RECIPE: Vegetarian Burger Idea for the 4th of July!

This is a great meatless burger alternative for the 4th of July!. You will notice that this recipe is meat-free and I promise you, you will not miss it. This recipe serves 4.

 PESTO MAYO

• 1/2 cup of Veganaise or mayonnaise
• 1 cup of fresh spinach ( I use the pre-packaged salad spinach)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans
• A pinch of pepper
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder

Place the spinach and pecans in a food processor and pulse them until all of the spinach is broken down into little bits. Add the mayonnaise, pepper, and garlic powder and mix thoroughly, but do not over mix--it should not be soupy. Place the mayonnaise in a bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

BURGER INGREDIENTS

• 2 large portobello mushrooms
• 1 small jar of roasted red peppers
• 1 large red onion
• 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of pepper
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• goat cheese or your favorite vegan cheese. Daiya provolone would work great.

In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper together until the ingredients are well combined.

Slice the  portobello mushrooms relatively thick (about 1/4 inch), remove the gills gently with a spoon,  and toss them into the marinade. Using your hands, make sure that every mushroom slice is coated. Cover the bowl with a paper towel and let them sit on the counter while you prepare the caramelized onions.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Slice off the top of your red onion then cut the onion in half , peel and slice into half moons.The thinner you slice the onions the quicker they will cook. However, I have found that if you keep your slices to about 1/4 inch in thickness, they are less stringy and more appealing.

Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a large saute pan on medium heat (I like to use my Le Creuset pan). Once the olive oil is well heated, place the onions in the pan and toss them so they have an even coating of olive oil. Make sure to spread them out so they all have contact with the pan. Do not have your heat on too high or they will burn.

As the onions cook. add a couple of pinches of salt. This will draw out the moisture. Also, add a pinch of pepper and a tiny pinch of brown sugar.

Be patient with the onions as there is no quick way to make caramelized onions. Stir occasionally until the onions are a golden color. You will notice that the onions will leave a bit of a dark coating on the bottom of the pan. This is ok as long as the onions are not burning. This process takes about 30 minutes.

Once the onions are done, scoop them out of the pan and place them in a bowl and set aside.

COOK THE SHROOMS

Now it is time to cook the mushrooms! Place them in the same pan as you cooked the onions on medium heat. You will notice that the balsamic vinegar will deglaze the pan a bit. Spread the mushrooms out so that they all have contact with the pan.

Try not to turn them too much so the mushrooms will get that nice golden color on them. Cook the mushrooms for about 8 -10 minutes.

ASSEMBLING THE BURGERS

Toast 4 large crusty buns with butter under the broiler until lightly toasted. Don't forget them!!

Once the buns are toasted, spread some pesto mayo on the bottom side of the bun top. On the other half, lay down slices of the roasted red peppers. (Make sure they are well drained and patted dry or you will have a soggy burger.)

Next, place some of the caramelized onions and mushrooms. The amount will depend on your liking.

Before you close the burger, top it off with about 1 tablespoon of crumbled goat cheese. 

Close the burger up and serve with some oven fries or a side salad--ENJOY!

Products I Used

• Whole Foods brand Goat Cheese crumbles
• Vegenaise vegan mayonnaise