EPISODE 65

This burger is the stuff teenage dreams are made of. It’s a toothsome combination of grilled Portobello, onion, and apple atop a crunchy salty bed of chips, enrobed in sweet and spicy barbeque sauce, the OKB. Made from all natural ingredients, this barbeque sauce pairs brilliantly with the tangy tomato, caramelized onion, and smoky apple. I know that putting chips in a sandwich may seem odd, but a friend introduced me to the amazing crunch it provides over a year ago when we traveled Italy together. We would stop in markets, buy some bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables, and a bag of chips. What we ate was always different, but the incomparable crunch of potato chips made it incredible.

Ingredients – Burgers and Toppings (serves 4)

• 4 Large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed (one per person)
• 1-2 tomatoes, sliced, 1 cm thick*
• 1-2 onions, sliced, 1 cm thick*
• 1-2 apples, sliced, 1 cm thick, cored*
• Vegetable oil
• Salt

*Make sure to slice all the fruits and vegetables across so the slices are as large as can be.

Instructions – Burgers and Toppings

Heat a large pan over medium high heat, and add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the apples and onions and cook until browned. Salt lightly and flip, then cook on the other side until browned. Add a smidge more salt to the onions.

Remove from heat, then add the mushrooms to the hot pan cap-side down. Season the inside of the cap with a sprinkle of salt, add a few more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan, and cook the mushrooms until the side touching the heat darkens slightly. Flip the mushrooms, salt the other side and cook until softened and darkened. You may have to flip the mushrooms a few times in order for them to soften properly. Take the mushrooms off of the heat and let them sit for a few minutes so that the side with the gills is facing downwards. The mushrooms will let off liquid, and it’s important to let them do so in order to prevent a soggy burger.

Ingredients – Assembly

• 4 sesame seed rolls, sliced in half
• Barbeque sauce†
• Regular chips
• Radicchio

†I love the Old Kentucky Barbeque brand. It’s vegan, gluten free, and all natural. It has a lovely sweet, smoky flavour, which compliments these ingredients brilliantly.

Instructions – Assembly

Spread both sides of the bun with a generous coating of barbeque sauce. On the bottom bun, lay a leaf of radicchio, layer a generous handful of chips, and then place the mushroom gills side up. Place a side of tomato on top, followed by a piece of onion and a slice of apple. Finish with the top of the bun and squish down. Cut in half, and try to fit this delectable sandwich into your mouth. It’ll be so very worth it. Yum.

Enjoy!