Cow-less (and grill-less) BBQ

When leafing through the pages of the summer issues of food magazines, we are often bombarded with grilling recipes. While the grill lends a delicious smokiness to meats and veggies that is often irreplaceable, I don’t feel that the apartment-dwellers (or those who can’t afford grills) should be left without options this summer.

In this meal, your burger is replaced with a thick Portobello mushroom, and the same old mayo-ketchup combo is replaced with a flavorful red-pepper tapenade.

Portoburger

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Portobello mushroom, stem removed
• Salt, pepper

Method

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

Mix soy sauce and olive oil in a shallow bowl and dip mushroom. Generously season with salt and pepper.

When skillet is extremely hot, add Portobello. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes, and don’t be afraid of a little color, it means flavor!

Eat the portoburger on a whole-wheat bun (or English muffin) with the tapenade (see below) and your favorite burger toppings. I eat mine with spinach, mustard, and a generous portion of Sriracha.

Serves 1

Red Pepper Tapenade

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Method

Chop olives, dice and seed bell pepper, and chop garlic. Add all prepped vegetables to the blender (or food processor) with the seasonings, omitting salt due to the saltiness of the olives. Pulse a few times, and then add olive oil. Blend until mixture is a thick paste, add more seasonings if needed.

Top burger with tapenade, or use as a dip for crackers or other vegetables.