Carolyn Bell, RDN – Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Pledge to be a Blend-i-tar-i-an – according to The Mushroom Council, this is one who believes mighty mushrooms have meaty powers to make meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable. Use mushrooms to transform your meals. Chop mushrooms to match the texture of ground meat and replace some of the ground meat in recipes. Research shows that substituting just 25% of ground meat in recipes, once a week, can save 20,000 calories a year. In addition to saving calories, adding a mushroom Blend will add nutrients like vitamin D, potassium, selenium, B-vitamins, and antioxidants, and maintain flavor while reducing sodium intake by 25%.
The Blend – blending meat with mushrooms to make classis recipes (burgers, meatballs, tacos, lasagna) healthier without sacrificing taste or texture. The Blend is any mushroom and ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey) variety, using 75% meat and 25% mushroom.
CLASSIC BEEF BLENDED BURGER – DELICIOUS!
(Brought to you by The MushroomCouncil.org)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. mushrooms, finely chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
6 hamburger buns
Toppings: Lettuce, tomato, onion, lowfat mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickles
Directions:
- Place the mushrooms in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until finely chopped.
- In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook chopped mushrooms until brown and most moisture has been released, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside to let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, beef, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs and egg; mix all ingredients until incorporated. Form into 6 pat- ties, and cook either on the barbecue or on the stove-top until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Place patty on warmed bun and top with lettuce, tomato and red onion. Makes 6 (1/3 lb.) patties.
Nutritional Information: Calories: 350, Total Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 80 mg, Sodium: 350 mg, Total Carbohydrate: 33 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 22 g
