Pseudo Barbecued Portobello Mushrooms

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadian friends! I know there are a lot of barbecues going to be cooking up a storm today but for those without barbecues or grill pans, here is a treat for you. All you need is a frying pan.

It all starts with the mushrooms. These giant hobbit-dream-come-true portobello mushrooms are fantastic and must be on sale right now because I got four for under $2! With a damp towel, brush any debris off the mushrooms and then cut off the stem at the base.

These suckers are sponges so season with a little salt and pepper, add crushed garlic and olive oil right before throwing them in a frying pan.

Push them down so they are getting a lot of heat on the lightly oiled pan. The mushrooms will begin to soften and go very dark. Finish with the gills facing up, add some barbecue sauce and goat cheese. If it is too hot to put in a 325F oven for a few minutes then cover so the cheese softens.

Another version of this dish that is also fabulous is marinating them in olive oil with balsamic vinegar and then cooking them. Or you could just cook them in oil, melt the goat cheese and drizzle with a balsamic glaze. Just be careful not to over season, mine ended up being a little salty but still so, so good.

We are now officially on holidays for a while so things here may change a little or may stay the same. I have no idea. It will be a surprise to all of us what is going to happen on my food blog while we are enjoying the summer. I may cook more, I may cook less. Who knows?!

Happy holidays to everyone wherever you are!