Burger - Beef Mushroom Base

By mariannefeldman

NYTimes - cutting down on meat
Martha Rose Shulman is the author of “The Very Best of Recipes for Health.”

Ingredients

• Chef Scott Samuel’s Roasted Mushroom Base and Mushroom Burgers
• This is the mushroom base that Scott Samuel, a chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, uses in conjunction with beef in his burgers. I have cut the amount of olive oil that Scott uses from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup.
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds cremini mushrooms, cut in small dice if large, quartered if small
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon mushroom powder, made by pulverizing dried mushrooms in a spice mill (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2. In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheets.

3. Bake 1 sheet at a time on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender. They will reduce considerably in volume. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Process in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until chopped fine but still retaining some texture. Taste and adjust seasonings. Mix in mushroom powder if desired.

Yield: 1 1/4 pounds (about 3 cups)

Advance preparation: You can keep this on hand in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Nutritional information per 4 ounces: 136 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 9 milligrams sodium (does nt include salt to taste); 6 grams protein