Portabello Mushroom Burger

My health-kick is still going strong, and I’ve noticed a stark improvement in my mood from eating healthier. When cooking meals, I’ve been searching for alternatives to ingredients I’d normally opt for, that are healthy and full of protein, fibre and good fats. I absolutely love burgers, my boyfriend and I have a huge obsession with them, but they can be so calorific. As a result, I decided a good alternative was to go for a healthy vegetarian option without meat. No, I don’t mean a Quorn burger – no thank you. Instead I’ve been substituting a burger for a portabello mushroom and it tastes divine.

The Benefits of Mushrooms

Mushroom’s contain vitamin D – a vitamin essential for healthy bones and teeth, whilst also helping your skin to produce a radiant glow. They also contain zinc which prevents you from producing too much oil on the skin, again, aiding your complexion and reducing the chance of spots forming. I have heard multiple times that peeling the skin off of a mushroom makes it better for you, however this is nothing more than an old wives tale. The mushroom ‘skin’ is actually where many of the nutrients are concentrated so it’s best to be left alone so you can reap the nutritional benefits.

Recipe

Prep time – 20 minutes | Cooking time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 portabello mushrooms, stems removed
• Coconut oil, for brushing
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp coconut palm sugar
• large handful of rocket
• 4 gherkins, sliced in half
• 4 burger buns, whatever you fancy (whole-wheat, white, gluten-free)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7 (fan)
2. For the sauce, brush the red pepper slices with coconut oil and roast on a baking sheet for 10 minutes – once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes
3. Brush the mushrooms with coconut oil and fry in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes, remove once browned and soft
4. Add the thinly sliced onion to the same pan and cook for 5 minutes, until soft
5. Then add the coconut palm sugar and stir in the pan until its dissolved and the onion caramelises – once done, remove from the heat
6. Once the red pepper has cooled, add them to a food processor or blender, along with the rest of the ingredients, and blend until smooth
7. Lay your roasted mushrooms on the buns and spoon the red pepper sauce on top (for me, the more the better)
8. Top each burger with equal amounts of camamelised onion, gherkin and rocket
9. Finish by toasting the top half of the buns, and serve

 Enjoy!

With love,

Victoria

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