Quick—what's the difference between a crimini and a portobello mushroom? If you said only their size, then you are correct. They are the same mushroom, but at different maturity levels. Criminis are the young'uns, and once they grow to a full 4 to 6 inches, they become the more mature portobello.
Portobellos are probably one of the most commonly known mushrooms to vegans and vegetarians. At most events or at most restaurants, if a cook is looking for a meat replacer, he or she reaches for a portobello. This has sorta given me a bad attitude about this type of mushroom because they can cause some people to stay away from making new creative vegetarian dishes. However, I recently gave portobellos another shot and realized that my bad attitude was, well, just that.
When properly prepared—in my opinion, this means not overly marinated or overly cooked—portobellos can have a great meaty texture and earthy, delicious flavor. My recipe for portobello steaks calls for marinating them in an oil, white wine, lemon, and garlic blend for a nice light flavor. You can eat these "steaks" on a bun if you'd like, but I prefer to just eat them plain. This way, you can really taste all of the flavors instead of burying them under a pile of bread and condiments. Enjoy!
And now for something totally unrelated to mushrooms—I've been nominated for a VegNews VeggieAward! Please visit the magazine's site and vote for me in the "Favorite Veg Blog" category. Voting is easy, and there's something in it for you because voters have a chance to win fabulous prize packages, including a New York City Urban Getaway, a Glam Girl Goodie Bag, a Marshmallow Madness Gift Pack, and a Vegan Cookie Smorgasbord.
Please visit VegNews and vote for The VegCooking Blog now!
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks
4 large portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
•Remove the stems of the mushrooms and brush off any dirt to clean.
•In a medium bowl or pan, combine the oil, wine, lemon juice, and garlic, stirring until combined. Add the cleaned mushrooms caps and submerge in the marinade. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
•Remove from the marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste.
•Place the caps on a grill over medium-high heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until just tender.
Makes 4 servings
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Comments ( 7 )
Those look great, I love the photo!
Posted by jenny | August 18, 2008 6:42 PM
Posted on August 18, 2008 18:42
I have recently gone vegetarian and was looking for something to replace the steak my family had last night at a bbq. This worked great!! It was absolutely delicious, inexpensive and really easy. This will definetly be one of my bbq staples from now on!
Posted by Melissa | August 18, 2008 7:02 PM
Posted on August 18, 2008 19:02
Those look great!! i miss portobello mushrooms in india! i'll just look and drool! :)
Posted by arundathi | August 19, 2008 12:15 AM
Posted on August 19, 2008 00:15
Nice recipe! I am trying to go vegetarian and it is very good to see this recipes!
What else would you make with this dinner?
Posted by hector | August 19, 2008 11:50 PM
Posted on August 19, 2008 23:50
Yummy! Like Michelle I am a NEW vegitarian. These look delicious AND easy! (Guess what I'm having for supper tonight!) LOL
Fantastic blog filled with great info. I'll be back again!
Shelley
http://www.benaturallywell.com/blog/add-your-blog/
http://www.benaturallywell.com/forums
Posted by Shelley | August 20, 2008 8:01 AM
Posted on August 20, 2008 08:01
This was incredible! We made them last night and they were delicious. My wife HATES mushrooms and has now declared her love for the portabella. This was a fast, cheap, and easy meal. Very satisfying. We'll be making this regularly for sure.
Posted by ian | August 20, 2008 12:21 PM
Posted on August 20, 2008 12:21
YES! I have voted for this Veg Cooking Blog, Veg Cooking Website & for PETA too!
Posted by Niranjan Amarnath | August 22, 2008 1:39 PM
Posted on August 22, 2008 13:39