Foraging for Mushrooms in the Kitchen with Cabernet-Balsamic Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions

Cabernet-Balsamic Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions

Autumn is bombarding all of our senses. The bright kaleidoscope of autumn leaves, the nip in the air, the sound of flocks of geese moving on. You can feel the changes at night. As the sun sets, a cool blanket of air gently rolls down the hill. And that,  if combined with steady rains, means we are into the autumn mushroom season. As I walk through the woods I see clusters of mushrooms. Not being an expert forager I would never take the chance and gather my own, so for now am content to leave this to the experts. Chanterelles, hen of the woods (maitake), and porcini  tasting like meat from the earth are complex, rich, and woodsy and can be found in markets everywhere this time of year.

With the onset of autumn our thoughts move quickly over to comfort foods. It is not uncommon in fall or winter for my home to be filled with warm, fragrant and earthy aromas of a slow cooked roast or a bubbling crock pot. Mushrooms often play a starring role.

With thoughts of cozy fires and warm blankets this brings us to to another edition of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club where each month we create a menu from the pages of Cooking Light magazine. If you would like to join us for one month throughout the year just send us a note and we will give you your choice of months to join in. This month we are extolling the virtues of mushrooms and Foraging in The Kitchen For Mushrooms a theme chosen by yours truly this time around. 

Let's see what our members have brought to the table to celebrate!!! We are up to something special.

Sandi of The Whistestop Café  Cooking started us off with an appetizer  of Creamy Corn Chorizo StuffedMushrooms. This recipe extols the virtues of seasonal ingredients.
 

Jerry of Jerrys Thoughts, Musings and Rants rounded out our meal with a Mushroom Salad with TruffleOil and Parmigiano Reggiano, a blend of amazing flavours.

I brought along the piece de resistance with Cabernet-Balsamic Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions,  There's something very satisfying about making burgers from scratch in your own kitchen from start to finish. A touch of blue cheese, earthy mushrooms and caramelized onions add to the feeling.

Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen wows us with a Wild Mushroom Omelet perfect as a side or a main dish.

**Cabernet - Balsamic Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions**

5 teaspoons olive oil, divided

• 4 cups thinly sliced red onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms 
• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin 
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise 
• 1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 (1 1/2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns 
• 1 1/2 cups baby arugula or other greens
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• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and thyme; cook 17 minutes or until golden and very tender, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat to medium-high; add wine, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for 6 minutes or until the liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove onion mixture from pan.
•  Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté for 8 minutes or until mushrooms brown and liquid mostly evaporates.
• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Coarsely chop 1 cup onion mixture, and stir chopped onion mixture into beef. Divide the beef mixture into 6 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in center of each patty. Sprinkle the patties with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until done.
•  Combine mayonnaise, blue cheese, and garlic in a bowl, and mash well with a fork. Spread the top halves of buns evenly with mayonnaise mixture. Arrange 1/4 cup arugula on bottom half of each bun; top each bottom half of bun with 1 patty, about 2 tablespoons remaining onion mixture, about 1/4 cup mushrooms, and top half of bun.
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