Fire it up

photos by pwisenberg

A trip to my neighbourhood organic grocery store inspired me to make this recipe. The ingredients looked so gorgeous, they practically begged me to take them home- thick green spears of asparagus, hearty portobello mushrooms and beautifully-hued bite-sized grape tomatoes. This warm salad was easy to make and satisfying enough to eat for dinner. Plus, it just feels so spring-like with the seasonal asparagus and charred taste from the grill. The veggies were marinated in olive oil, herbs, garlic, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar, a flavourful bunch if I do say so. The thick slices of portobello are so savoury and filling and the grape tomatoes add a much-needed burst of freshness. I garnished the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds for some extra crunch and served it with grilled crusty bread, perfect for sopping up that delicious marinade.

Warm asparagus and portobello salad
Serves 4

3 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1/2 red onion, thickly sliced
1/2 package grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
8 small slices whole grain bread, brushed with olive oil

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

To make the marinade, whisk together all of the ingredient in a bowl until well combined. Taste and rectify the seasoning if necessary. To assemble the salad, begin by coating the mushrooms, asparagus and onions in the marinade and brushing the bread with olive oil (a little sprinkling of sea salt doesn't hurt either). Grill the veggies over high heat (we used a grill pan for the mushrooms and onions, but it isn't necessary), until the asparagus spears are just fork-tender and the mushrooms begin to get a golden brown crust, about 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, grill the bread on the periphery of the grill where the heat is not so high, about 3 minutes per side. Top warm vegetables with the grape tomatoes and pumpkin seeds and serve with the grilled bread. Couldn't be more simple, couldn't be more yummy!