 - 10 minutes before adding the oil and mushrooms.  If you don't adhere to the vegan diet, you can add a pat of butter in with the extra virgin olive oil to make them really decadent. 

Served with roasted eggplant and tomatoes

With roasted eggplant and tomato on the side this dish makes a delicious dinner.  Just be aware that there isn't much protein in this meal.  Portobello mushrooms have 5 grams of protein per serving and eggplant has 2 grams.  So if you're having this for dinner make sure that you got protein at breakfast or lunch.  I intentionally thought up this recipe with practically no other ingredients than the mushrooms and eggplant.  The portobellos are so flavorful they really don't need garlic or hot peppers to make them taste interesting.  Give it a try!

Ingredients

two medium to large portobello mushrooms per person; quartered

2 tbspns extra virgin olive oil

1 tspn salt

1/2 tspn freshly ground pepper

1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Pre-heat cast iron skillet until over medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes

(If you don't have a cast iron skillet use any skillet)

Add the extra virgin olive oil

Add the mushrooms

Cook until they are tender - if you want the grill marks avoid turning too much - about 3 - 5 minutes per side

Squirt with fresh lemon juice about halfway through

Note:  My cast iron skillet has lines across the bottom which look like grill marks as if you cooked your mushrooms on a charcoal grill.  Worth the investment!

As they are almost done season to taste with salt and pepper

The portobello mushrooms even look a bit like steak filets!