Portabella Pita Sandwich

This is a skinny version of sandwich, low in calories, high in flavor and protein, immeasurable on level of satisfaction. 

Blog's Category: My Own Fast and Easy 

Portabella Pita Sandwich

Intro

I use whole seared portabella mushroom cups as a substitute for a burger for quite a while. This time I decided to make lighter, summer version of my "portabella burger" using pita. I liked a lot this juicy sandwich so here I'm sharing the idea with you.

It's really healthful option for lunch. There is some mayonnaise in there and I start to hear some "boo-o-o"... :) Although as dedicated mayo lover I stand behind the idea that a mayonnaise, the real one, is indeed healthy and is no more than olive oil, egg yolk, mustard and vinegar. Of course, I'm not talking about store version with a lot of mystery *** ingredients... Also remember formula "everything-wholesome-in-moderation" :)

 

What is it

It is a tower of lettuce, whole portabella mushroom cup filled with mayo and beans. All these goodness enclosed in between pita, split into very thin circles.

Taste Description

Chewy, meaty and juicy portabella, boosted with medium-spicy mayonnaise, is a star here. Pita is a delicate container for it and helps to cope with all those juices.
Fresh crispiness of lettuce and dense morsels of beans add up to overall satisfaction and contribute to a great layered texture of the sandwich.

How to Serve

Serve right away, no supplementals are needed, just dig in and enjoy.

Portabella Pita Sandwich 

• 1 large portabella cup
• 4 lettuce leaves, center part (stalk) cut out, washed and pat dry
• 1 tbs nice mayo
• 1/2 tsp your favorite spicy sauce (Tabasco Chipotle, Pickled Chili Peppers, etc.)
• 1 tbs chopped sweet onion
• 1 tbs black beans, cooked (canned)
• 1 pita, split
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste (freshly ground)

- Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the inner side of portabella and cook it on medium heat, in a skillet with olive oil. Press mushroom cup down with a tortilla press or pot, half-filled with water (see my pictures below).  It will take about 10 minutes to cook on one side. Flip it over and cook without press for another 5-10 minutes.

- Assemble sandwich this way: pita half + half of lettuce + portabella, bottom up + dressing + beans + lettuce + other pita half = done! Enjoy!


Some Notes

- Keep the napkins around - it's going to be a lot of juices...
- There can be so many combination / additions to this sandwich (avocado, tomato, bacon (!), cheeses, fresh herbs) -you've got the idea?

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IN PICTURES

I was cooking for four of us so used two skillets for frying 4 huge portabellas. As I had just one tortilla press, I used pot with water to hold my second batch of mushrooms flat down.

 

..ready to go..

This is one of favorites - pickled ground chili. This stuff is addictive...

..definitely some pickled chili goes in..

...cut with a knife through a rim, pita can be easily split apart..

 

For sandwiches I like to cut stalks out. Don't forget to pat leaves dry.