Sauteed Portabella mushrooms, onions, and Kalamata olives cooked in a sweet basalmic glaze atop a bed of warm spinach, sprinkled with feta cheese and oregano. I created this today for lunch, combining ingredients that I had on hand so I wouldn't have to go shopping. Some of the best meals happen this way!
Serves two, or one with leftovers
Ingredients:
Olive oil
One red onion
Two cloves of fresh garlic
Two large Portabella mushroom caps
1/4 cup of pitted Kalamata olives.
Enough baby spinach for two big bowl-fulls
Red Balsamic Vinegar (a good quality one makes all the difference, aka, sweet, not sour)
Salt
Pepper
Feta cheese
Dried Oregano
Start by heating 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-low in a pan.
Mince two garlic cloves and chop a medium sized red onion into large-ish (approximately one-inch) pieces. Add the onions and garlic to the heated pan, and simmer until beginning to brown and/or turn translucent, stirring occasionally (about ten minutes).
Slice the portabella caps into long pieces about 1/3 inch thick, and add them to the pan. Turn the heat down to low. Add a sprinkle freshly ground sea salt, and let the mushrooms and the onions hang out for a little while, stirring gently so as not to break the mushroom slices.
When the mushrooms start to release their retained water (in about ten minutes) add some balsamic vinegar. Give it a healthy pour (about 1/4 cup). Keeping the heat low, continue to let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for about ten more minutes.
The liquid should start to turn into a sticky, sweet glaze. Add about 1/3 cup of chopped Kalamata olives and some freshly ground black pepper, then let it cook a few more minutes. Ta dahh!
Now, take this mushroom glaze mixture and put it in a container to put aside for a moment. Keeping the same balsamic-y pan, still on low, add a teaspoon of olive oil, and a salad-bowl-full of baby spinach. Stir the spinach around, trying to coat it in olive oil and warm it just a bit (don't let it start to cook and get wilty). Put the lettuce in your salad-bowl, drizzle a little extra balsamic if desired, and then top with half the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle some feta cheese and oregano, and enjoy! Make some more spinach for a friend to enjoy with you, or save that mushroom stuff for another salad or experimental concoction later. =)
