Italian Inspired Portobello Burgers

why did the mushroom get invited to the party?
'cuz he's a fungi!

Okay, I know that was bad, but I remember that joke from when I was a kid. Anyway, I've mentioned in one of my past posts that I'm a vegetarian (I do eat seafood and some chicken). So, I eat a lot of portobello burgers in the summer. One way I jazz them up is by marinating them. They are like little sponges and will soak it up!

Balsamic vinegar is the perfect base to build a marinade for portobello burgers. It's fruity and a little sweet. It balances nicely with the earthiness of the mushroom. Also, balsamic is innately Italian, so what's better than adding more complementary flavors, such as roasted red pepper, basil, and smoked mozzarella cheese? Nothing! If you have a vegetarian coming to your next cookout offer to make them one of these burgers. I'm sure they will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Here's how to make them...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Burgers
3 T Balsamic Vinegar
2 T Brown Sugar
1 T Dried Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Portobello Mushroom Caps, stems removed
4 Slices Smoked Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 C Mayo
4 Whole Wheat Buns
4 Slices Red Onion
4 Slices Roasted Red Pepper
1 Large Tomato, sliced
12 Fresh Basil Leaves

Directions

Begin by making the marinade: In a baking dish large enough for the mushrooms, combine the balsamic, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and peppers. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Place the mushrooms into the marinade, coating both sides really well. Cover and marinate (at room temperature) for up to 2 hours.

Grill the mushrooms: Preheat a grill to med-high heat. Remove the mushrooms from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off. Do not discard the marinade. Place the mushrooms on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Place the cheese on each portobello (suggest gill side) and cook 2 more minutes. Remove and rest.

As the mushrooms cook, make the mayo: Combine 2 T of the marinade and the mayo in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. Also prepare the toppings.


Finally, build the burger: On the bottom bun, spread 1-2 T of the mayo. Top with the portobello, a slice of red onion, a slice of roasted red pepper, a slice or two of tomato, and 3 basil leaves. Make the other burgers and serve immediately with your favorite summer salad. Enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers

beans, beans, they're good for your heart...

I have yet to discuss this on my blog, I'm not sure I even need to because it's probably obvious, but I don't eat a lot of meat. My husband and I eat a diet of mostly fruits, veggies, and legumes. We do enjoy seafood and at times chicken. But, you won't find me using pork or beef...if you do, it's from a family recipe or restaurant remake. I've found eating less meat has made me more creative with my cooking and has allowed me to try new things.

Now that summer is winding down and you've had the same old burgers and dogs at every cookout, perhaps it's time to try something new too. My black bean burgers are a nice change up and need to be cooked in a skillet. You can do that on the grill or stove top, so they seem perfect for this time of year. Make these for dinner tonight, here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Large Patties
2, 15oz. Cans Low Sodium Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1/4C Yellow Onion, roughly chopped
1 Clove Garlic, roughly chopped
1 Egg
1T Worcestershire Sauce
1T Cumin
1T Chili Powder
1/2tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4tsp. Black Pepper
1/2C Bread Crumbs
Jalapeno, seeded & minced
2T Cilantro, chopped
4 Burger Buns
Optional Toppings: Salsa, Tomato, Lettuce, Cilantro, Chipotle Mayo, Avocado, Mexican Blend Cheese, etc.

Directions
In a food processor, pulse half the black beans, onion, garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until combined. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the remaining black beans, bread crumbs, jalapeno, and cilantro.

Divide the mixture into 4 quadrants, scoop out, and make loose patties. They will be sticky, but should stay together, if not add a bit more bread crumbs. Put the patties on a plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Bring a large cast iron pan to med-high heat. Add enough oil just to coat the bottom of the pan then add the patties. Reform as needed and cook for 5-6 minutes on the first side, undisturbed. Carefully flip them and continue cooking on the second side for 5-6 minutes. If adding cheese, do this about 1 minute before the burgers are done and tent the pan with foil to melt. Toast the burger buns under the broiler.

Serve the burgers on toasted buns with assorted toppings. We used tomatillo salsa, tomatoes, cilantro, and Mexican blend cheese. The more you eat these the more you know, you'll, fart, the more you fart the better you feel, so let's eat beans for every meal...had to finish the rhyme. :) Enjoy!

Chelsea Market Sandwich & Chips

fresh from the farm

 

For me, one of the best places we visited was Chelsea Market. Home to the Food Network NY headquarters. I know many people are upset about how they dropped Paula Deen recently, but I'm not going to get into that here. I still have respect for both the network and Paula. On with the visit! Steven and I milled around Chelsea Market for the good part our Tuesday morning. We bought some great spice blends, a wasabi snack mix, a jute bag, and of course lunch.

We went to the iconic Friedman's Lunch and each enjoyed a sandwich and chips. I had the most delicious vegetable sandwich! It was piled high with cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, bell pepper, avocado, and more. My version is very similar and packs on veggies from our local farmers market in Hyde Park. Visit yours and make this yummy sandwich for lunch or dinner. Here's how...

Recipe - Serves 2 (easily double, triple, you get the idea)
1 Red Bell Pepper, roasted
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Large Tomato, sliced
Alfalfa Sprouts
1/2 Avocado, sliced
Hummus, any variety
4 Slices Bakery Bread (suggest Blue Oven)

Directions
Begin by making the roasted red pepper. You can purchase jarred peppers, but they are never as good and it takes no time to roast a fresh one. Preheat the broiler to high and move your oven rack up to the top spot. Remove the top and bottom portions of the pepper, cut out the seeds/ribs, and then slice the pepper in half.

 

On a foil lined baking sheet press the pepper down so that it is flat (the inside of the pepper should be on the baking sheet). Broil the pepper for 5-8 minutes or until charred. Remove the pepper to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the pepper to steam for 10 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bowl and peel off the charred skin, discard. Slice the pepper to fit the bread.

Assemble the sandwiches: building from the bottom up, put about 2T hummus on the bottom slice of bread, top with half the roasted red pepper, cucumber, red onion, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, half the avocado, and finally the top slice of bread. The sandwich should be piled high with veggies. Serve with your favorite chips and enjoy!

Pear & Brie Sliders

brie en croute style sliders

One of my most favorite appetizers is brie en croute. My sister is notorious for bringing it to parties. The beautiful flaky crust is filled with melty tangy brie and often paired with cranberries or apples to create a sweet, buttery flavor. I though it would be fun to play off this usual suspect to create a slider worthy enough to hold the title of lunch or dinner item. You be the judge, make them tonight, here's how...

Recipe - Serves 4 (2 sliders each)
3C Yellow Onions (2 large), thinly sliced
1T Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
2 Ripe Bosc (brown) Pears, thinly sliced
1/2lb. Brie, sliced
8 KING’S HAWAIIAN Dinner Rolls, cut in half
8 Slices Deli Ham (optional)

Directions
Begin by making the caramelized onions: heat a skillet over medium, add the olive oil and thinly sliced yellow onions. Allow the onions to cook for 40-50 minutes. Stir them only occasionally. The longer the onions sit undisturbed, the more they will caramelize. After the onions are done add a 1/2tsp. salt.

While the onions caramelize preheat the broiler to high (move your rack up to the second slot from the top) and prepare your sandwich toppings. Place the rolls, cut side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Slice the pears and cheese to fit the rolls. I suggest cutting the pears and cheese no thicker than a 1/4in. I found that 4 thin slices of pear and 2 slices of brie worked best. Also, it's okay if the toppings hang over the sides a little.

Assemble and bake the sandwiches: put 1-2T of the caramelized onions on the bottom buns, top with the ham (if using), then the pears, and finally the brie. Leave the tops cut side up on the tray and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese melts and the tops are browned. Press the tops onto the sliders and serve warm. Enjoy!

Asparagus Sandwiches with Smokey Chipotle Sauce

an asparagus sandwich that will please even a meat-eater

 Steven and I had dinner at our friend's Chris and Karrie's house a while back and they served us these yummy sandwiches. The tangy sauce pairs so well with the fresh asparagus. And, the ciabatta roll provides the crunch that this sandwich definitely needs.

I recently asked Karrie for this recipe as I was thinking about this post. I just couldn't think of anything better for a main course. Little did I know, the recipe is from Food & Wine. Karrie sent me the direct link for their version and you can view that here. I've made the dressing almost exactly the same, but prepared my asparagus in a different fashion and topped only with Pecorino Romano cheese.

Recipe - Serves 4
Sauce
1/4C Ketchup
1/4C Mayo
2T Sherry Vinegar
2T Dijon Mustard
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1-2 Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce, depending on heat level

Sandwiches
2lbs. Asparagus, washed and trimmed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling
Salt & Pepper
4 Ciabatta Rolls, approx. 7 in. long
1/4C Pecorino Romano Cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Begin by making the smokey chipotle sauce. Combine the ketchup, mayo, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and chile(s) in a small blender or food processor. Blend everything until smooth and put into a small bowl. Set aside.

Next, put the washed and trimmed asparagus on a large sheet tray. Be sure they can lay in a single layer. Drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (approx. a teaspoon of each). Rub the oil, salt, and pepper all over the asparagus to be sure everything is coated well. Place the asparagus into the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes, or until crisp tender and bright green.

After the asparagus roasts, turn the oven to broil and toast the ciabatta rolls.

Build the sandwiches: slather sauce on either side of the toasted ciabatta roll, top the bottom bun with asparagus and Pecorino Romano cheese, cover with the top, and slice in half.

I served our sandwiches with mac and cheese. It just felt like the appropriate side for such a hearty non-meat sandwich. Enjoy!