I like many kinds of meat and fish, but I do eat an incredible range of vegetables and fruits as well. Sometimes, when I have eaten far more than I should have in a given week or month, I scale back a few lunches and try and eat mostly vegetables and grains. This was one such lunch. A simple sandwich with oven roasted portobello mushromms, sliced tomatoes, some bottled artichokes on a 6-7 inch piece of crusty french bread. To make, buy some fresh portobello mushrooms, which are increasingly available at wet markets and specialty food stores (locally grown, I might add), then remove their stems by breaking them off with your fingers or using a knife for a cleaner cut. Brush the mushrooms to remove any grit or dirt but do not wash them as they tend to get soggy(er)…
Pre-heat an oven or oven toaster to roughly 400F. Place the cleaned mushrooms, cap side down, and drizzle the underside (where the “gills” are) with oilve oil, sprinkle with finely chopped garlic, chopped herbs like Italian parsley and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Roast the mushrooms for say 15 or so minutes until done. Slice some ripe tomatoes. Arrange the mushrooms on a sliced baguette, add the artichokes and mushrooms and whatever else suits your fancy. I happened to have homemade mayonnaise so I added some of that. Top with the other half of the baguette and enjoy. This can be a bit juicy as the mushrooms and tomatoes have a lot of water, but it is delicious. The mushrooms are “meaty” and earthy and flavorful and the sandwich is a hearty but healthy lunch choice!
24 Responses
You got one tasty looking sandwich there, MM!!!…Looking at it, I am thinking….caramelized onions , BASIL ….Oh, I forgot…balsamic reduction drizzled over the portobello first and then the caramelized onions, then the artichokes, then thin slices of bocconcini, then the BASIL, and then the vine or sun ripened tomatoes!!!!
You are right…this is one MESSY sandwich to eat….BUT FINGER LICKING GOOD!!!!!
Looks very tempting indeed, and I like betty q’s suggestion of caramelised onions and balsamic vinegar. MM, is portobello mushroom the same as fresh (rather than dried) shitake?
Sounds fantastic MM. But don’t you think the mayo is kind of heavy? May I suggest pesto? Spread it lightly on the bread before or after toasting or grilling. Try grilled eggplants with roasted peppers and pesto in your sandwich next ;-)
I could very well imagine this sandwich in a giant pandesal!! Sarap!!
Looks wonderful and refreshing. my type of sandwich. Also would be great with grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, and maybe a some arugula to add a little peppery bite. For a not so healthy option, a some goat cheese would be nice too!
Hi everyone, SUPERB suggestions… and as I always do with my sandwiches, throw in whatever you like! A balsamic reduction would be brilliant or balsamic onions… ging, yes, the homemade mayo was a bit rich but it was around… a pesto would be terrific as well. Cumin, the portobello is different from the shiitake, though a fresh shiitake grilled might work just as well! bettyq, that all sounds wonderful to me… For other sandwiches, I have a few posts in the archives if you are interested…
I have yet to see a portobello mushroom in any of the wet markets i go to. :(
I guess you go to FTI. Too far from me. I’ll have to settle for Rustan’s.
Now we’re talking, Mr MM!!! I am trying to eat healthier and this is something I’d definitely indulge on (without the mayo of course, but maybe with a hint of pesto spread and loads of caramelized onions). Yumminess!!!
I think a Portobello mushroom, Cumin,is a brown mushroom called Crimini (looks like a white button mushroom only brown in color)….when allowed to mature , it opens up to a wide gilled “umbrella”.
Sometimes, when I cook it or grill them, my boys find it to be as they call it”EWWWEEEY” because of the black mushroom liquor it exudes….SO, I gently scrape the gills before grilling or sauteeing them.
THANKS, MM!!! I will surely check out the archives. The weather here now calls for SALAD. SANDWICHES or BARBECUING…I don’t feel like cranking up the stove!
Sorry, MM….I forgot (age must be catching up to me …hahaha!!!)…Trish and New Yorker: Have you tried sandwiches smeared with ROASTED GARLIC JAM or OLIVE JAM?…Haaay, you have got try it!!!! That is why each year, I plant 200 garlic cloves each fall so I have a BUMPER CROP of garlic !!! Once you try THE Roasted Garlic Jam or my favorite…OLIVE JAM…you will find yourself making those jams over and over and over!!! It is a STAPLE in our house and something that my family cannot live without!!!!!!!!
Hi betty q.,
Care to share the recipes for the Roasted Garlic Jam and Olive Jam?
betty q., I’ve not tasted Roasted Garlic Jam or Olive Jam before, but I am very intrigued. Where might I find these goodies?
Yay! A vegetarian post! Reminds me of my super-number-one-favorite sandwich from a cafe near my old apartment: grilled portobello mushroom panini with arugula and smoked mozzarella. Thanks for making my morning. It’s really amazing how some people can bring joy to others just by talking about their lunch :)
Want to cut your carbo intake? Add pizza sauce to a grilled portobello mushroom then add your favorite cheese. ENJOY!
hmmm…i suddenly want a sandwich…will definitely try this one out.. thanks MM!
Hello Angela and New Yorker: I think you can find those at specialty stores But before you head out and go shopping…try making your own…For Roasted Garlic Jam: enough to make 1 -8oz. jar…10 heads nice firm garlic bulbs (make sure NO GREEN SPROUT – gives it a bitter after taste!), 1 medium Walla Walla or Vidalia onion, OLIVE OIL, Balsamic vinegar, pinch of dried herbs, HONEY to taste….Remove outer paper skin from garlic bulb and then cut about 1/4 inch from top exposing the cloves. Arrange on baking dish and douse each bulb with olive oil letting it run through the cloves. Then cover dish with foil and bake in preheated oven 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until soft and turn beige in color. While garlic is roasting, peel the onion and slice. Saute slowly in olive oil on top of stove until caramelized and soft. Add also pinch of dried basil and oregano. When caramelized, add about 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and reduce to almost half.Remove from heat and squish the roasted garlic from their skins and add to onion mixture. Transfer to food processor and pulse only (IF YOU WANT TEXTURE) or puree until smooth. Sweeten with a touch of HONEY. Adjust taste adding more balsamic if needed. If too thick, thin out with a bit of water. Cool and pack into jars and refrigerate…Uh,Oh…hubby just got in …have to eat supper now, I’ll continue with the Olive Jam later!
i like your recipe, new yorker. i have a lot of eggplants in my backyard now so i love making this vegetarian sandwich a lot. i also bake my own bread so the sandwich comes out really delicious! betty q., i look forward to making your roasted garlic jam recipe. thanks…….
i like!
Superb sandwich that’s definitely light & healthy! Good ideas for the spreads. Two of our favorites are flavorful kalamata olive tapenade & hummus with garlic. Looking fwd to more ideas MM! Thanks!
Hey Thelma, New Yorker and Angela….make two jars of Roasted Garlic Jam…one jar of the jam add it to HONEY DIJON MUSTARD….masaaarap!!! Good with grilled or barbecued sausages on a Kaiser or Portuguese Bun. be prepared to have copies of the recipe to give away.
Thelma…did you plant the Chinese or Japanese eggplants or the big oval ones? If you planted the long ones, try cuttting them on the diagonal then seasoned then grilled. After grilling, make a vinaigrette…olive oil, cider vinegar or lemon juice, minced garlic, dijon mustard, salt/pepper, grated parmesan cheese, dash of worcestershire…then marinate your grilled eggplant in it. Lay it on a Kaiser or Italian Bun and top with Parmesan Cheese shavings!!…SIMPLE BUT GOOD though one messy sandwich to eat!!!
HI BETTY Q.!I PLANTED THE JAPANESE VARIETY. I HAVE 10 PLANTS AND ARE ALL LOADED WITH EGGPLANTS! IF YOU WERE MY NEIGHBOR, YOU’RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO PICK SOME EGGPLANTS. THAT’S WHAT I DO, THAT IS, SHARING THEM WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THAT’S ANOTHER RECIPE THAT I MUST TRY… THANKS! YOU’RE A GREAT COOK, AND LIKE THE REST, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR GREAT RECIPES WITH US. WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF WE COULD SHARE PICTURES OF WHAT WE COOK?
HI BETTY Q.!I PLANTED THE JAPANESE VARIETY. I HAVE 10 PLANTS AND ARE ALL LOADED WITH EGGPLANTS! IF YOU WERE MY NEIGHBOR, YOU’RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO PICK SOME EGGPLANTS. THAT’S WHAT I DO, THAT IS, SHARING THEM WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THAT’S ANOTHER RECIPE THAT I MUST TRY… THANKS! YOU’RE A GREAT COOK, AND LIKE THE REST, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR GREAT RECIPES WITH US. WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF WE COULD SHARE PICTURES OF WHAT WE COOK? MM, THANKS FOR YOUR SANDWICH RECIPE AS WELL. GOSH, AFTER TRYING ALL THESE YUMMY SANDWICH RECIPES, I MUST SAY THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE LOOKING TRIM AND HEALTHY!!!
Hi betty q.,
Thanks for sharing the recipe! How long does a jar of the garlic jam keep in the fridge?
Hey Angela, New Yorker, Thelma….send me an e-mail:mymudcake@hotmail.com…I really don’t like typing and I am not computer techie so I have recipes filed in the address and I can ask my son to paste it and send it to you ladies…Is Olive Jam recipe all you want? ….This Jam is really , really , really good! Are you what I call CONDIMENT people because I am… I have bottles and bottles of SAVOURY JAMS and MUSTARDS…marinades for chicken and pork barbecue, salad dressings…All homemade of course!