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EAT RIGHT with ROUSES
by Esther Ellis, RD, LDN
I n the world of dietitians, we’re always trying to come up with
ways to increase vegetable intake for anyone and everyone. I can’t
tell you how many times someone opens up the conversation
with, “I don’t eat vegetables, and I never will.” If you know someone
like this, perhaps a husband, wife, child or anyone else, I have a
secret that will rock your world; it’s called “the blend.”
The blend is a very simple yet effective concept: mixing finely
chopped mushrooms with ground meat. Don’t like mushrooms?
Don’t worry, because you can’t tell the difference — I promise! With
my own eyes, I’ve seen a mushroom hater unknowingly eat it and
like it (gasp!).
Let’s pause and consider mushrooms before I receive an email
telling me mushrooms aren’t vegetables. Technically, a mushroom
isn’t a vegetable because it doesn’t have any leaves, roots or seeds,
and it doesn’t need light to grow. It’s a fungus. But, the USDA does
classify mushrooms as vegetables because they provide many of the
nutritional properties of vegetables. So let’s practice suspension of
disbelief and move forward with the thought that mushrooms are
vegetables here.
Incorporating the blend into your ground
meat recipes has numerous benefits. By
mixing mushrooms with meat, you’re adding
more plant-based foods to your diet, which
is always a good thing. Adding mushrooms
can also reduce food costs in most cases,
since meat tends to be higher in price than
other grocery items, including mushrooms.
This extends your portion of meat, making
less go a longer way. Using the blend means
lower saturated fat, calories and sodium
content, and it has the added benefit of
keeping the burger juicy.
The blend involves three easy steps:
1. Chop your favorite mushrooms to match the
consistency of ground meat.
2. Blend the chopped mushrooms with the
ground meat.
3. Cook the mushroom-meat blend to complete
the recipe.
Depending on the dish, you may want
to switch up your ratio of mushrooms to
meat. For burgers, aim for a 30:70 ratio
of mushroom to meat to keep the proper
consistency. The same is true for meatballs and meat
loaf. Sloppy joes, tacos and burritos should have a 40:60
ratio, whereas chili and sauces are fine with a 70:30 ratio.
Make it even more flavorful by roasting the mushrooms
for 15 minutes before you chop and mix them.
Now that you’ve been enlightened by the blend, go
forth and use the knowledge for good. Try it on an
unsuspecting mushroom cynic. Share this simple
trick with your friends and send me your results at
! Can’t wait to see your results!
#BlendedBurgerProject
Three Baton Rouge chefs, Ryan Andre of City Pork Brasserie & Bar, Sean
Rivera of Driftwood Cask & Barrel, and Sydney Harkins of Noble Wave
took home top honors at the recent Blended Burger BattleTM at Central
City BBQ in New Orleans. The event was part of the James Beard
Foundation’s Culinary Fight Club. The chefs’ winning burger — made
with king oyster and shiitake mushrooms, charred jalapeños, poblano
peppers and bacon — earned them a chance to compete at the World
Food Championships in Orange Beach, Alabama in November.
Now seven local restaurants are competing for votes in the third annual
James Beard Foundation Blended Burger Project. Votes are based on
creative use of mushrooms, flavor profile, and appetizing appearance.
The blended burgers will be served at City Pork Brasserie & Bar in
Baton Rouge, Social Southern Table & Bar in Lafayette, Vega Tapas
Café in Metairie, Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar and Revel in
New Orleans, the Villaggio Grille in Orange Beach, and the Beau Rivage
Resort & Casino in Biloxi through July 31, which is when voting ends. You
can vote online at
Make Room for
’Shrooms