As most of my friends know, once summertime comes around, my grill and patio are in for a workout. I absolutely love grilling out and having friends over during these precious few warm Wisconsin days! However, some of my friends have some special diets. In fact, last summer my own mom (at the advice of her doctor) began eating according to the DASH eating plan. So to accommodate friends and family at my cookouts, I’ve been trying a few new recipes! For those of you following the DASH diet plan, try this Portobello mushroom burger recipe – it’s an excellent alternative to the traditional burger! 

I found this recipe on MayoClinic.com, which is full of helpful recipes – not just for those on the DASH diet plan, but anyone who wants to eat healthier and feel better.

Dietitian's tip: The meaty-textured Portobello mushroom is the perfect stand-in for a hamburger. One Portobello mushroom has about 30 calories and no fat or cholesterol. By comparison, a 3-ounce hamburger patty has 235 calories, 16 grams of fat and 76 milligrams of cholesterol. (According to Mayo Clinic staff)

Yields: 4

Ingredients
4 large Portobello mushroom caps, 5 inches in diameter
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole-wheat buns, toasted
4 slices tomato
4 slices red onion
2 bibb lettuce leaves, halved

Instructions

1. Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove their stems. Place in a glass dish, stem (gill) side up.
2. To prepare the marinade, in a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, cayenne pepper and olive oil. Drizzle the marinade over the mushrooms. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, turning mushrooms once.
3. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
4. Grill the mushrooms on medium heat, turning often, until tender, about 5 minutes on each side. Baste with marinade to keep from drying out. Using tongs, transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
5. Place each mushroom on a bun and top with 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice and 1/2 lettuce leaf. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 283
Fat: 9 g
Sodium: 140 mg
Protein: 8 g
Fiber: 9 g

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