Marinated Mushrooms

(about 1 1/2 pints)

These delicious mushrooms are very addictive, and thankfully they don't contain a lot of oil. This recipe can easily be doubled if you prefer making a larger quantity.

1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 lb small button or cremini mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green onion, sliced thin
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly cracked pepper

Place the broth, wine, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, pepper flakes and lemon zest into a pot large enough to hold the mushrooms. Bring the mixture to a simmer over moderate heat.

While the broth is heating up, clean the mushrooms and trim the stems. Add the mushrooms to the broth and simmer for about 5-6 minutes. The liquid will not cover the mushrooms, so you'll need to stir the mixture to ensure the mushrooms get rotated in the hot broth.

Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and place into a non-reactive bowl or large jar.

Add the bell pepper, green onion, and garlic to the broth, increase the heat and cook until the liquid has reduced down to about one quarter of the original amount. Remove from heat.

Stir in the vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the mixture over the mushrooms. Toss until the mushrooms are evenly coated.

You can serve the mushrooms after an hour or so, but they are best after a day or two. They will keep refrigerated for about a week.