Cooking for Zo

Taste Level: GR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10-15 min.
Cook time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 1

Usually I have a sweet story to go along with the meals I've made for Zo. This one is anything but! I came up with this a few months after we had first moved in together. Zo's mother and brother were coming to visit, so I spent some time creating recipes that could easily be turned into vegetarian meals. I'd converted Zo to a meat eater but her mother was still a veggie head. I really took time coming up with different meals because this was only the second time Zo’s mother had met me and the first time she'd been to our home. Let's just say that it didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked. She didn't approve of the cat room I'd built, despite the fact that everyone else loved it and thought it was and a great way to solve the problem of me being allergic to cats but Zo loving the kitties, or perhaps she did not approve of us together. Either way, it made for a difficult dinnertime. Luckily Zo, my sister, and I really loved these Burger substitutes! They were the best thing about that night! Due to all the drama surrounding the first time I made this recipe I've got no clue how I made it. So I just winged it and what do you know? They were still good! And it made us remember: even if you are upset with family, sit down together and enjoy their company. We never know how long we will have one another! *Updated with grilling method, ingredients tweaks and new photo on 10/27/2011*

Ingredients:
Sandwich
1 (14 oz package) of 4 Hickory smoked Portuguese styled sliced linguica rounds (or 1 8 oz package of Hot Linguica sliced up)
4 portobello mushroom caps (stems removed)
4 slices provolone
4 slices aged Swiss
2 1/2 slices of red onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
kosher salt (to taste)
Fresh crack pepper medley (to taste)
4 onion rolls buns
2 tbsp 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Sauce
6 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp lemon juice (optional)
1 tsp unsalted sweet European butter (Melted)

Sauce
Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and sit to side.

Oven Sandwich Directions (Grilling below)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice linguica rounds down the middle using a fillet knife to make two equal rounds.  Heat medium skillet over medium heat. Once heated cook linguica for 4-5 minutes, flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes.

While linguica is cooking rub portobellos with 2 tbsp olive oil until coated well. Dust both sides with garlic powder, fresh crack pepper and kosher salt. Sit to side until read to use.

Remove from pan and keep warm. Add onion to center of skillet and poor 1 tsp of olive oil over onion, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Flip onion over drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove onion from pan and keep warm with linguica. Add portobellos to skillet and cook cap side down for 5 minutes, flip and cook and additional 4-6 minutes or until caps start to soften and flatten out. Once cooked remove from heat.

While caps are cooking lightly toast your onion rolls for 2-3 minutes in oven, placed directly on rack (or in my case the pizza stone.) Remove rolls from oven and spread 2-3 tsp of sauce over each underside of roll.

Lay linguica on bottom bun, then spread out 1/4 of the onion rings over linguica, then cover with 1 slice of provolone, place one of the portobello caps over the provolone, top with 1 slice of Swiss and top of roll. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and serve warm with sweet potato fries. Enjoy!

Grilling Directions
Preheat grill to high.

Slice linguica rounds down the middle using a fillet knife to make two equal rounds. Rub portobellos with 2 tbsp olive oil until coated well. Dust both sides with garlic powder, fresh crack pepper and kosher salt. Rub onion slices with 2 tsp of olive oil.

Place portobellos cap side down on lower gril directly over flame, place linuica slices on the top grill with onion slices beside them.  Turn heat to low, close the lid and let cook for 3-5 minutes.  Flip, caps, rounds and onions and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes or until portobellos start to flatten.  Remove all from grill (toast buns on top rack for the last 2 minutes of cooking.)

Spread 2-3 tsp of sauce over each underside of roll. Lay linguica on bottom bun, then spread out 1/4 of the onion rings over linguica, then cover with 1 slice of provolone, place one of the portobello caps over the provolone, top with 1 slice of Swiss and top of roll. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and serve warm with sweet potato fries. Enjoy!