I know BBQ season is technically coming to an end, but true Canadians don’t stop lighting up the grill until the snow is knee high! Let’s extend this BBQ season with this delicious vegetarian appetizer. It includes easy marinade for the mushrooms and how to make a quick lemon garlic aioli to take these sliders to another level. If you have the time and the patience, caramelized onions are the perfect addition.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 slider buns
4 portobello mushrooms (match size to buns)
4 slices of swiss cheese
1 cup arugula
For the marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
pinch of chopped thyme and rosemary
1 tsp of salt
pinch of black pepper
For the lemon garlic aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Mix the marinade ingredients together. Check for seasoning. Remove stems from the mushrooms (you can save these for making stock) and place in a container large enough for all 4 mushrooms to sit next to each other. Pour over the marinade, allowing some of it to pool on the mushrooms. Let sit outside at room temp for 15-20 mins.
2. Heat up your BBQ to 400F.
3. Mix all the ingredients for the aioli, add more lemon juice if required, and let sit in the fridge.
4. Pour excess marinade off the mushrooms (save the rest for basting) and put them on the grill, gill side up. Close the grill and cook for 3-5 mins each side, basting with the remaining marinade as they cook. Then move them over to the warming rack and top with the Swiss cheese while you grill the slider buns.
5. Now you’re ready to assemble! Both sides of the bun get a dollop of aioli and then the arugula on the bottom bun and finally the star of the show, sit that beautifully nurtured portobello mushroom right on top and add the top bun. Dig in!
