Wow! Tonight's dinner was a show stopper.  I've got to post it before I forget. Another of those spur of the moment, what do we have that needs to be cooked kind of meals. But one that was a huge success.  The starting point was leftover baguettes thrown in the freezer after my birthday party, and spinach from the garden that Reyn had picked a couple of days ago.  From there it morphed into Grilled Portobello Mushrooms and Sweet Onions in a balsamic vinaigrette marinade, with wilted spinach over toasted french bread.  The combination of flavors was out of this world. The toast was difficult to cut, but essential.  The perfect counterpoint to the mushroom, onion, and spinach.  I added quickly sauteed shredded beets and a garden fresh salad.  Dessert was fresh strawberries and vanilla yogurt.  Oh, so good.

Portobellos are a true gift to non-meat eaters. These large mushrooms are like the best beef filet mignon, without the beef.  I've prepared portobellos in many different ways, but this is by far the most delicious. One large mushroom with accompaniments easily serves each diner  To prepare the mushrooms for grilling, I used a soft brush to clean them, removed the stems, scraped off the gills, and then brushed them with a balsamic vinaigrette and allowed them to marinate for about 40 minutes.  Below is my recipe. 

Grilled Portobellos and Sweet Onions with Wilted Spinach on Toasts

2 large Portobello Mushrooms (1 for each person)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 - 4 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 large sweet onion
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, sliced in 1/2" strips
french bread, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Clean mushrooms by brushing with a soft brush, remove stem, and scrape out the gills.  Combine balsamic vinaigrette with minced garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce.  Brush top of mushroom with marinade, place in a dish, top down, and pour remaining marinade into the mushroom cap.  Allow to marinate at room temperature for 40 min. to 1 hour.

Meanwhile slice sweet onion into 1/2" slices.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Microwave on high for about 1 1/2 minutes to precook slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

If using a grill basket, lightly spray or oil basket.  Place mushrooms and onion slices in the basket.  Grill over charcoal or gas grill on high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side.

Just before the mushrooms are done, briefly saute the sliced spinach in 1 Tbsp olive oil until just wilted.  Toast the sliced baguettes.  To serve, arrange toasts on a plate, top with spinach, grilled onion slices, followed by mushrooms.  You may also want to sprinkle with crumbled feta or goats cheese.

My side dish was a simple saute of shredded beets.  Nothing but shredded beets with salt and pepper, sauted for about 4 minutes in a small amount of olive oil.  I finished the beets with a drizzle of very nice balsamic vinegar.

I still have portobellos in my refrigerator and can't wait to do this again. . . . . . .   Maybe tomorrow.