218 Part II: Now You’re Cooking! Healthy and Hearty Dishes
Cooking Full-Flavor Vegetarian Burgers
Americans love their burgers! They eat an average of one to three burgers a
week, making it the most popular sandwich sold in the country. Burger is the
name given to a ground meat, fish, poultry, or vegetarian product that’s made
into a patty and typically served on a bun with condiments. The possible
combinations are endless, and no beef is needed to make a “meaty” burger
that can satisfy your burger desire.To grill or not to grill? It depends on the recipe. Grilling veggie burgers lends
grilled flavor to the burger. However, if the grill is too hot, your veggie burger
will quickly dry out, so low heat is the key. Coat the grill grates with nonstick
cooking spray to keep your veggie burger from sticking to them. Cooking
time varies depending on grill and patty thickness, but in general it’s close to
the time stated in each recipe.T Portobello Burger
Who doesn’t like a freshly made portobello burger? Many high-end restaurants have
them on the menu, but now you have the secret recipe to make your own. Mushrooms
have no fat and are low in calories and sodium, making them a perfect alternative to a
meat burger.
Stage: Regular foodsPreparation time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 20 minutesCooking time: 8 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (1 burger each)4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder(^1) ⁄ 4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns
Four 1-ounce slices low-fat cheddar cheese
4 tomato slices
4 romaine lettuce leaves
1 In a medium mixing bowl combine whole mushrooms caps, olive oil, garlic powder,
onion powder, salt, and balsamic vinegar and let marinate for 20 minutes.
2 Preheat the oven broiler on high. Remove mushrooms from the marinade and place on
an ungreased cookie sheet. Broil on the middle rack for 4 minutes. Turn mushrooms
over and broil an additional 4 minutes.