Primed for Portabellas

Spring is here! If I say it enough maybe that will ensure that no more snow will fall this year... at least I'll keep telling myself that.

Last night in one of my meetings, members participated in a simple activity- to compile meals or recipes from a list of healthy carbohydrate rich foods. All of the combos that they came up with sounded delicious! A whole wheat pasta tossed with asparagus, tomatoes and other veggies, chili served over a baked potato, and a grilled portabella mushroom. This reminded me: I love portabellas--- and grilling season, along with spring, is here! Thanks to C. and her group for reminding me what a fantastic food the portabella is- and how it can be made even better with a great low-POINTS marinade. They even mentioned stuffing it with a brown rice and vegetable stuffing- genius!

Even if you aren't a mushroom person per se, the portabella may be worth trying. It truly has a meaty texture and flavor- when grilled- and 1 large "cap" has a POINTS-value of 0! No recipe- but here's a basic way to prepare a portabella:

-Snap off the stem from the mushroom cap and discard the stem. Take care to keep the actual cap in tact.

-Wash well, then marinate in vinegar (I like balsamic) for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine too). A fat-free of low-fat vinaigrette would work well too- just be sure to count the POINTS.

-When ready to grill, rub the cap with salt and pepper (and/or any other seasonings that you'd like to use).

-Place on the grill, flipping and otherwise cooking as you would a "regular" burger. The portabella will pick up the grill marks and everything! The actual cook time will depend on the thickness of your 'bella and the heat of your grill- but about 5 minutes per side is a good estimate in most cases.

-Serve as you would any other burger- or slice and serve as you might for a steak salad and serve on a bed of greens. If you are going the burger/bun route- the portabella is particularly well suited for a hearty wheat bun or even a slice of ciabiatta bread (if you have the POINTS available). The juices from the burger will be delicious when soaked into the bread.

Yumm... I know what I'm grilling this weekend! Thanks again to the portabella group at the 6:00pm meeting last night for reminding me that spring time is prime time for portabellas!

~Braelin