Portobello Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

Happy New Year!   We have so many recipes to post!  It's just about carving out the time to do it.    Lately R has been on my case.  Turns out, he really relies on the blog for storing his recipes, but isn't willing to actually write the post himself.

A couple of years ago, R decided that his special sandwiches had to go.  Between the sodium levels in processed meat and the very fact that he was consuming meat daily, he felt that it just wasn't healthy and stopped, cold turkey.  Instead, he actively searches out new recipes, pretty much exclusively vegetarian, and often not at all appealing to me.  That's fine.  If I don't like it, he puts it into portion-sized containers and takes it for lunches.

Here' s a recipe that R found that is something we've had for dinner a couple of times.  Disclaimer : I've never had a real Philly cheese steak, so I didn't go into this with specific expectations about how it should taste.

Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (see Tip), sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 ounces thinly sliced reduced-fat provolone cheese
• 4 whole-wheat buns, split and toasted

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, oregano and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft, about 7 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and soy sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, lay cheese slices on top of the vegetables, cover and let stand until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Divide the mixture into 4 portions with a spatula, leaving the melted cheese layer on top. Scoop a portion onto each toasted bun and serve immediately.

TIPS & NOTES

• The dark gills found on the underside of a portobello are edible, but if you like you can scrape them off with a spoon.