A Mind is a Terrible Thing

Nothing quite like seeing a big thunderstorm boil over the nearby Sandia mountain range to get one's blood pumping.  Fortunately, I made it out of the foothills before the rain hit.

On a positive note, I found a nice black tourmaline cluster, embedded in a feldspar / quartz matrix.

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Burger

Ingredients for one:

• One large portobello mushroom cap
• Vinegarette salad dressing
• One roma tomato, small to medium
• 1/4 tsp crushed garlic (about one clove)
• 1/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
• A little bit of olive oil
• Pinch of rosemary
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1/8 cup shredded or crumbled cheese, approx.
• One hamburger bun (any type, amazing on sourdough)

Clean the mushroom cap gently, taking care not to break it.  Remove the stem and use a spoon to carefully scrape away the gills, and discard.  With a barbecue brush, brush both sides of the mushroom generously with the vinegarette dressing; put it in a bowl and let sit in the fridge for about an hour.  (You can use plain store-bought Italian dressing, but it will tend to be more greasy.)

Meanwhile, begin heating the grill (treated with non-stick spray) or well-seasoned cast-iron grill skillet to medium-high.  (I used a grill-bottom skillet.)

Chop the roma tomato, throwing away any of the more liquid/slimy bits and the seeds.   In a small bowl, combine the chopped tomato, garlic, rosemary, sesame oil, and cheese.  I used cheddar/jack because that's what we had on hand, but feel free to substitute mozzarella, parmesan, colby, swiss, blue cheese, goat cheese — whatever you like.  Season with a little fresh ground pepper and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Set aside.

Apply a very small amount of olive oil to the mushroom cap, mainly on the top-side; an easy way is to dip two fingers in the oil and rub it on gently.  This helps keep it from sticking.  Put the portobello on the grill or in the skillet gill-side down to start with.  Go ahead and use a grill press if you have one and are inclined to do so; it can squeeze out some of the excess moisture and applies the nice grill char marks.  After five minutes, flip the mushroom, put the press back on.  Begin toasting the hamburger bun around now; a dab of butter or olive oil on the facing sides is optional.

Five minutes after that, remove the press and carefully spoon the tomato & cheese mixture onto the mushroom.  Even if you've used a press, it should still retain a little of its concave shape.  Cover and let it cook for about two minutes more or until the cheese is obviously melting.

Serve on the toasted bun, lightly dressed — that is, go ahead and use the condiments of your choice — ketchup, mustard, or mayo — but go easy on them because this portobello burger will be juicy and flavorful without them.  I went with a touch of mayonnaise.  Feel free to add lettuce, sliced onion, pickles, whatever you like.

Serves 1.  Multiply the mixture as needed for additional mushroom caps.