Yesterday, we went into Courtenay to shop for groceries, plants, and wood. Like the dutiful retired people we now are, we actually went to ALL three grocery stores to ensure that we found the best prices on everything. It was actually quite fun, but we realized that it’s likely much wiser to check the specials before we go!

This price checking is quite the departure for James because when we first got together, though he loved grocery shopping….he never paid attention to prices. He would buy things not because they were in season, but because he felt like eating them. Thus, he’d bring home grapes in February and have no idea how much he paid for them (twelve dollars, in case you’re wondering). After I told my sister this, she would call every time she saw grapes on special, but when I’d tell James, he’d just look puzzled.

We eventually started joking that “sale” grapes were far too vulgar for him. Bid even tried to convince him to go to Superstore, but he proclaimed it too horrible to even consider.

Over the years, he did start comparison shopping, and would often come home very pleased with himself because he’d found a bargain or two. One day Bid even called me in triumph because she claimed to have seen James “sneaking” out of the Superstore on Marine Drive.

Anyway, one of our bargains yesterday was a package of four beautiful portobello mushrooms from Thrifty’s, so our dinner this evening is….

Portobello Burgers

Ingredients

4 large portobello Mushrooms

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon mushroom base

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp tomato paste

Directions:

Place the mushrooms in a baking dish. Process the rest of the ingredients in the bullet and blend well. Pour the mixture over the mushrooms and let them marinate for about half an hour (turning them every so often).

Spray the grill with oil and grill the mushrooms on medium-high heat for about six minutes per side. Spoon on the marinade as you grill. They are ready when there are no more firm parts to the mushrooms.

Next, make the buns. Tear off four tennis-ball-sized hunks of this dough and place each hunk in an oil-sprayed one-inch ring and bake for 30 minutes at 450….which is perfect because that’s how long it takes to bake the Thug Kitchen oven fries that will be accompanying our burgers! And the marinade is an adaptation of the Thug Kitchen Smoky-Maple Tofu marinade. I do love the recipes in the two Thug cookbooks!

Aaaaand here’s dinner! The portobello burgers are fantastic–SUPER succulent–and the Thug oven fries are always great (especially served with creamy sriracha)!