Video: Grilled Portabella Burger

With Jane Ward

By the time January 2 arrives, we’ve all had one too many cups of eggnog and helpings of turkey gravy and, sure enough, clothes don’t fit like they did in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Gym owners will tell you that memberships skyrocket in January, their gyms full of people newly dedicated to shedding a few extra pounds or to helping their arteries get back to normal by amping up the cardiovascular exercise.

If this sounds like you, you can assist your efforts to get back on a healthy track by making a few menu changes as well. Instead of reaching for that favorite burger and fries, switch to a grilled Portobello mushroom burger topped with a generous helping of spicy slaw. No, it’s not the same as a beef patty, but a Portobello mushroom makes a pretty satisfying “burger” nonetheless. Giant, meaty-textured Portobellos make the perfect no-fat but all-flavor substitute for a hamburger.

Grill these mushrooms to a nice color and pliable texture, complement the barbecue profile with a smoky-sweet hoisin ketchup and fresh, crunchy Napa cabbage slaw, serve all this flavor on top of a hearty whole grain bun. As you work on getting back to healthier eating after the holidays, swap the fatty flavors for punchier, spicier ones. Swap the meat for meatless, if only once a week. I guarantee it can be a tasty change to make.

This video was filmed in the Doyon's Kitchen & Appliance Showroom at the Doyon's location in Gloucester, MA. You can obtain more information at their web site; www.doyonsappliance.com

Ingredients

For ketchup, blend together:

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
½ tablespoon ketchup
¾ teaspoon soy sauce
scant tablespoon sherry
¾ teaspoon rice vinegar

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

For slaw:

2 cups shredded napa cabbage
½ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup shredded radish
1 ½ tablespoons chopped chives

1. Toss together in a large bowl to blend. Make the dressing.

For dressing:

¼ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon mayo (regular or reduced fat)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, or to taste

1. Blend ingredients together in a small bowl or measuring cup.
2. Pour over slaw as necessary to coat and bind together without over-dressing.

Chill until ready to use.

For “burgers”:

2 large Portobello mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed
1 to 2 tablespoons grape seed, canola, or vegetable oil
salt, pepper
2 whole wheat or multigrain buns

Instructions

1. Brush the mushroom caps on both sides with a small amount of the oil. Grind some pepper on the mushroom tops. Let these sit for a minute while you heat a heavy skillet (or grill pan).
2. Add a couple of teaspoons of oil to the pan and heat well. The pan should just be glazed with the oil, enough to prevent sticking. When the pan is hot, place mushrooms top side down in the hot pan. Sear until browned on one side, turn to cook the other.
3. Cook until mushroom softens a bit and heats through. The finished mushroom should have a little give to it without being too soft or mushy.

Remove from heat and salt lightly if desired.

To assemble:

Place buns on plates. Divide ketchup between the bottoms halves of the buns, and place the mushroom on top of it, with the underneath side facing up like a cup. Top this cavity with some of the prepared slaw and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Jane Ward, www.foodandfiction.com, 2012.

Jane is the author of HUNGER (Forge, 2001) and THE MOSAIC ARTIST, and is currently at work on her third novel, THE WELCOME HOME. A former baker and caterer, Jane hosts a new video blog for an internet recipe resource, and regularly contributes articles to the online regional food magazine, Local In Season. Jane also blogs weekly about food, and is writing a cookbook/memoir entitled TATTOOED WITH FOOD based on the blog entries. From Food For Thought column: "Jane shows how ridiculously easy it is to make a loaf of ciabatta bread with a gutsy crackling crust that tastes like it was baked in a Tuscan panetteria. She teaches that the holes in ciabatta are specifically engineered to hold roasted peppers, pesto, gooey melted cheese, as it is the bread of bruschettas and picnic sandwiches. That purposely definitive crust holds everything inside, like a perfectly designed suitcase for foods, more than a sandwich."

Grilled Portabella Burger

With Jane Ward

Ingredients

Instructions

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