Grilled Balsamic Portobello on Brown Sugar Buns

I've never been afraid to tackle cooking, but I've always been a little skittish about baking - the math, the chemistry, the subjects a liberal arts geek like myself always tripped over in school. But as I peruse more food blogs, I'm finding such an exciting assortment of goodies that pique my interest  My mind tends to wander towards shapely, aromatic breads and soft, tender pastries. I might as well come out and say it - I'm a little bi-epicurious.

Cakewalker, a beautifully executed blog focusing on baking, dropped a post before the holiday about its award winning Red, White, and Blueberry burger, including a brown sugar bun made from scratch.  The bread seemed so simple yet so tempting, and I wanted to try it with something less heavy - grilled balsamic portobello with roasted red pepper.

I don't have a mixer, a rolling pin, or any baking materials beyond a baking sheet, so this was done strictly with my hands and a wooden spoon - I'm practically Amish! So see my pics below, how I prepped the portobello and side cucumber salad, and check out Cakewalker's blog for the full recipe.

For the "burger," I destemmed the portobello mushrooms, marinated them in balsamic and olive oil for 20 minutes, grilled them on medium for about 8 minutes, placed a piece of provolone on top, tossed them on a bun and added roasted red pepper and a slice of tomato.  It was sweet, slightly tangy, and brought out the flavor of the buns beautifully.  Simple, and perfect.

I served this with a side of Austrian cucumber salad - coat the cucumber with lemon juice, stir in a few pinches of sugar, and sprinkle a bit of paprika across the top.  Quick, easy and refreshing summer dish!  If you prefer to be more German about your cucumber salad, toss in a dollop of sour cream as well.

Questions?  Additions?  Comment below, or email CutsEveryday@gmail.com.