For as long as I can remember, I personally have had a love affair with the ‘Big Sur’ coastline in California, USA. The spectacular beauty of this rugged 145 km (90 mile) coastline, with the natural drama playing out between land and sea is breathtaking.
Over the years many of our vacations have either been in this area or it has made a fabulous ending to a long flight coming back from Europe, before returning home to Canada.
One of the special memories I have from this vicinity was the quaint little European-style village of Carmel-by-the-Sea, located about 190 km (120 miles) from San Francisco.
Some 30 years ago, actor Clint Eastwood, was elected mayor of Carmel for a two-year term. During that time he opened a restaurant/bar there called the ‘Hogs Breath Inn’. You had to enter it through a long , cobblestone alley corridor. The outdoor patio was nestled between the restaurant and the bar. A massive wall mural and numerous stone fireplaces all added tremendously to the wonderful ambiance. It was here that I first tasted a Portobello Mushroom Burger.
Every time Brion and I have returned to Carmel, we have made a point of eating lunch at the Hogs Breath Inn, just so I could taste that burger again. The Portobello mushroom seemed to have been marinated and then grilled on a barbecue. On top of it were some battered onion rings, lettuce and tomato. All of this came in a grilled Ciabatta bun with pickles and a side dish of your choice.
Of course, never having been someone who could just leave it at that, I had to see if I could push this idea just a bit further. Along came some more recipes for the ‘Stuffed Burger Series’. If you like these ingredients, I think you will really enjoy them.
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- 2 Tbsp butter,
- 2 leeks, finely chopped all of white & part of green
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 avocados, large, peeled & mashed
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 2 pieces sun-dried tomato, chopped fine
- 120 grams crabmeat
- 120 grams shrimpmeat
- 1/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing
- 30 grams Parmesan cheese
- 55 grams Asiago cheese, shredded
- 30 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 6 Portobello mushrooms, large
- 6 Ciabatta buns or your choice
- 200 grams (6 cups) fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup Aged cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes adjust to your taste
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Zesty Italian dressing for dipping mushroom caps
- 4 Portobello mushrooms, large
- 4 wholewheat buns of appropriate size
Ingredients
Seafood-Avocado Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Spinach-Cheese Portobello Mushroom Burgers
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- Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills. Remove stems, reserve for another use if desired. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add leek & garlic, & saute until tender. Remove from heat; cool.
- Gently combine mashed avocado with next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir into cooled leek mixture.
- Dip round side of mushroom caps into Italian dressing; drain slightly. Arrange rounded sides down in a foil baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly into mushroom caps; then top evenly with seafood/avocado mixture, pressing filling to compact slightly. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover & refrigerate if making in advance.)
- Preheat oven or barbecue to 350 F. Combine Asiago & mozzarella cheese; sprinkle mushrooms with cheese mixture. Place foil baking dish with mushrooms in oven or on barbecue. Bake until tender & filling begins to brown, about 35 minutes. If necessary, cover loosely with aluminum foil so tops don't burn. Serve on slightly grilled Ciabatta buns. Serves 6
- Remove brown gills & stems from mushrooms. Dip round side of mushroom caps in Italian dressing; arrange, rounded side down, in a foil baking pan. Preheat oven or barbecue grill to 400 F.
- Place spinach in a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle with a few drops of water & microwave on high for one minute. Chop cooked spinach; mix with cheddar & cottage cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Spread spinach mixture onto prepared mushroom caps.
- Bake in oven or on barbecue until mushrooms are tender, about 12 minutes. Nice served on slightly grilled wholewheat buns. Serves 4