As spring slowly makes its fashionably late appearance, winter takes with it the heavy and hearty dishes we’ve come so accustomed to. For many, the oncoming of spring means having access to fresh produce, maybe something grown locally instead of driven halfway across the country in an ice box. So I chose to make something that focused on vegetables that could be found during the late winter and early spring season with ease.
I made a mushroom melt with Gruyère cheese and onions reduced in pale ale on whole wheat, served with a colorful and fresh tasting gazpacho slaw. On the side is a salad with whiskey-reduced onions, cornbread croutons and a freshly-made buttermilk dressing. The mushrooms in the melt are a good way to keep things light, as opposed to a hearty burger. Topped with the pale ale onions (I used a Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale) and Gruyère cheese, the sandwich really balanced out nicely and satisfied the lingering winter cravings.
The melt was served along side a chilled gazpacho slaw, which was full of color and fresh ingredients. Yellow and orange peppers gave a sweet crunch that contrasted the yellow onion and vinegar, while the dill and cucumber provided a refreshing taste in each bite.
With the salad, the sweet whiskey onions mixed well with the buttermilk dressing and the acidic taste of the grape tomatoes. Although the cornbread came from a box, I still think it was an interesting twist on croutons and went along well with this southern style dish.
I was happy with the ending results. I was able to drink the leftover alcohol from the recipes, have a great meal while doing so, and the dishes were simple enough that it was stress free throughout the process. This was something that you may not have all the ingredients on hand for, but a quick trip to the grocery could make for a very enjoyable date night meal, just remember to save some alcohol for the recipe.
Mushroom Melt:
2-3 large portobello mushrooms, take off stems
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Soy sauce (low-sodium) or worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup of a pale ale
Gruyère cheese, shredded
Butter
Canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread, sliced
Cut the mushrooms down into 1/2 inch slices and mix with the canola oil, soy sauce or worcestershire, salt and pepper and let marinate for at least five minutes.
Bring a skillet to medium heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for about five minutes on one side, and turn and cook the other for another 3-5 minutes; until they are browned and tender. Remove mushrooms from heat and set aside.
In the same skillet without the mushrooms removed, bring the skillet to medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook stirring rarely. Once the onions become a golden brown and are very tender, add 1/2 of a pale ale of your choice. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to lift any browned bits and cook until the smell of alcohol is removed. This should take approximately 3 minutes.
Take two slices of bread, add the mushrooms, onions and place the shredded Gruyère cheese on top. Butter the outside of the slice of bread and cook the sandwiches on a skillet until the cheese is melted and the bread is a golden brown.
Salad:
Corn bread : Jiffy cornbread mix
Break cornbread into little pieces for croutons
Ranch: Hidden Valley buttermilk mix - not bottled ... follow directions on package of mix
Whiskey onions:
1 tablespoon butter
1 yellow onion, halved, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of whiskey
Romaine lettuce
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Melt butter in a skillet and bring to medium heat. Add the sliced onion and sugar and stir. Allow the onions to cook for about 15 minutes, so that they are a deep brown. Add the whiskey, and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan for any flavored bits. Allow the alcohol to cook out and set aside for the salad.
Gazpacho slaw:
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
2 tomatoes, take the seeds out
1 yellow sweet onion
1 cucumber, sees taken out
Feta cheese
Red wine vinegar
Olive oil (for dressing)
1 1/2 teaspoons of dill, finely chopped
Thinly slice the peppers, onion, tomato and cucumber, removing any seeds and combine in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the 1/4-1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 3/4 cup of a good olive oil for intended for dressing (the bottle will specify). Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the dill. Mix well and pour overtop the chopped vegetables. Allow to this to chill in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. Top with crumbled feta cheese and serve.
