Portobello Burgers with Roasted Pepper Paste and Smoked Mozzarella
This is a vegetarian menu that is super fun and sure to please meat eaters and vegetarians, alike. For a complete meal, serve with Tomato, Onion and Cucumber Salad and Pasta Salad with Ricotta Salata and Broccolini.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar (3 splashes)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (about 2 tablespoons), leaves stripped and chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 4 large portobello mushroom caps
- 2 teaspoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick brand Montreal Steak Seasoning or 1 teaspoon combined coarse salt and pepper
- 1/2 pound fresh smoked mozzarella, sliced
Roasted Pepper Paste:
- 1 jar roasted peppers (14 ounces), drained
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves
- 1 large clove garlic, cracked away from skin
- Salt and pepper
- 4 large crusty rolls, split
Suggested toppings:
- Whole baby spinach leaves
- Thinly sliced red onions
Preparation
Combine first four ingredients in the bottom of a large sealable plastic bag. Add mushroom caps, seal bag and shake bag to coat caps, then let the mushrooms marinate for 15 minutes.
Grill mushrooms on an indoor electric grill, starting with caps down, turning to caps up, 6 minutes on each side. You can also pan fry in large nonstick skillet for the same amount of time. As they cook, season caps on each side with grill seasoning or a little salt and pepper. Melt the smoked cheese over mushroom caps in the last minute of grill time.
To make the pepper paste, combine the roasted peppers, EVOO, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in food processor and pulse grind into a thick sauce.
To serve, place the grilled mushroom caps topped with melted cheese on the bun bottoms. Top with spinach and onion. Spread bun tops with roasted pepper paste.
