A true vegetarian's delight. This is a “meaty” dish in texture and flavor, that may even trick you. The key is to prepare the marinade and let the Portobellos and other veggies sit in this nice little bath of flavor. When they grill up, they produce some of the same meaty flavors due to the Maillard reaction — the grill must be hot though, and not overcrowded; to create the caramelization you want. So, what you are tasting is actually meat flavor from a mushroom!

I added a few green beans and tomatoes for crunchy texture and vibrant colors. I also added raw walnuts at the end and had an epiphany! Truly. The Portobello flavor paired with the raw walnut was reminiscent of a truffle!! Yes, I said it, the expensive, highly-prized, perhaps trafficked like drugs, fungi can be recreated with two simple ingredients. It had definitely got the wheels turning in my head! It’s worth a taste, I hope you enjoy.

Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Mushrooms:

• 2 Portobello mushrooms, sliced thick
• ½ bunch fresh green beans
• handful baby tomatoes
Marinade:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup fresh basil, or ½ teaspoon dried
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh cracked pepper
Extras:

• 2 whole wheat pita
• ¼ cup raw walnuts (optional)
• 1 slice provolone (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a 13" x 9" pan. Add all the veggies and mix well coating the veggies. Let marinade for at least 15 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
2. Get a grill very hot, or preheat oven to 500° F. Place veggies on the grill, making sure each Portobello is in good contact with the grill for appetizing grill marks. Grill for about 3 minutes each side or until soft and tender. If baking, place pan you marinated in directly into the oven for 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
3. Assemble your dream pita sandwich! I grilled the pita in the grilling juices left in the pan to get every morsel of flavor. The best part is, that you can dip the bread in any leftover marinade because it doesn't contain any raw poultry, meat, or seafood!

Additional information: appropriate for Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian and Vegan diets.