Grilled Portobello Sandwich, Grilled Lemongrass Beets, and Creamed Beet Greens

When it's hot out, I prefer not to cook in the house. I try to cook on the grill as frequently as I can in the summer. Grilling adds a certain kind of flavor that is impossible to replicate on a stove.

One thing that is often seen on our grill is a portabella mushroom. It's large and meaty enough to be a perfect substitute to the traditional hamburger patty, and since mushrooms have the ability to soak up virtually any flavor, you have endless possibilities. Just marinate the mushroom with whatever you feel like tasting that day.

As I have said in an earlier post, I love beets. In this meal we have golden and red beets that I purchased from our local farmers market that day. The color combination is amazing! If you get beets with fresh crisp greens, don't just through them away they are packed full of vitamins and make a comparable substitution in any recipe involving a cooking green. Here I substituted the beet greens in place of spinach in the creamed spinach recipe I have previously posted. Though, I could taste a difference between the beet greens and the spinach, it wasn't unpleasant.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

(I never measure out my ingredients for the marinade. Just add ingredients to your taste)

• Olive Oil
• Vinegar (use whichever you like, sometimes I use balsamic, sometimes red wine, sometimes cider)
• Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt freshly ground black pepper (again use anything you like. You can use bbq spice mixes if you'd like, or even something like your favorite Mrs. Dash seasoning)
• Lemon Juice (This is actually the first time I added this ingredient, but it gave the mushroom a lovely bright taste)
• Ciabatta bread loaf

Preheat your grill. Marinade the mushroom in the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and spices. The longer the better, but at least for 10 minutes. Cut the bread loaf in portions big enough to hold a mushroom. Halve the sections and drizzle the cut face with some olive oil (we have a Misto oil spray from bed bath and beyond that I use for things like this) and season with salt and pepper.

Place the marinaded mushrooms on the hottest part of the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes a side. Place the ciabatta slices on the coolest part of the grill and grill until lightly toasted. After removing the mushrooms from the grill, let them sit for a couple minutes before serving. The mushrooms can be eaten plain on the bread, but you can top with whatever toppings you'd like, Guacamole, salsa, goat cheese, or barbecue sauce. Sometimes we spread chipotle mayonnaise on the bread, but this time I had purchased some garlic scape hand rolled butter from our farmers market that I spread on the bread.

Grilled Lemongrass Beets

• 6 (total) Peeled raw golden and red beets, cubed
• Olive oil (about a table spoon)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Some tender blades of lemongrass

Toss cubed beets in a bowl with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, cut the lemongrass into 1 inch blades add to the bowl and toss. Let sit for a few minutes for the lemongrass flavor to penetrate. Grill in a grill basket until the beets are tender, the lemongrass will have mostly been burned away, but if any of it remains, pick it out, do not eat the lemongrass (it is pretty tough).

Creamed Beet greens

Prepare the same recipe for creamed spinach but substituting in beet greens instead of the spinach.