Portobello Bugers Marinated with Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar
Fall is just around the corner, but we’ve still got a few more weeks (or a month, depending on where you live) of glorious time spent outside before it really becomes a struggle to stay out of your sleeping bag past 7:00 pm. As the temps begin to change and nightfall gets a little colder, eating something tasty starts to become a lot less important to our cold, cold fingers, but our stomachs still rumble after a long days adventure. Even if it’s less fun in the cold, fueling your body properly after a day hiking or climbing is the key to success. Getting proper nutrition from your camping recipes is even more important as the weather gets colder. When temps start dropping, your body has to put in more work-just to keep your body regulated and warm throughout the day. That means more calories are being burned than usual, and more reasons why you need a quick, tasty fall camping recipe.
Enter the glories of marination. If you’ve never done it, here’s the deal: you throw a bunch of stuff in a bag, let it sit for a while, and then cook it. And it makes everything taste good. The end.
This marinated portobello burger recipe is a favorite of mine for fall camping because most of the work can be done hours or a day ahead of time, and it still offers the fulfillment you crave, especially after a colder day spent outside. The marinade for this portobello burger recipe is simple and only uses things you’ll usually already have on hand when you’re packing for a trip. Bonus: if you really want to save time and energy on meal time, you can mix together all the ingredients for this portobello burger marinade before you leave the house. Less dishes, less room, less time. Booyaaa.
Using a reusable bag such as my personal favorites made from Stasherbag makes this camping recipe free of single-use plastic, and lot more eco-friendly than a freeze dried meal. It’ll also eliminate the issue of marinade spillage that tends to happen with regular throw away plastic bags.
Additionally, this plant-based portobello burger recipe offers a lot of variety when it comes to what type of meal you want. Did you just finish up a long day of multi-pitching or getting whipped crack climbing in Indian Creek? Refuel by serving on a whole wheat bun with some roasted potatoes. Trying to keep it light because you’ve been drinking more crag sodas than actually climbing? Opt to enjoy this camping portobello burger over some greens.
Like I’ve mentioned before, one of the elements that makes healthy, sustainable outdoor cooking possible is thinking ahead. If you’re out on a trip, be it for the weekend or a month, chances are you won’t want to be making a new camping recipe every day, so it’s important for recipes to have diverse uses, making it possible to cook one time and use the leftovers for breakfast or lunch the next day. With that in mind, here’s a few suggestions for using this portobello burger recipe the day after:
Breakfast veggie scramble: crack a few eggs, add some onions and peppers along with diced portobello burger, and enjoy a quick plant-based camping breakfast.
Hummus wraps: Up your tortilla game by adding some slices of portobello burger, a spoon of hummus, and some spinach or kale.
Balsamic quinoa salad: Get lunch ready at the same time you cook dinner. Fill a reusable bag with cooked quinoa, diced portobello, feta cheese, and some kalamata olives for a high protein lunch that’s ready to go in the morning.
Portobello Burgers Marinated with Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar
1/8th cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon oregano
2 portobello mushroom heads, cleaned
salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients inside a reusable plastic bag and seal tightly. Shake for 15 seconds to mix marinate and fully coat mushrooms, then let marinate for at least 15 minutes (up to 2 hours). When ready to cook, bring a pan to medium high heat and place entire contents of bag in the pan. Cook for 3-6 minutes on each side, then serve as desired.
Recipe serves 2.