Portobello, Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich with Balsamic Reduction

By Ashley Miers

INGREDIENTS:
1 large whole wheat bun (hamburger or kaiser buns are best)
1 large portobello mushroom cap
1 large heirloom tomato, cored and cut in thick round slices
fresh mozzarella cheese (I prefer the soft, water-packed, highest quality kind)
broccoli sprouts
1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO

PREPARE

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pour balsamic vinegar in a medium sized sauce pan. Set the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. As you prepare the rest of the sandwich, you’ll need to intermittently stir the vinegar. I advise opening a window and/or turning on the stove vent while doing this. The fumes released as the vinegar boils can be overpowering. As you get toward the end of cooking the vinegar, you’ll need to stir constantly to prevent scorching. You’ll know you’re at this point because the vinegar will have reduced significantly and started bubbling. The balsamic reduction is complete when the vinegar has reached the consistently of a thin syrup. Turn off the heat and set aside at this point. (Note that the reduction will continue to thicken as it cools.)

3. Pour 1 Tbsp EVOO in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat.

4. Add the bun, cut sides down to the skillet and move around to make sure it absorbs the EVOO evenly.

5. Cook until toasted/lightly browned on cut sides (3-5 minutes).

6. Remove from heat. Place top side of bun on oven proof plate and layer evenly to cover surface with slices of mozzarella cheese.

7. Place the plate with the top bun/cheese in the oven. Keep an eye on it and remove when cheese has softened and melted slightly (about 8 minutes).

8. While the cheese is melting, add other 1 Tbsp of EVOO to the skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the portobello cap and sprinkle the cap generously with chopped rosemary. Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. You may wish to swirl the mushroom around the pan. Cook on one side for about 4 minutes, then flip and cook on other side (again covering the skillet with lid) until the mushroom is cooked through. Please be careful during this process, as in my experience, it can be easy to start an oil fire during this process. You can prevent this by avoiding dripping water from the lid into the skillet, and turning down the heat if the skillet seems too hot. If an oil fire does start, DO NOT add water to the pan. Remove it from the heat and let it burn out (or blow it out carefully if possible), or smother the fire with the pan lid. Other ways you can minimize the chance of the oil igniting include cooking 2-3 mushrooms at once, or using a smaller pan (just larger than the mushroom cap).

9. Place a tomato slice on the bottom (reserved) half of the toasted bun. Place the cooked portobello cap on top. When the cheese on the top half of the bun is sufficiently melted, remove from the oven. Drizzle with balsamic reduction, then layer broccoli sprouts on top of cheese. Finally, press the two halves of the sandwich together, and voila! Complete.

10. Serve and enjoy!

SERVING SUGGESTION

I enjoy pairing this sandwich with roasted asparagus and/or a bowl of yellow dal. I also enjoy occasionally serving it with Terra brand Blues or Mediterranean vegetable chips.

*Note: For additional sandwiches, simply double/triple/etc the recipe.