Get Cooking_ 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen - Mollie Katzen [64]
One teaspoon of chili powder added to the batter will give these burgers a nice hit of heat.
Add a teaspoon of soy sauce to the batter for a meatier flavor.
A handful of minced cilantro mixed into the batter will freshen up the flavor.
Top with shredded jack or Cheddar cheese while the second side is cooking.
Serve on a toasted soft roll with mayonnaise, minced cilantro, salsa, lettuce, and tomato.
Serve open-face on a warmed corn or flour tortilla, topped with guacamole (store-bought or homemade—see Chapter 8: Party Snacks) or avocado slices, sour cream, salsa, and a scattering of cilantro leaves, with tortilla chips on the side. You can also crumble on some queso fresco (a crumbly white Mexican cheese) or goat cheese.
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portobello faux burgers
Makes 4 “burgers”
Portobello mushrooms are about as meaty as the vegetable kingdom gets, and their shape, size, texture, and flavor make them a perfect natural burger alternative. These are cooked under the broiler, making them super-easy. Just keep an eye on them as they broil, so the tops don’t burn. The secret of their greatness is all in the marinade—a bold mixture of balsamic vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. You might think that, like a sponge, the mushrooms would plump up as they absorb it, but surprisingly, the salt drains out some of their moisture, causing them to shrink and firm up a bit as they take on more and more flavor. An hour of marinating is a must, but the longer the better. I once let them soak for an entire week, and they were amazingly flavorful. So if you like, you can marinate a batch and cook one or two mushrooms at a time over the course of a few meals, leaving the uncooked ones to bathe in the marinade.
This recipe is vegan.
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1½ teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium-sized cloves)
½ teaspoon dried rosemary, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (4 to 5 inches in diameter)
1. In a small bowl, or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper; whisk or shake to combine.
2. Carefully (so as not to tear the mushroom caps) pull off and discard the mushroom stems. Place the mushroom caps in a large flat dish (a medium-sized baking pan will work well) with their tops facing up. Pour about a tablespoon of the marinade over each top to cover them. Turn the mushrooms over and divide the rest of the marinade evenly among them. Let the mushrooms sit at room temperature for at least an hour, or cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Shortly before serving time, preheat the boiler.
4. Lift the mushrooms out of their marinating dish (leave the marinade behind) and without turning them over, transfer them to a foil-lined ovenproof dish or rimmed baking tray. Broil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms are heated through and the tops are nicely browned. (You don’t need to flip them.) Serve right away.
GET CREATIVE
About halfway through the broiling process, sprinkle the tops with a little grated mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese, and then continue broiling until the cheese melts and turns a light golden brown.
Instead of broiling, you can cook the mushrooms in the microwave. This will take only about 1 minute. The flavor will be less toasty and intense, and the texture will be moist, but they’ll still be very good.
You can serve these just like burgers—on toasted buns or soft rolls with lettuce, tomato, and the classic toppings.
Leftover broiled mushrooms make a great room-temperature sandwich for tomorrow’s bag lunch.
Top with a thick slice of red onion, also broiled or seared quickly on both sides in a little olive oil in a skillet over very high heat.
spice-crusted tofu cutlets
Makes 4 cutlets
Unlike packaged tofu burgers, which are often a mysterious mélange of beige ingredients, these