Portobello With Caramelized Onions & Goat Cheese

A turkey burger with sweet potato fries has pretty much become a staple when I'm planning my meals out. I'm always looking for something new to add to my repertoire, though, and I felt inspired after watching an episode of The Chew at the gym where they made a "portobello blue cheese sandwich." I thought I'd make my own version and I liked this recipe because it didn't involve exact measurements of ingredients. I also left out the bun since that's always the first thing to get cut from my budget and diet.

What You Need: 

1 Portobello Mushroom

1 Small Onion

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Goat Cheese

Sugar

Salt and Pepper

What You Do:

1. Scrape the gills out of the under side of the portobello mushroom cap. The gills are the dark brown, wispy "stuff" for lack of a better word seen below. I made sure that the stem was trimmed down but did not remove it - it cooked down just fine for me. 

2. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in the mushroom and spread it around. I made a few shallow cuts into the mushroom to help it marinate and absorb the oil and vinegar more easily. Then, season it with salt and pepper.

3. Cook on medium heat uncovered for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the caramelized onions and goat cheese to the underside of the mushroom and cover. Add a splash of water so that the immediate steam helps melt the cheese quickly.

5. Uncover and serve.

I didn't have any arugula when I made this but I would recommend topping with some greens and serving with a side of roasted brussels sprouts. You could also use a toasted bun to make it a real burger wannabe!

*For the caramelized onions, saute thinly sliced onions in a pan with oil over medium-high heat. As they soften and become translucent in color, add a pinch of sugar so that they caramelize nicely.

Do you have any alternatives to standard burgers? Please share!

Treat Yourself

I am a very financially conscientious person. I do eat out. I do shop. I do go on vacations. But I know exactly how far my salary will (and will not) go. I try not to overspend on things that are not necessary and I am constantly reminding myself which purchases would be too frivolous. When I do go shopping or order food I tend to weigh the pros and cons thoroughly before making a seemingly small decision.

Having been in the working world for a few years now (yikes!) has shown me that it's okay to treat myself once in awhile, though. Whether it's buying a new top or spending a little too much at a nice restaurant, I try not to over-think it or chastise myself after the fact as long as I'm not making it a habit.

To alleviate some of the guilt I try to do some of the following when possible:

• Buy a Groupon or LivingSocial Deal to subsidize the cost. This is a great way to save a few dollars AND try a new restaurant or fitness class. 

• Check your email for promo codes - most stores will honor the email if you show it to them so you don't have to actually print it out. I was shopping at the Gap Outlet recently and not only did I get the outlet prices, I remembered a 40% off email in my inbox that the cashier was able to honor. I saved $85.53 - not quite Extreme Couponer status but still was a great feeling!                      
  
  

• Find out what restaurants and bars have happy hours or specials nearby and take advantage! Although Massachusetts does not technically allow "happy hour" (lame, I know), there are many bars and restaurants that have weekly specials. To get started, check out Cactus Club for half-priced appetizers Monday - Friday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Who doesn't need an excuse to leave work a little early?! 

We all work hard and now is the time to treat ourselves before we have little ones running around and depending on us!