Portobello Mushroom With Grilled Feta Burger

Here is a great meatless burger that non-vegetarians will also enjoy. This burger is first marinated with balsamic vinegar, basil, rosemary and garlic, then grilled, then a slice of grilled feta cheese is placed on top to make this burger really flavourful.

Portobello (also spelled portabella or portabello) mushrooms are brown crimini mushroom left to grow to reach 4-6 inches in diameter. Like other mushrooms they absorb flavor from marinade really well.

I got this recipe from a friend at work (thanks Kim!), and I thought this would be a great recipe to share.

Ingredients
-portobello mushroom caps (try to find caps about the same size as your bun -there will be a bit of shrinkage when cooked)
-feta cheese(not the little cubes packed in oil but a block of the cheese)
-hamburger bun
-toppings for your bun such as mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, whatever you wish

marinade
(this is for 2 servings)
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste (you don't need to add very much salt since feta cheese can be
quite salty)

Equipment/ kitchen utensils
-grill or BBQ
-cutting board
-knife
-measuring spoons
-spatula
-basting brush
-aluminum foil or parchment paper
-shallow bowl
-spoon

Prepare mushroom
a)Clean mushroom caps with nylon brush (mushroom scrubber), or if you don't have one, wipe the tops with a damp cloth.
b)cut off stem with knife.

Prepare marinade
To a shallow bowl add:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of each of dried basil and dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
2-3 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir to mix.

Place mushroom in bowl for a minimum of 15 minutes to marinate, flipping the mushroom over at least twice. As you can see from my pictures the mushroom is not entirely submersed in the marinade, that is why its important to flip it over. I usually marinade my mushrooms an hour or two before I start making dinner.

note: after marinating the mushroom, do not throw out marinade, you will need it later.

Preheat grill or BBQ.

Prepare cheese
a)Cut a slice of cheese, not too thin
b)place on parchment paper or aluminum foil and wrap tightly. If you are using a BBQ aluminum foil is probably better.

Start grilling
Place mushroom and packet with cheese on grill. They conveniently take about the same amount of time to cook.
Dab some left over marinade on mushroom with basting brush.
Grill for about 5-8 minutes. The longer the mushroom is cooked the meatier (in terms of texture) it gets.
Flip over and dab on more marinade and grill for another 5-8 minutes (there is no need to flip cheese over).

While your mushroom and cheese are grilling you can prepare your bun and toppings.
You can toast bun and add a spread like mayonnaise, butter, margarine, or cream cheese(which is what I used). Add your vegetables; lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, pickles, pepper, or whatever suits your fancy.

Remove mushroom from grill and place on bun.
Remove cheese packet from grill, unwrap (careful its hot!), and place on burger.
Add top of bun and serve with your favorite side dishes.
Enjoy!