Mushroom Burger

WHAT does this mushroom column have to do with the horrifying news that in Europe there has been a scam where horse meat, yes, horse meat, has been passed off as beef and added to lasagna and other dishes which call for beef and has been accepted by the consumers as beef. It is worthwhile to maybe refrain from meat such as beef imported from abroad. Be careful of what you feed your family.

That being the case and if your family members like to eat hamburgers and other such beef dishes, may we suggest that the children and family are introduced to a burger filling substitute? What to substitute you ask?

The perfect substitute is the mushroom; and where but in Baguio can you find a plethora of mushrooms? The local market has banana, champignon, straw, shitake and oyster mushrooms among others. You might wonder: how on earth will the mushroom take the place of the beef patty inside of a hamburger bun? For your information and enlightenment mushroom simply can especially if you use the banana or the straw variety which is inexpensive in the market since it grows so rapidly and profusely.

The mushroom is the fleshy spore-bearing fruiting of a fungus (yes Virginia, a fungus) typically produced above on soil, or its food source. Mushroom describes a great variety of fungi, with or without stems. Typical mushrooms are the fruit bodies of members of a class of field mushrooms.

Many species of mushrooms seemingly appear overnight, growing or expanding rapidly. This phenomenon is the source of several common expressions in the English Language including "to mushroom" or "mushrooming" (expanding rapidly in size or scope) and "to pop up like a mushroom" (to appear unexpectedly and quickly). In reality all species of mushrooms take several days to form primordial mushroom fruit bodies, though they do expand rapidly by the absorption of fluids.

Similarly, there are other mushrooms that literally appear overnight and may disappear by late afternoon on a hot day after rainfall. They form at ground level in lawns in humid spaces under the thatch and after heavy rainfall or in dewy conditions balloon to full size in a few hours, release spores, and then collapse. They "mushroom" to full size and in Baguio until the late 70’s, children would rush out after a heavy afternoon rain and go to their favorite mushrooms hunting spots and gather mushrooms, especially the needle like variety and sauté then in garlic and soy. Like they say, ''UMANAY NGA SIDAK TI UUNG.'' Those days are gone, but still one can find, those wonderfully delicious mushrooms in the wooded areas of Baguio.

Not all mushrooms expand overnight; some grow very slowly and add tissue to their fruit bodies slowly. Mushrooms are a low-calorie food usually eaten cooked or raw and as garnish to a meal.

Mushrooms are surprisingly similar in taste and texture to meat when cooked and this mushroom burger recipe may just surprise you with how tasty it is. While mushrooms provide plenty of flavor and texture the addition of an egg and a bit of flour holds the patty's shape, and as an added plus, they are high in fiber and protein, too. This mushroom burger recipe is vegetarian except for the egg.

To come to a point where we will substitute mushrooms for beef in a bun, we begin with the ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely minced.

1 clove garlic, minced

3 green onions, finely sliced

(?) cups diced fresh mushrooms (your choice, banana mushrooms are nice to use)

1 teaspoon parsley, chopped finely

1 egg and a tablespoon of flour to bind

salt and pepper to taste;

liquid seasoning to taste (use a good brand)

oil for frying

Preparation:

Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes, until onions are soft. Add the green onions and mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes until mushrooms are cooked. Set aside. Add the mushrooms to the egg and flour and add parsley, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.

Shape the mixture into patties. Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil and cook each patty until the veggie burgers are done, about 3 minutes on each side. Since all the ingredients are already cooked, no need to cook a long while, just brown and wait until the patty holds its shape. Put the patty on top of a hamburger, bun, add a slice of tomato and some lettuce of coleslaw and have a wonderful burger.

Other uses for mushrooms: instead of ground beef for spaghetti and lasagna, use a lot of sautéed mushrooms; use mushrooms in cream of mushroom soup; use for the Ilocano favorite, with ampalaya leaves in a ginger based broth. Another substitute to make patties is chopped banana heart. Just follow the recipe but change the mushrooms to chopped banana heart.

Where but in Baguio, beautiful Baguio? Love your city.

BON APPETIT.