I hope everyone had a very nice holiday! I unintentionally took last week off from blogging because just like the rest of the world, I was way too busy getting ready for the holidays and attending holiday-related events to write blog posts. It’s also been harder to take pictures of the foods I make for dinner because it gets dark so early and the lighting is terrible. Mostly, I’ve been limited to the weekends and the weekends are always busier than I plan. BUT, I just got some new photography lights for Christmas that will hopefully help me with my lighting problem, AND I have a few days off from work so I’m really hoping to get ahead with posts. TMI probably, but I feel like if I write it down I have to find a way to make it happen.
THAT BEING SAID, my husband gifted me with the Isa Does It cookbook and I am obsessed with it already. It has SO many amazing-looking Vegan recipes that are made with easily accessible ingredients. Isa is a culinary genius. I already have a list of about 20 things that I want to make this month from her book. I made her Korean BBQ Portobello Burgers for dinner tonight and I LOVED them. The mushroom is soaked in a sweet, spicy, and smokey marinade and then broiled to perfection. It’s placed on a bun and topped with tangy kimchi and creamy mayo. I halved her recipe to make 2 servings and it worked out great. I served the burgers with baked sweet potato fries. DON’T SKIP THE KIMCHI in this recipe. It adds so much texture and a real depth of flavor to the burgers. If you’ve never had it before-you’re in for a treat! Kimchi is basically fermented cabbage that is combined with spices like garlic and chili peppers. Fermented foods are SO good for you. Kimchi (and other fermented foods) contains probiotics that aid in digestion and fight off infections. Kimchi can also help lower your blood pressure, promote healthy skin and hair, detoxify your liver, small intestine, and kidneys, and boost your immune system. So, kimchi is a great addition to these burgers and definitely should not be left out—both for taste and nutrition. No need to go to a special store for kimchi- I buy it in the produce section of my regular grocery store. ENJOY!
Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the Portobello Burgers:
1 cup water ¼ cup molasses ¼ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup tomato paste ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce ¼ cup white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons liquid smoke 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons sriracha 1 teaspoon onion powder 2 cloves garlic, minced
4 portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed
For Serving: 4 Kaiser rolls 4 tablespoons mayo (vegan or regular)
1 cup kimchi
Directions: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large, shallow bowl. Mix well. Marinate the mushroom caps for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Preheat broiler to high. Cover a baking sheet with nonstick foil (or spray with cooking spray). Arrange the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat. Place each mushroom cap gill side up on the baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes on each side. Spoon some marinade over the mushrooms after flipping.
To assemble, spread the bun with a little mayo. Place burger on bun and top with kimchi.
Nutrition Information per serving (1 portobello burger with 1/4 cup kimchi, 1 tablespoon mayo on a kaiser roll):
Calories: 424 Fat: 14g Carbs: 67g Protein: 8g Sodium: 1341mg Sugar: 28g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
Source: slightly adapted from the Isa Does It cookbook **HIGHLY recommend this cookbook
