Author: Julia Harisay ’21
Are you cooking for yourself this semester? Are you trying to figure out how to balance all your school work and find time to cook healthy and delicious meals? Are you interested in how to do this while reducing your carbon footprint and doing something good for the planet? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then you’ve come to the right place.
Try out this quick Southwest BBQ Portobello Burger recipe!
Why in the world should you ditch your juicy, delicious beef burger for a mushroom you might ask? Producing meat, especially beef, has a huge impact on the planet. From the feedstock grown to feed livestock to the methane emissions from cow farts and burps (yup, that’s the proper terminology), livestock production produces far more greenhouse gas emissions than does plant and crop production. Producing a pound of beef can produce an equivalent of 14.8 pounds of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that when in excess contributes to global warming. Mushrooms? Producing a pound of mushrooms only produces an equivalent of .7 pounds of carbon dioxide. Not only are mushrooms better for the planet, they are also really good for you! Mushrooms contain a high daily percentage of key vitamins and minerals.
Still hesitant? Wondering how a mushroom can come anywhere near rivaling a burger? I promise you, you will be surprised. Follow this recipe to cook your mushrooms in a delicious barbecue marinade that is going to pack your mushroom with flavor. Not into barbecue? Swamp it out for a flavor of your choice! This recipe is easy and quick–exactly what a busy college student like you needs to satisfy your taste buds and do good for the planet and yourself.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 475 °F. Wipe the portobello mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove the stems.
Step 2: Combine and mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl: ¼ cup of BBQ sauce, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp of liquid smoke
Step 3: Dip and submerge each mushroom in the marinade and then place them gill side up on a glass baking pan. Pour the remainder of the marinade over the mushrooms and then put them in the oven to cook for 22-25 minutes.
Step 4: Prepare any other toppings you normally like on a burger: pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, etc.
Step 5: Toast your buns, assemble your burger, and pair with your side of choice, such as fries. Enjoy!
Recipe from: 30-Minute Vegan Dinners by Megan Sadd
This series is brought to you by student group, Greening Dining
