A couple months ago Nick told me he wanted to become a vegetarian. Right away I was curious and started asking questions. As we started talking I realized he believed that a vegetarian diet would keep him slender as he aged. I had to let him down gently by informing him that he can’t just become a vegetarian and eat bread and pasta all day (that’s what he was envisioning….) and that he would have to work a bit harder to make sure he is still balancing his carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (this is certainly doable, but not for someone like Nick….no offense to him, but he doesn’t shop for groceries or cool!). I talked him out of the idea (mainly because I didn’t want to start making all vegetarian meals for dinner) but we decided to start doing more vegetarian meals throughout the week (although our version of vegetarian is more lacto-ovo vegetarian, because we just love our eggs and cheese! We don’t ever use a lot, but for us a little goes a long way.). This grilled portobella mushroom sandwich was such a hit that I believe it will be showing up on our menu often.
Portobella mushrooms contain the following (per 1-cup grilled);
- A good source of protein (10% DV)
- An excellent source of several B-vitamins
- Only 40 calories
- ZERO saturated fat and cholesterol (The true benefit of a vegetarian diet!)
Grilled Portobella Mushroom and Swiss Sandwich
(Adapted from a recipe from Giant Eagle)
(Makes 3 sandwiches)
Ingredients
1 T garlic olive oil
1 tsp. Italian grill seasonings
2 T water
3 large portobella mushroom caps, cleaned
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 T light mayonnaise
1/4 cup roasted red pepper bruschetta topping or spread
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 slices of your favorite hearty bread
2 ounce package low-fat Swiss cheese, thinly sliced (~4-5 slices)
2 cups arugula
Directions
- In a small bowl combine oil, seasonings and water. Place mushroom caps in a shallow dish and coat with oil mixture; season well with salt and pepper.
- Preheat grill (or grill pan) to medium heat. Grill mushroom caps, covered, for 5 minutes on each side. Cool slightly and cut each crosswise into 6-8 thin slices.
- In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, roasted red pepper bruschetta and thyme; mix well to combine.
- Set oven to broil. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil for 1 minute to toast (or use a toaster). Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly on one side of each bread slice and layer each piece of bread with 1 slice of cheese. Return to oven and broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Build sandwiches by layering sliced mushrooms and arugula leaves on top of three bread slices. Top each with the remaining toasted bread slices. Serve warm.
After first bite: “Wow, Gina, this is GOOD!”
“What’s in this again?!”
“I can’t get enough! I want another one, please.”
Estimated Nutrition Facts
(1 full sandwich)
I won’t lie, I was thinking about putting an egg on top of this sandwich (you know, a soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk? Doesn’t that sound good?) but I was incredibly pleased with this sandwich, without the egg.
QUESTION: How do you use portobella mushrooms? Do you have any recipes to share?
