Smoky Portabella Burger With Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil

By Starrynews

• 2 large portabella mushroom caps
• 4 -6 slices sun-dried tomatoes, depending on size
• 2 slices smoked gouda cheese or 2 slices smoked mozzarella cheese or 2 slices smoked cheddar cheese
• 2 hamburger buns
• 4 -6 basil leaves, depending on size

To Make:

1. Remove mushroom stems and wipe down with a damp cloth.
2. Place on heated grill with gill-side down and grill for 10 minutes.
3. Flip and grill for an additional 10 minutes.
4. Place sun-dried tomatoes on the gill-side of the mushroom.
5. Top with cheese and let grill until cheese is melty, about 2-3 minutes.
6. At the same time, toast hamburger buns on grill, flipping once. They should be done about the same time as the melting cheese.
7. Place one mushroom on each bun and top with basil before enjoying!

Vegetarian Feta Club Burger with coriander-avocado pesto, slow dried tomatoes, olive Mayo

• 1 onion, firmly chopped
• 120g feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 125g fresh white bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour)
• 1 large egg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable or sunflower oil for cooking

Toppings:

• 12 thin slices of sour dough bread
• 50g Iceberg lettuce leaves
• 50g rocket leaves
• SlowDried Tomatoes 
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled, sliced 
• OliveMayonnaise  
• Coriander-AvocadoPesto

To Make:

1. Place the onion in a bowl; add the crumbled feta, mint, breadcrumbs, and chickpea flour. Add the egg, season to taste and bind together with wet hands. Chill the mix for 30 minutes, then shape into 8 small, fairly flat burgers.

2. Heat a film of oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the burgers and fry gently for 3-4 minutes on each side, remove and keep them warm.

3. Take 4 slices of the sour dough bread, and spread liberally with the Olive Mayonnaise.  Top each with some iceberg and lettuce leaves, followed by a burger.

4. Top with Slow Dried Tomatoes, a layer of sliced egg, then a good dollop of the Coriander-Avocado Pesto

5. Top with a second slice of bread and repeat the layers again.

6. Finish with the last slice of bread, then press gently down to compress the filling within. Cut into 2 halves diagonally.

Slow-Dried Tomatoes

8 ripe, firm, Plum tomatoes, cut in half horizontally

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbsp thyme leaves, picked fresh

½ tsp caster sugar

60ml olive oil

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Make:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C or Gas 6. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, cut side up. Scatter over. then rub on. the garlic, thyme leaves, sugar, salt and pepper.

2. Drizzle the olive oil over the spiced tomatoes.

3. Place in the oven to bake until very soft and shrivelled. Leave to cool.

4. These keep in olive oil for 1 week in the refrigerator.