Portabella Mushroom Burger, are you sure it ain't meat?

The portabella mushroom burger (or portobello mushroom burger) is a quite delicious and exquisite take on the hamburger.

A portobello mushroom is a mature brown or button mushroom. The cap has opened and flattened resulting in a mushroom with a large flat cap resembling an umbrella.

Picture of a really large portobello mushroom. Photo by Chameleon found at Wikimedia Commons.

The cap is thick and fleshy. When grilled, it exudes a wonderful smoky aroma and a tender chewy texture which resembles meat.

It is frequently stuffed because of the large cap but it works equally well in-between bread. Here's a nice burger recipe:

Ingredients
4 portobello mushrooms
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Roasted red peppers
4 cups of salad greens
4 generous slices of cheese
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 round bread rolls

1. Remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and clean them by scrapping off the gills and gently wiping the caps with a damp cloth or kitchen towel
2. Mix the basil pesto and the mayonnaise together
3. Heat up the grill or skillet and oil it lightly with cooking oil or butter
4. Cut the bread rolls halves and place each half cut side down onto the grill and toast them lightly.
5. Spread the basil and mayonnaise mix on the sides of rolls that were grilled.
6. Brush the mushrooms on both sides with the olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Rub a little if you want.
7. Place the mushrooms onto the grill and cook till tender. Turn them over and grill the other side.
8. When the mushrooms are cooked through and tender, place a slice of cheese over the mushroom.
9. When the cheese has melted slightly, remove the mushrooms and place one on each grilled roll
10. Layer with the roasted red peppers and salad greens.
11. Cover with the other half of the roll and serve hot.

Recipe link: Portabella mushroom burger

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