Burgers are a staple food.
It’s International Burger Day on 28 May. While we are unable to go out to a burger joint, we can create our own at home – with a little help from The South African Mushroom Farmers Association – and celebrate this classic mealtime favourite.
Get the family involved and try your hand – and your mouth – at our favourite 3 burger recipes (there’s something for everyone):
MUSHROOM BLEND BURGER – CLASSIC BEEF
Serves 4
- 250g lean beef mince
- 250g button mushrooms, chopped and pan fried
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 125ml dried bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 20ml tomato sauce
- 10ml Worcestershire sauce
- 15ml oil
- 4 bread rolls
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1 handful rocket
- ¼ red onion, sliced
- 100ml mayonnaise
- 50ml Greek yoghurt
- 15ml lemon juice
- 2ml freshly ground black pepper
Method
- In a bowl mix the mince, mushrooms, onion and bread crumbs together. Add the egg, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together well and season with salt and pepper.
- Form the mixture into four patties and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Fry the patties on both sides until cooked to your liking.
- Place the patties onto kitchen towelling to drain.
- To serve cut the rolls in half, arrange the patty and the rest of the ingredients on top.
- In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, lemon juice and black pepper together and add a dollop to each hamburger.
Cooks tip: If you have extra patty mixture left over, form into meat balls.
DOUBLE MUSHROOM CHEESE BURGERS – BANTING
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 4 big mushrooms
- 5ml oil
- 15ml bbq sauce
- salt and milled black pepper
- 2 beef or chicken burgers, cooked
- 2 cheese slices (optional)
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 tomato, sliced
- a few lettuce leaves
- 30ml mayonnaise
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly brush the mushrooms with oil, bbq sauce and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes and baste with the bbq sauce. Turn the mushrooms over and baste again. Bake for 5-7 more minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked. Use the mushrooms as ‘buns’ and fill with a burger, slice of cheese (optional), red onion slices, tomato slices, lettuce and mayonnaise. Serve at once.
NUT-STUFFED MUSHROOMS – VEGAN
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 5 fresh Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (1 per person plus 1 extra mushroom for the stuffing)
- 1 large onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp Canola/Olive oil
- 60g mixed unsalted nuts (brazils/hazelnuts/almonds/walnuts)
- 1 tbsp. margarine
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs e.g. parsley, fennel, dill, chives
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients
- Cut the stems from the mushrooms and finely dice these along with one whole mushroom.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Finely dice the onion and crush the garlic cloves.
- Place the onion and garlic in a saucepan with the Canola/Olive oil and sweat them in the oil until the onion is soft and beginning to brown. Add the chopped mushroom stalks and sweat the vegetables for a few more minutes.
- Lightly toast the mixed nuts in a medium oven or grill and remove the skins.
- Grind the mixed nuts fairly finely in a food processor or using a mortar and pestle and add to the pan along with the margarine, dried herbs, fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Mix to combine.
- Place the field mushrooms, stem side up, on a baking tray. Divide the mixture between the mushrooms and spread over the surface of each one.
- Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown and the mushrooms are just cooked. Serve 2-3 mushrooms on each plate along with a salad garnish.
