Mmmmarvelous Mmmmushroom Burgers

I found an incredibly simple recipe for Portobello Mushroom Burgers on the website http://www.allrecipes.com/. Portobellos are SO meaty you really forget you’re not eating meat at all. Another great recipe to use to reduce the amount of animal protein in your diet.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers
4 portobella mushroom caps
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the mushroom caps, smooth side up, in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the mushrooms. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or so, turning twice.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Brush grate with oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, reserving marinade for basting. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until tender. Brush with marinade frequently.

For side dishes I served mixed greens with leftover dressing from Sunday night (see blog for salad dressing recipe) and a Chickpea and Cherry Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing. I was lucky enough that someone gave me a whack of cherry tomatoes from their garden just that morning so took the liberty of enjoying their freshness right away.

Chickpea and Cherry Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing
(recipe from Clean Food by Terry Walters with some modifications)
2 pounds cherry tomatoes
3 cups cooked chickpeas*
4-5 scallions, chopped

Dressing:
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 large bunch cilantro (about 1 cup)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut tomatoes in half and place in large bowl with chickpeas and scallions.

Put all dressing ingredients in a jar and process with an immersion/stick blender.

Pour dressing over salad, toss to coat, and serve.

*This is when it’s handy to have cooked chickpeas that you’ve cooked up a large batch, portioned, and put in your freezer – or use canned.