Stuffed Portobellos and 4th of July Shenanigans!

I am wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July today... on the 9th. The first Monday after the 4th of July.... this is Monday, right? Guess how long my weekend was..... like seven days, duh. There are several reasons for this. Most of them we won't go into (sorry, Mom) but I will say this: I have been in a food coma since Thursday.

I went into my favorite summer holiday with a bit of a bleak outlook seeing as BBQ food isn't always the most vegetarian friendly cuisine. I haven't had the best experiences with veggie dogs and bullshit burgers. Let's be honest.... tofu is possibly the worst thing EVER. So, rather than gagging my way through a garden burger from hell, I decided to step up my game and try something new.

Honestly, I had tried this recipe once before, but it did not go well. When I tell you to soak your cedar planks..... do it. Seriously. Soak them for as long as this recipe says... then do it longer. And then don't walk away from your grill for more that two seconds or else you will be greeted with uber dense briquettes of mushroom charcoal attempting to melt your grill from the inside out. Though our grill, our house, and my lovely ginger hair and eyebrows survived, it was a tragedy. We all know that Rich is the grill-master in this relationship... and thank God for that.

PART ONE: STUFFED PORTOBELLOS

cedar smoked portobello mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 cedar grilling plank
5 medium portobello mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
5 ounces chopped baby spinach
3/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
salt and pepper to taste


Method:
SOAK the cedar planks. If you don't want to use planks and grill these.... you can totally do them in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Chop them and set aside. Scoop out the gills and discard them.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the onions, mushroom stems, and garlic for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the bread crumbs, cheese, pecans, sage, and mustard until just combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

On a charcoal or gas grill, place the cedar planks on an uncovered grill directly over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the plank begins to smoke and crackle. While you are waiting for the planks to smoke, place the mushroom caps directly on the grill to give them grill marks (I forgot to do this, but you should...)

Place the mushroom caps on the planks, spoon the filling into the caps, and cover the grill for about 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are browned and the filling is heated through.

*This is the part where my first round of mushrooms caught on fire. Once again, I recommend keeping a close eye if you actually want to eat.

Transfer these beauties to a platter and serve!
Makes 5 stuffed mushrooms that will be gone in the blink of an eye!

PART TWO: THE SHENANIGANS

Lucky for you, and everyone that joined our summer festivities, these mushrooms pair perfectly with Jell-O shots and slip and sliding. Enjoy... I sure did. (Sorry again, Mom. You're welcome, everyone else.)