Portobello Burger!

By Susan Arruda

YIELD: 4 burgers

INGREDIENTS

4 large Portobello mushrooms caps, washed
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp. finely chopped/minced sun-dried tomatoes
1 tbsp. finely chopped green onions
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, partly skimmed

OPTIONAL:

add 1 tsp. of chili pepper flakes or chopped fresh hot pepper for some heat

4 Whole wheat buns of choice
 

PREPARATION

Place the mushrooms in a large Ziploc bag.

Add all the listed ingredients into the bag.

Allow the mushrooms to sit and marinate with the dressing for 15 minutes.
(Don’t leave them longer than 30 minutes to avoid them going soggy.)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

For BARBECUE/GRILL instructions, preheat to high heat.

Brush the grill with oil and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.

Make sure the cap side of the mushroom is up and top with the green onions and sun-dried tomatoes from the marinade.
(any left over marinade can be poured over a salad as a dressing)

Add about ¼ cup mozzarella cheese to each Portobello mushroom.  Continue to grill for an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

For OVEN instructions, preheat oven to 350 oF.

Place the Portobellos on a perforated piece of foil (shiny side up; pierce with a fork throughout).

Cook for 10 mins. on one side. Flip and cook for 10 minutes on the other side.

Sprinkle with the sun-dried tomatoes and green onions (from the marinade) and ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese on each Portobello, crown side up, and cook for approx. another 5 minutes, until cheese is thoroughly melted and just beginning to brown.

Serve on a bun with toppings of choice or serve as an appetizer and omit the bread.

One cup of sliced Portobello mushrooms, approximately 121 g, makes up a single serving and has only 42 calories.  Portobello mushrooms are rich in the minerals: selenium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, calcium and zinc. They also contain the vitamins pantothenic acid, folate, choline, vitamin B6 and thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, and the nutrient betaine.  

The nutrition information below does not include the bread.