[Saturday Sides is a weekly feature I run to help you combat the side dish blahs. Check here Saturdays to see what’s new and different you can add to your dinner table. Or, you can subscribe here so that you never miss a Saturday Sides Recipe.]
Some of you may remember from a while back with my grape tomatoes when I mentioned that sometimes I let my produce go a little past it’s prime. I don’t necessarily do it on purpose, but especially at this time of the year, I just get caught up in the freedom of not having a strict schedule and before I know it Tuesday night’s dinner plan has been moved to . . . oh, I don’t know, Saturday night’s dinner. Usually because I haven’t cooked since last Monday. But that’s another story for another day.
That’s what happened with these sad mushrooms. They were on sale for $1 and I couldn’t not buy them when they were only$1, but I kept not using them. Of course, many folks would toss them. But, that’s not my style.
Instead, I think I’ll just cook ‘em and eat ‘em.
Today’s recipe is especially nice if your mushrooms aren’t really looking great for your salad, but are still fresh enough to eat (don’t try to cook anything slimy, that would not be a good thing.) I like to cook them on the grill in a little makeshift pan I make out of aluminum foil, but they also are great mixed in with kabobs or alone on kabobs or you can even roast them in the oven – if you feel so inclined.
Here is my little makeshift pan. I know they sell nice pans for this, but I don’t have one of those. If you have one, by all means, use it. If you don’t, just make a pan out of foil like I have. Personally, I’d like to have a pan, but I want a lot of stuff and sometimes you just gotta make tough choices, ya know? Anyhow. Moving right along.
Grilled Ranch Mushrooms
Adapted from the Hidden Valley Ranch People
1 pound fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 envelope or 3 tablespoons of ranch seasoning
Start out by cleaning your mushrooms. A lot of folks say you shouldn’t wash mushrooms, but just use a brush to knock off the dirt. Personally, I wash mine.
Mainly you aren’t supposed to wash mushrooms because they are somewhat absorbant and since you don’t want them to absorb the water you are washing them in, you’re told not to wash them at all. Makes perfect sense . . . or not. Just wash them and dry them off. They’re under water for such a short period of time that there really isn’t a big risk of them soaking up anything significant. Nor will washing with water affect the taste of this recipe (and most others).
Now, if you want to slice some mushrooms for a salad you might want to skip the washing part because they can turn brown pretty quickly after you wash them. Again, I’m not eating a fungus that hasn’t been washed, but that’s up to you. Anyhow, clean your mushrooms and place them in a zippered bag.
Add the oil, water, balsamic vinegar and ranch seasoning to the bag and close the top. Give the bag a real good shake or two and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. Now we want them to absorb stuff.
After 30 minutes have past, warm the grill to medium, put your pan on the grill and let it warm up. Dump everything from the bag into the pan and shut the grill lid.
After about 3 or 4 minutes, check the mushrooms. They usually take about 10-12 minutes to cook, but you should push them around a bit every few minutes to keep them from sticking while cooking.
When the mushrooms are starting to brown and get slightly soft remove them with tongs. Discard the leftover marinade after it has cooled off.
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- Saturday Sides: Smashed Potatoes (for when life throws you curves)
