Happy Eats!

As I write this, we’re in the middle of barbecue season. Seems like when the weather gets hot, everybody’s appetite gets geared up for food cooked on the grill - and our meat consumption goes way up! Even though I am not a big meat eater, I know I consume a lot more meat in the summertime, simply because barbecued meat tastes just wonderful!

But what if you’re having a big cookout, and some of your guests don’t eat meat? And what if they not only don’t eat meat, they’re vegan? Vegans don’t eat ANY animal foods of any kind. That means no cheese, eggs, milk, butter, sour cream, yogurt… sometimes they don’t even eat honey. Because of health problems, one of my daughters kept to a vegan diet for several years. And boy, was it a challenge to keep her happy when the whole family was eating grilled steaks, chicken, fish, hot dogs, and burgers.

But you know what? There’s a very happy way to make a vegan eater feel right at home among the carnivores. Just make this BBQ Portobello Burger. Because it’s really easy, your vegan guest won’t feel self-conscious about all the extra trouble you’re taking just to feed her - it’s not only no trouble, it’s probably less bother than preparing beef or chicken! And be sure to have plenty of extra portobellos on hand, because I guarantee that several of the die-hard burger eaters will suddenly decide “Hey, that mushroom burger looks pretty good! Can I have one?”

Be sure to make plenty of Grill Roasted Corn on the Cob and Fresh Tasting Potato Salad made with Vegenaise. Not only will your vegan guests be happy, everybody will be delighted.

Per sandwich:

• 1 large portobello mushroom cap
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon catsup
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 burger bun (any kind)
• 1 slice vegan Cheddar, American, or Pepperjack cheese (Tofutti brand is good)
• 2-3 generous slices ripe avocado
• 1 generous tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1 fat slice ripe tomato
• 2 tablespoons shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 paper-thin slice of sweet onion (optional)

Clean each portobello cap by wiping it thoroughly with a nice damp paper towel. If the portobellos are very dirty, rinse them quickly in a bowl of cold water, then dry them immediately with a paper towel. Let them rest with the cavity side down on some clean towels to make sure the underside dries out. If the portobellos are wet when they hit the grill, they’ll get limp and flabby and mushy, not nice and firm and chewy.

While the grill heats up, whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, catsup, lime juice, sugar, and salt in a non-reactive bowl. When it’s time to cook, rub the top of the portobello with a tiny bit of olive oil, then place it cavity side UP on a medium to medium-hot grill (somewhere between 350-400 should work).

Let the mushroom cook for a couple of minutes, then brush the cavity with the baste and flip (there will be some hot liquid in the cavity, so be careful!). Brush the top of the mushroom, then cook until done, flipping and brushing a couple more times, depending on how fat and juicy the portobello is. You want the mushroom to still have some “bite” to it, not be completely black and shriveled up!

About a minute or so before the mushroom is done, put the bun on the grill to warm it up. If you’re using the vegan cheese, lay it on bun to warm the cheese up (unfortunately, vegan cheese doesn’t really melt, but getting it soft and warm improves it immensely).

To serve, brush the bottom half of the bun with the remaining baste, and stack everything up: first the portobello, then the avocado, sprinkle on the cilantro, and finally top it off with tomato, lettuce, and optional onion. Mmmm!

You can also make this burger for vegetarians with a nice Pepper Jack dairy cheese.

Makes 1 burger.