Recipe: Grilled portobello mushroom burgers

Dietitian's tip: The meaty-textured portobello mushroom is the perfect stand-in for a hamburger. One portobello mushroom has about 30 calories and no fat or cholesterol. By comparison, a 3-ounce hamburger patty has 235 calories, 16 grams of fat and 76 milligrams of cholesterol.

High fiber = at least 5 g of fiber per serving

Healthy carb = whole fruits & vegetables, at least 50% whole grains and no more than 1 tsp of sugar per serving

Low sodium = no more than 140 mg of sodium per serving

SERVES 4

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushroom caps, 5 inches in diameter
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole-wheat buns, toasted
4 slices tomato
4 slices red onion
2 bibb lettuce leaves, halved

Directions

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove their stems. Place in a glass dish, stem (gill) side up.

To prepare the marinade, in a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, cayenne pepper and olive oil. Drizzle the marinade over the mushrooms. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, turning mushrooms once.

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

Grill or broil the mushrooms on medium heat, turning often, until tender, about 5 minutes on each side. Baste with marinade to keep from drying out. Using tongs, transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

Place each mushroom on a bun and top with 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice and 1/2 lettuce leaf. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Analysis

(per serving)

Serving size: 1 portobello mushroom burger
Calories	283	Cholesterol	0 mg
Protein	8 g	Sodium	140 mg
Carbohydrate	46 g	Fiber	9 g
Total fat	9 g	Potassium	134 mg
Saturated fat	1 g	Calcium	203 mg
Monounsaturated fat	5 g