Friday, July 27, 2012

Meatless Meal; Grilled Portobella Mushroom and Swiss Sandwiches


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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, roasted red pepper bruschetta and thyme; mix well to combine.

4. 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.

5. 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?

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12 comments :

  1. Nick is such a trooper! I'm having trouble picturing him as a full-fledged vegetarian :) But I love more vegetarian meals! I've been able to slip quite a few past Mark, too. I can't wait for Friday! Speaking of...what are we doing?! :)

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  2. YUM! I love portobella sandwiches!

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  3. I always forget about portabello mushrooms as a sandwich option! Thanks for the reminder. It looks awesome!

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  4. LOL...I like how you 'talked him out of the idea!' I often toy with the idea but I really like meat proteins...I'm not gonna lie!
    I JUST MADE PORTOBELLA MUSHROOMS YESTERDAY!! We are always on the same page!!! I made them broiled with and egg in the middle. I will post soon...very good!!

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  5. Looks delicious. I only every use portobellas on burgers. I should probably branch out soon. Oh, but on time I made stuffed portabellos and they were delicious.

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  6. this looks fabulous gina! love some mushrooms for sure :)

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  7. The burger sounds yummy! I had one this weekend at a restaurant, but I took it off the bread (it was still good).

    I think there are so many misconceptions about vegetarianism and how it will make a person healthier automatically just by doing it (and it's frustrating!)... at the same time, I often go several days without meat just because I don't always think about it or want it. Take away my cheese and eggs though, and I may throw a fit! :-)

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  8. An egg would have been brilliant...but it looks and sounds awesome just by itself!! Look at Nick lick his fingers! Def a sign of enjoyment. :-)

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  9. I agree with you some veg meals great but 100%- hard. As for mushrooms, are they portabello or portabella and why do they get called both? Love them grilled and yes, I love them with eggs.

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  10. i hope this doesnt come across judgmental, but i find it odd that you chose to talk him out of it rather than educate him on how he could make it work (for his lifestyle, for yours, etc). youre an RD so your knowledge is powerful and you have the opportunity to make a difference in sharing it. the benefits of going meatless are astounding - potential weight loss is only a fraction of it - cardiovascular health, environmental conservation, animal rights, and beyond.
    since he enjoyed this meatless meal so much, perhaps it's be proof that he'd be successful with a little bit of coaching.

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  11. i hope this doesnt come across judgmental, but i find it odd that you chose to talk him out of it rather than educate him on how he could make it work (for his lifestyle, for yours, etc). youre an RD so your knowledge is powerful and you have the opportunity to make a difference in sharing it. the benefits of going meatless are astounding - potential weight loss is only a fraction of it - cardiovascular health, environmental conservation, animal rights, and beyond.
    since he enjoyed this meatless meal so much, perhaps it's be proof that he'd be successful with a little bit of coaching.

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  12. I made almost this exact same sandwich this week for my husband and I! I am a vegetarian, he is not. I have to get creative when meal planning to make sure most of our meals are something that I can eat AND that I can add meat to for him. Is it annoying to have to do that all the time? Yes, but when I said I wanted to go vegetarian, he was on board, so I make compromises and so does he. We eat totally vegetarian meals about 2 times per week. I'm sure he wishes I wasn't a vegetarian haha but he doesn't complain. Sometimes, we eat totally separate meals, but we eat them together. Oh and I track my food just to make sure I am getting enough of all the nutrients my body needs and I have found time and time again that my saturated fat and cholesterol levels are very low. It's a very nice added benefit! My stomach is also flatter than it used to be, which I hear is due to less food (i.e. meat) being stored for days on end in my intestines (lovely, lol).

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