Gluten Free Portobello Sandwich and Fruity Herbal Iced Tea

Sometimes, I'm just in the mood for a good sandwich and a tall glass of iced tea.  This is one of my favorite sandwiches.  If I'm in the mood for cheesy goodness, I add a nice chunk of mozzarella cheese. You can also use Gluten-free hamburger buns or a ciabatta roll.  Schar makes a fabulous ciabatta roll that is gluten-free.  As for the iced tea, I make a pitcher of this every week.  It's refreshing, caffeine-free, and healthy.  What's not to like?

Gluten-free Portobello Sandwich

2 Slices Udi's Gluten-free Multi-grain Bread, toasted
1 Portobello Mushroom Cap
1 Handful Organic Spring Mix Greens
1 Slice Fresh Organic Tomato
1/2 Avocado, sliced

Marinade/Dressing
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Crushed Garlic
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Teaspoon Trader Joe's South African Smoke Seasoning Blend (optional)

Whisk together ingredients for marinade in glass bowl big enough to fit mushroom.  Place mushroom in marinade.  After 15 minutes, flip mushroom and let sit for another 15 minutes.  Once 30 minutes total has elapsed, remove mushroom. You can either grill or saute mushroom.  I like mine grilled for about 2 minutes on each side. You can also saute in a pan with a little splash of olive oil for about 4 minutes on each side ( If you like it softer, just cook for a bit longer).  Pour 1/2 of Marinade into cup to baste mushroom while cooking. Place spring mix, tomato slice, and avocado slices into marinade bowl and toss.  Once mushroom is cooked to the texture you prefer, remove from grill or pan and place on one toast slice. Remove spring mix from marinade and place upon mushroom.  Next, place tomato slice and avocado on top of spring mix. Top with second slice of toast. Boom! It's that easy! You can make as many of these as you like. Just increase the ingredients accordingly.

Fruity Herbal Tea

Big Glass Bowl (Should hold at least 5 cups water)
2 Liter Glass Pitcher
5 Bags Herbal Tea of your choice. I like Melaleuca herbal tea.
4 Cups Filtered Water
1/4 Cup each of 2 Fruits of your choice ( I usually use frozen, organic fruit)

Bring 4 cups of water to boiling point. Let sit on stove for 1 minute.  Pour boiling water into glass bowl. Add tea bags. Let steep for 20 minutes to 1 hour. Some people find herbal teas to be bitter if left to steep for longer than 20 minutes. If you are one of them, don't steep for over 20 minutes. Once preferred time has elapsed, remove tea bags and discard ( or refrigerate them to put over your eyes and relax later).  Drop fruit into pitcher. Pour tea into pitcher, over fruit. Fill pitcher to 2 liter level with cold, filtered water. Refrigerate.
I usually use frozen blueberries and strawberries.  Some other ideas are orange slices, lemon slices, raspberries, or peaches.  Your tea will keep in refrigerator for 1 week.  If you like your tea sweetened, I recommend adding stevia per glass instead of all at once.  In my experience, Stevia can get a bit bitter after a few days.

Enjoy!