Tag

mushrooms

Cedar Planked Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Chorizo Stuffed Portobellos Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables

Plank grilled portobello mushrooms make a wonderful simple side dish to accompany any meal and especially when stuffed with bacon and chorizo, they are super delicious. Brown portobellos have a delicious earthy flavour which is enhanced by grilling them on a cedar wood plank.

When shopping for portobello mushrooms, look for caps that are firm to the touch, and uniform in colour. Leave the spotty ones behind as they are most probably old. To clean the mushrooms, use a clean paper towel and gently rub off any dirt from the caps before cooking.

Cedar Plank Chorizo Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms – Serves 6

You’ll need:

  • 6 small cedar grilling planks
  • 6 large portobello mushrooms
  • 200g of fresh chorizo or bulk spicy pork sausage
  • 10 bacon strips, diced
  • 1 large sweet red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Step 1:
Soak the cedar planks in water for at least 1 hour. In a large skillet, cook the chorizo and bacon over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until chorizo is fully cooked and bacon is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, but reserve 1 tablespoon in the pan.

Step 2:
Add pepper and onion to drippings; cook and stir over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, pepper flakes and cayenne; cook for another 30 seconds. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with the vegetable mixture and cheese then set aside.

Step 3:
Remove the stems from the mushrooms for easier grilling and with a spoon, scrape and remove the gills. Fill the caps with prepared mixture.

Step 4:
Place your planks on the grill rack over direct medium heat. Cover and heat 3-4 minutes or until light to medium smoke comes from the plank and the wood begins to crackle. This indicates the plank is ready. Turn the planks over and place the mushroom caps on the planks. Grill, covered, over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

You can serve the mushrooms on the plank as it will look rustic and amazing. You can pair them with other grilled foods such as grilled meats and veg or you could use them as patties in burgers. Top with your favourite cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion slices, and serve in a toasted bun.

July 20, 2021
Grilled Veggie Kebabs Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

Grilled Veggie Kebabs Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables

Kebabs are a great way to get your meat and vegetable fixes all at once. Keep in mind though that meat, vegetables and fruit do not all cook at the same speed. Even different types of produce require different cook times.

A zucchini cooks differently than an onion, and chicken of course takes longer to cook than prawn. Our advice is to keep it simple and to use individual skewers for each type of kebab. Separating different meats, vegetables and fruits onto different skewers will cook things evenly.

A great kebab calls for a marinade. The goal is to get as much flavour as possible into your kebabs before they hit the grill.  A mix of garlic, rosemary and olive oil does wonders for pork tenderloin kebabs, or you can wrap the meat in bacon. If you’re grilling seafood, a marinade of garlic, coriander, basil, paprika, lime juice, honey, salt, and olive oil is great.

You can use wooden skewers, but make sure to soak them first. Using rosemary sprigs as skewers is another fun idea. Make sure to soak your cedar wood plank before grilling, too. You’ll find the instructions on the packaging.

Kebabs are a beautiful addition to an al fresco meal, and the rosemary and cedar planking add beautiful flavour layers to the meat and vegetables.

Serve 2 or 3 skewers per person

You’ll need:

  • cedar planks for grilling
  • skewers or fresh rosemary sprigs
  • any meat or seafood you like, in even pieces
  • onion chunks
  • sweet bell pepper pieces
  • pineapple chunks (optional)
  • whole mushrooms
  • cherry or grape tomatoes
  • a marinade of choice
  • salt and pepper

Step 1:
Soak cedar planks according to the directions on the package. Stick the assorted marinated meat, veggies or fruits on the skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 2:
Place the prepared skewers on planks (3 or 4 to a plank.) Place the planks on hot side of grill, cover and allow to cook until your protein and veggies reach desired tenderness. They will be infused with the yummy cedar smoke flavour but keep an eye on them and make sure they’re not scorched to death.

Serving suggestions:

Kebabs are brilliant served with a light green summer salad, potato wedges, crusty bread rolls, rice pilaf or coconut rice. If you’re going for a Mediterranean theme, whip up an easy mint and cucumber yogurt dip to go with your meal. It’s delicious. Other sauces that go well with kebabs, depending on your choice of meat and veg, are garlic mayonnaise, peanut satay, and sweet chili.

July 7, 2021
Vegetables including asparagus & mushroom on a grilling plank

Grilled Asparagus & Mushrooms Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables

The flavours from asparagus and mushrooms combined with the smokiness of cedar wood plank grilling aren’t easy to describe, but the word delicious is the first that comes to mind. This easy recipe will surely impress your vegetarian friends. It is a fantastic side dish for all sorts of meals, whether your diet is plant-based or not.

Cedar plank grilling is perfect for all sorts of vegetables, just make sure you choose veggies that cook in about the same time. Red peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, green beans, brussels sprouts (cut in half), broccoli and carrots (cut into small chunks) all work well. Potatoes take a little longer to cook but you can pre-cook those in the microwave.

You’ll need:

  • 1 large cedar plank
  • A bunch of fresh asparagus
  • Any type of mushrooms
  • Fire salt (or a mix of sea salt, paprika, chilli powder and garlic)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

Step 1:
Rinse and snap off the bases of the asparagus, then coat them and the mushrooms or the other veggies you’re using with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with Fire salt or the seasoning of your choice.

Step 2:
Prepare your cedar wood grilling plank by soaking it in water for about an hour. Heat grill to 120° C and place the soaked plank over direct heat for 5 minutes. Remove it and oil the heated side.

Step 3:
Place the cedar plank with oiled side up on your grill, place the vegetables on top. Cook them for 10 to 15 minutes over direct heat until tender but firm. Keep a squirt bottle of water handy in case your cedar plank catches fire.

You can serve these as a side dish, on its own, or toss them over salads. If you don’t have a barbeque or grill, you can just as easily prepare it in the oven. Roasted cedar plank vegetables are super easy to make, taste delicious and will impress your guests. If you use the oven, all you do is soak the plank for at least 15 minutes, arrange vegetables, season and bake.

July 7, 2021
Mushrooms on a grilling plank

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Smoked on a Natural Wood Plank

By Cedar Plank Recipes, Recipes, Vegetables

Vegetables, especially those beautiful big “meaty” portobellos mushrooms, taste amazing when cooked on a plank. Stuffed portobello mushrooms are a real treat, and an excellent way to impress your guests. Grab the biggest mushrooms you can find for that wow-factor.

There’s a huge variety of fillings you can use for a dish like this, but we decided on an summery Italian flavour used veggies only. We chose squash, zucchini, corn, and beautiful fresh capsicum for the filling. The delicate smoky flavour is delicious and will enhance all the vegetable flavours.

We used a beautiful shredded asiago cheese from our local Mediteranian deli, but you can use any cheese you like. From gooey mozzarella to strong Stilton, anything goes. Vegan cheese in an option if you want to keep your dish 100% plant based.

Summery Cedar Grilled Portobello Mushrooms – Serves 4

You’ll need:

  • 4 large, firm Portobello mushrooms
  • Olive oil
  • 2 cups of (vegan) cheese
  • 1 small buttercup or butternut squash
  • 1 large or two small courgettes/zucchini
  • 1 cup of corn kernels – fresh or from a can
  • 3-4 green, red, orange and/or yellow peppers

Step 1:

While your cedar wood soaks in water, cut the veggies and grill them up. Toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place them on the grill. Remove the grills and stems from the mushrooms to create a nice flat surface for stuffing. You can cut them into pieces and add them to the veggie mix when you fill the caps.

Step 2:

Brush your mushrooms with olive oil and place them on the grill for no longer than 3 minutes, with the caps side up. Take them off the grill and let them cool. If moisture appears, pat them dry with a paper towel.

Step 3:

Fill the caps with shredded cheese and layer your veggies on top so it shows the different colours. Sprinkle some more cheese on top and place them on the plank. Keep the grill temperature around 150 C for the best results. While the mushrooms are cooking, you’ll hear the cedar wood cracking and a sweet smell will fill the air. The cheese on the bottom will melt beautifully, and the veggies will turn golden in about 15 minutes.

Step 4:

Garnish your stuffed mushroos with fresh grilled corn, some basil, and a drizzle of olive oil then serve.

Serving suggestions:

You can serve your cedar plank grilled stuffed portobello mushrooms on a bed of wilted spinach, with a fresh garden salad, or with a garlic pototo mash and broccoli. It’s a lovely light option for a meat-free dinner. A prosecco or another light white wine with this is a match made in heaven, but a nice red also works. Check out or other recipes if you’re looking for more ways to impress your dinner guests.

July 7, 2021