Mushrooms on My Toast (an easy meal for one)

Weekend brunch -- mushrooms on toasted English muffin with fresh fruit on the side.

This is a quick and easy entree any time of day. For breakfast, pair it with fresh fruit. Add a green salad for lunch or dinner.

• 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced or crushed
• 4 to 6 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (for this demonstration, I used a prepackaged mix of shiitake, baby portabello and oyster mushrooms)
• salt and black pepper
• pinch of dried thyme leaves (optional)
• 4-5 basil leaves, cut into fine strips (optional)
• 1 English muffin or 2 slices of your favorite bread choice, toasted

In a small frying pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper and thyme and cover the pan with a lid. As the mushrooms heat up, they will shed liquid. Steam the mushrooms in their own juices for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover the pan and allow the liquid to reduce by half. Turn off the heat and add the fresh herbs (if using), and stirring well. Serve over toasted English muffin or slices of toasted French bread. Serves 1.

Every time I make this, I am amazed by how deliciously satisfying mushrooms can be. This recipe can be adapted easily to other fresh herbs and dried spices. Experiment! I've used Herbes de Provence and blackening spices with equally great results. One time, I sauteed sliced leeks with the mushrooms--wonderful!

And if you're looking for something more sinful, try adding a splash of dry sherry at the beginning of cooking and finish it off at the end with a drizzle of heavy cream.

Sex on toast.