Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Stacked with Spinach and Manchego Cheese

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Stacked with Spinach and Manchego Cheese

Serves: 4

When grilled, portabella mushrooms take on an incredibly satisfying meaty quality. I think of this dish as a first-course salad, but it could easily be the centerpiece of a vegetarian meal. Stack the mushrooms for that professional chef look and be sure to shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler.

Sherry Vinaigrette

1 small shallot, peeled, finely chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Whisk together the shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until emulsified.

Grilled Mushrooms

8 medium portobello mushroom caps
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces baby spinach
2 ounces Manchego cheese, thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

1. Heat your grill to high.

2. Brush the mushroom caps on both sides with the oil and season with the salt and black pepper. Grill top side down until slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the mushrooms over and continue to grill until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

3. Place the spinach in a medium bowl and toss iwith some of the sherry vinaigrette. Divide half of the spinach among 4 salad plates. Top with half of the Manchego and then a mushroom. Repeat the layers in the same order using the remaining spinach and cheese, and ending with a mushroom cap. Press down gently on the stacks to keep them from falling.

4. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the mushrooms and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.

Buy the Book!

from:
Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life
by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson
Scribner
Hardcover, 224 pages, $22.00
ISBN: 0-7432-7272-2
Recipe reprinted by permission.