Vegan Grilled Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Burgers With Spicy Red Pepper Hummus And Watercress On Sprouted Whole Grain Buns

Place on large dish and brush rosemary marinade on both sides.

Portobell0s on the grill - you can also broil them in the oven.

Portobello Mushrooms, a Great Meat Alternative

Eating less meat or giving it up completely doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good burger! I can write about how much riboflavin, selenium and other key nutrients these wonderful mushrooms contain or what a good source of protein and fiber they are but one of their most important attributes is simply this: THEY TASTE LIKE MEAT! So if you are looking for a natural meat alternative that is free of highly processed wheat gluten or soy protein isolate, look no further.

This delicious portobello burger recipe also includes spicy garbanzo hummus, a complete protein. It's pretty easy to make but feel free to use a ready-made hummus from your local grocery if you are in a pinch for time. Throw this on a sprouted whole grain bun with your favorite sprouts or watercress and you may have the tastiest and healthiest burger in the world! And, it by-passed the factory farms and its production didn't generate any greenhouse gas. Life is good.

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Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger with Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

[makes 4 burgers and 2 cups of hummus]

For the marinade and burger

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems carefully removed

For the hummus

One 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained (1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounce jar)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

The rest

4 sprouted whole grain buns

1 cup watercress or sprouts

To make the marinade, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, black pepper, garlic powder and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Carefully remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and clean with a damp paper towel. Place the mushrooms in a large casserole dish or plate and slowly brush the marinade on both sides. Set aside.

To make the hummus, rinse the roasted red peppers well, removing any seeds or blackened skin. Combine garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, roasted red peppers, cayenne and salt in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides. This will make more than you need for the burgers.

Cook the marinated portobellos on a hot grill for about 10 minutes turning a few times. You can also broil in the oven or cook on an electric panini maker or George Foreman grill. If you'd like, brush a little olive oil on the buns and throw on the grill until lightly toasted.

To assemble the burger, place 1/4 cup of spicy hummus on the top half of the bun and 1/4 cup of watercress or sprouts on the bottom half of the bun. For additional flavor, you could put additional dijon on the bottom side of the bun under the watercress. Place the cooked portobello mushroom on the watercress and serve immediately.

Per burger with bun, watercress and 1/4 cup hummus: 351.5 calories, 15.5 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 15.7 g protein, 44.2 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g fiber.

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