Give your Burger a Kick! Portabello "Bacon" Burger with Chipotle "Mayo"

Time to reinvent the ultimate American burger into a healthy vegan bite!  Portabello mushrooms are often considered "the steak of the vegetarian world".  It's a great savory substitution that has the texture of meat as well.

Plus, portabellas and button mushrooms are among the least expensive mushrooms that offer a firm meaty texture and hearty flavor to take the place of meat protein. Shrooms are also a nutritional powerhouse.  According to Wikipedia, eating mushrooms can help strengthen the immune system. Mushrooms are loaded with antioxidants and are low in calories. They are also fat-free and are a source of dietary fiber, B-vitamins, and various minerals.

Play around with your burger!  I added vegan bacon and a spicy chipotle mayo to give my burger a kick!  When you take a bite into this bad boy, any thoughts of meat will be tossed out the window.

The trick to making your portabello really resemble meat is in the seasoning!  My marinade consisted of a touch of evoo, soy sauce, balsamic, mesquite seasoning and liquid smoke.

If you have never used liquid smoke, you are missing out!  It's a gem in the vegan world!




Portabello "Bacon" Burger with Chipotle "Aoili"
Ingredients:
Portabello mushrooms, cleaned and destemmed
Vegan Bacon (I use Lightlife Smart Bacon)
Veganaise
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
ketchup
soy sauce
balsamic vinegar
mesquite seasoning
liquid smoke
evoo
lettuce
tomato
onion
bun

Directions:
Heat grill (or oven) to cook your mushrooms.  In meantime, marinade your mushrooms with evoo, soy sauce, balsamic, mesquite seasoning and liquid smoke.  Place on grill and cook for about 10 minutes or until tendor.  In a skillet, cook your fakin' bacon and toast your bun.

for the sauce:
blend the canned chipotle peppers (with the sauce), 2 tbsp ketchup and 2 tbsp veganaise