Portobello mushroom burgers and sweet potato fries

This is one of those recipes I've been using ever since the good old college days (when I would mostly rely on my roommates to do the cooking... I've grown a lot since then!). I've made a couple individual variations since then, and this recipe is so easy to manipulate to suit your feeding mood. It's a really fantastic vegetarian option to burgers - and my super carnivorous boyfriend also enjoys it so it's a hit for meat eaters as well!

This recipe makes 4 servings and requires portobello mushrooms, balsamic vinegar, pepper, garlic, red onion, avocado, and tomatoes.

Start off by rinsing 4 mushrooms - If I am making these on a weekday, I like to rinse them off the night before, cover them, and throw them in the fridge, that way I have less to do during the hustle and bustle of getting ready for work. After rinsing, make a marinade of balsamic vinegar, pepper, and garlic. Use enough balsamic vinegar to coat the mushrooms evenly (this amount may vary depending on the size of your mushrooms). Add pepper to taste, and mince up a clove of garlic to add to the mushroom mixture. Cover, and let marinate for at least a few hours prior to cooking (I have them marinating prior to leaving for work in the morning, but if you will be around for the day, you can start marinating around mid-afternoon).

After you have successfully marinated your mushrooms, fire up that grill! While the grill is heating up, start slicing up the red onion, avocado, and tomatoes for your burger toppings.

Once the grill is nice and toasty, stick the mushrooms on, top-side down first, for approximately 6-8 minutes on each side, or until the mushrooms are tender. I like to stick the buns on the grill for a couple minutes as well. After the grill items are ready, get your plates and add whatever toppings you choose! Other tasty options not shown can include shredded mozzarella cheese, bruschetta, spinach, or roasted red pepper (really, anything you like can go atop the mushrooms). Make sure the buns are fairly large, or else it can turn into a messy meal!

Bon appétit! Served with Sweet Potato Julienne Fries and Shlafly Brand Kölsch beer. Homemade sweet potato fries dipping sauce is a combination of 2 parts mayo and 1 part honey. Delicious!