Ever since hearing Michael Pollan say that meat should be treated as a side dish rather than a main feature, I’ve tried to follow his mantra and take a quality over quantity approach. That means I try to limit the amount of meat I eat – sticking to just one meat-included meal a day – and splurge on grass-fed, organic, and/or local meat when the time comes. But how many veggie stirf-frys with tofu or salads can one person eat? Enter, the Portobello Mushroom burger. This is a super simple dish that is inexpensive to make, it’s a really healthy choice for dinner (think 30 calories and no fat or cholesterol compared to a 3-ounce hamburger patty with 235 calories, 16 grams of fat and 76 milligrams of cholesterol) and is filling and tasty enough to get a hamburger-loving-boyfriend to say that we should add it to our regular dinner rotation!
Serves 2
2 Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
Splash of olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
Salt and pepper
2 whole-wheat buns, toasted (I also use the whole grain sandwich flats from Whole Foods)
Handful of mixed greens
Dijon mustard
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
Clean mushrooms, pat dry with a paper towel, then place in a glass dish with their “gills” facing up. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, garlic, rosemary and pepper then drizzle over the mushrooms. Let sit for about 30 minutes, turning once or twice, to evenly coat.
Meanwhile, toss onions with olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Heat grill pan (or sauté pan) and cook onions until soft, about 10 minutes. Set onions aside.
In hot grill pan, add a bit more olive oil then place mushrooms in the pan. Grill about 5 minutes on each side, turning frequently, and slowly pour any excess marinade on top of the mushrooms so they don’t dry out.
Assemble your burger. I’m partial to the grilled onions/avocado/mixed greens combo but experiment with your favorite burger condiments! These are great served with Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potatoes.
{ 1 comment }
Oh yum! Those might have to go into the rotation!
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