Portobello Crostini

Not long ago, I had a friend stop by unexpectedly. I like to always have some small snack to offer when guests stop by but this was a particularly difficult task on this day. I literally had next to nothing in the house to whip up a something to offer my guest. I rushed to the refrigerator found I had one portobello mushroom, one shallot, a couple of ounces of goat cheese and some left over bread. A few minutes later this dish was born.

Ingredients

1 small loaf of french bread

2 large portobello mushrooms

2 ounces of goat cheese

1 tablespoon of shallots, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of lemon zest

1 teaspoon of crushed rosemary leaves

1 clove of garlic, minced

Preparation

Wash and finely slice the portobello mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and salt. Sautee lightly, being careful to soften but not darken the shallots or garlic (about 3 to 5 minutes of cooking time). Stir in the rosemary. Heat for 2 to 3 more minutes. Add the lemon zest.

Slice the bread into 1/2 thick slices. Brush lightly with remaining olive oil. Place in a toaster oven or under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp and slightly golden.

Top the bread with the crumbled goat cheese and mushroom mixture..

Makes about a dozen crostini.