Boy, howdy! This windchill simply will not let up here in the DC area. Today, the surface temperature rose to a balmy 20 degrees, but the windchill barely made it past 0. (And I know, I KNOW – some of you out there live with this kind of thing every single winter. And our friends a few hours north are now digging out from feet upon feet of snow! But this Floridian transplant has had a rough weekend, windchill-wise.)
So with the winds continuing to whip well after sundown, I elected to make use of my indoor grill pan rather than deal with the charcoal smoker’s antics. Enter: Grilled vegan Portobello steaks! And their allies.
Early this afternoon, I washed three Portobello mushroom caps, placed them in a zip-top bag, and doused them with a new vermouth marinade I’ve been working on. I added half a cup (or so) of olive oil, three-quarters of a cup of vermouth, and then a generous helping of garlic powder, minced onion, salt, chipotle seasoning, crushed red pepper, and basil. Then I zipped the bag shut and massaged the mushrooms with all of the above! Then I put them in the fridge and let them marinade until it was time to cook.
When dinnertime neared, I poured myself a glass of wine (for drinking, not cooking) and got to work. First, I got out my trusty Le Creuset grill pan and heated it to Medium heat. Then I pulled a bag of mixed vegetables out of the freezer and popped the in the microwave to steam them up. And, finally, I added a cup and a quarter of water to a pot and prepared to make some couscous.
Once the grill pan had heated up, I tossed the mushroom caps on to the grates, top-side down. I didn’t add any additional oil, because the caps had plenty to start with and the grates are relatively nonstick in nature in the first place. After about 4 minutes, the mushrooms were sizzling nicely, so I flipped them over to steam/grill the inner side. After about 4 more minutes, they were heated fully and ready to come off the grill!
The couscous and veggies were both ready at this time as well, so we sat right down to dinner and dug in. We loved the vermouth marinade – it had a slightly sweet tinge, but was definitely a savory addition to the mushrooms. The spices added an extra layer of complexity to the marinade, which is just the goal I had in mind. Next time, I think I may even add a little more vermouth – maybe a cup or so instead of three-quarters – and see what happens. But you can’t go wrong with the above proportions!
So the weather outside may be windy, if not frightful, but our meal was perfectly delightful regardless! Though we plowed through the couscous and veggies, we have one mushroom cap left – perfect for somebody’s lunch tomorrow. It’s a race to the fridge!
:)