Portabella Mushroom Burgers

Tonight's meal was just amazing for so many reasons: 1) I didn't cook the meal; 2) it was fun, creative, and spontaneous; 3) the meal was so tasty yet so simple; 4) it got the taste buds going.... think fireworks, and 4) the meal taught me about pairing foods that I would not have otherwise thought to put together in the first place!

My cooking buddy thought of this while he was at work. He was searching through recipes online and nothing was catching his eye. He's a creative person that works best without recipes and cookbooks. This is a quality I lack being a bit on the structured side but I just love, admire, and appreciate that much more in my partner.

I would have never thought to put Brie or any other cheese on a mushroom... never. I love mushrooms and cheese but not together. The thought actually makes my stomach turn a bit especially if using some sort of American made cheese that solidifies when cooling. Ugh. But when he said Brie I was super excited.

Makes 4 Servings
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
-4 portabella mushrooms
-some basil, chopped finely
-2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-2-3 tbsp olive oil
-freshly ground pepper
-Brie
-Dijon mustard
-1 onion, sliced such that it makes O-rings
-1 tomato
-Baby spinach
-Loaf of ciabatta bread

Preparation
Have the Brie out so that it comes to room temperature.

In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic, and basil. De-stem mushrooms and rinse them. Drizzle olive oil mixture on gill side of mushroom (side that the stem was on). This is also something new for me.... I generally marinate the entire mushroom but you use much more olive oil and it gets sort of greasy. One side is enough. Set oven to 'broil', and cook mushrooms and onions for 8 minutes or so. This is bit of a guess based on previous experiences. My cooking buddy did this on a grill and it took longer. You'll know when the mushrooms are done....stick a knife through it and will be super tender and may even look a little watery. The onions will be soft and golden.

While this is going on, slice the loaf ciabatta bread such that they become buns. My suggestion is to cut the loaf into 4 mini loaves and then slice length wise. Toast the bread. Slice some tomatoes and chop a little more basil but not too much more.

Putting together
On one slice of ciabatta, place mushroom. On top of mushroom, spread Brie to taste. On top of this, onions, a little basil, a tomato slice or two, and then a little spinach. On other slice of bread, squirt some Dijon mustard. Squish together slightly and then eat.

You're in for a treat. I so wish I had a picture of this, it's beautiful, but alas the camera is still down!