Woah. Don’t let that recipe title trick you. It may sound all high and mighty fancy-pants, but it really isn’t. And for such an unusual dish, it was really quite economical and easy peasy. This is my second dish where I utilized seasonal produce from Green Grocer.
There really is one crucial tip (okay, maybe two) I have for you. Choose the freshest, prettiest produce you can find. For me, seasonal and local produce generally fits the bill. (Except when I want a pineapple…they don’t seem to grow in Texas. Hmmm) Find good quality cheese, oil, vinegar, etc. and use them sparingly. Your taste buds will thank you. You’ll probably find that cooking in your home kitchen becomes more fun when you have quality things to work with!
Okay, enough soapboxin’. Let’s look at the ingredients for the fancy-nancy “flatbread”. I found the main ingredients at a local haven for food fanatics like myself:
Did you know that mushrooms keep better in a paper bag????
Okay, so I posted this photo before. BUT BRUSSELS SPROUTS ARE AWESOME!
Heirloom tomatoes. I love their colors and offbeat shapes!
Green’s Creek Gruyere. *sigh* I love cheese.
Let’s get into the recipe, shall we? This can easily be made Vegan by omitting the cheese. If you can’t find Gruyere, you can substitute any “nutty” cheese. Think: Romano, Asiago, etc. You really need a nutty cheese to play off the pecans and beefiness of the Portobello.
This would make a nice, light vegetarian lunch or dinner when paired with a salad. If you eat meat, I suggest a mild white fish. Oh, and wine. Wine goes with eeeeverything.
Portobello “Flatbread” with Roasted Sprouts, Gruyere, and Thyme-infused reduction
Ingredients:
Portobello Flatbread:
2 Portobello mushrooms
Approx. 1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 cup Gruyere, shaved with a vegetable peeler into ribbons
1 tomato, sliced thick
slices of red onion
2 T. chopped pecans
Sea Salt, Cracked Black Pepper
1 T. olive oil, for brushing
1 T. olive oil, for coating Brussels Sprouts
Thyme-infused Peach Balsamic Vinegar
***I purchase my oils and vinegars from Texas Olive Ranch. Feel free to sub with a white Balsamic vinegar.
1/2 cup Peach Balsamic Vinegar (or white Balsamic)
3 T. sugar
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
Directions:
1. Toss Brussels Sprouts in 1 T. olive oil; lightly salt and pepper. Roast in 425 degree oven until caramelized around the edges and they can be pierced with a fork, approximately 20 minutes. You will need to flip them over 10 minutes into the cook time.
2. Once you’ve gotten the sprouts into the oven, get started on your reduction. To a small saucepan over medium high heat, add your 1/2 cup vinegar, 3 T. sugar, and sprigs of fresh thyme. Bring to a boil and stir sugar to ensure it dissolves. Let it boil and reduce until thick and syrupy (like maple syrup). Remove from heat. This whole process takes about 25 minutes.
3. While your reduction is working, gently brush Portobello mushroom with olive oil, including cap and gills. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
4. Top mushroom with shaved Gruyere. Once your sprouts are done roasting, take them out and pop the mushroom into the oven for ten minutes, until Gruyere is browned and mushroom has “softened” slightly in appearance. Do not over cook the mushroom here; you still want some “bite”.
5. Remove mushrooms from the oven. Top with the tomato, followed by the red onion slices, and mound the roasted sprouts on top.
6. Drizzle about 1 1/2 T. of the thyme reduction over top of “flatbread”. Sprinkle 1 T. of chopped pecans over top of each mushroom and serve.
Is it Springtime yet? This makes me want to grill outside!
recipes from the birdcage. 