Portobello mushrooms with their intense, earthy, and woodsy flavor, claim the limelight to offer a hearty patty with winning flavor that has enough pizzazz to stand alone without a bun. Top the patties with Hot Relish, and they morph into an elegant and compellingly delicious main dish.

The patties are terrific as a solo act. But I wanted these little mushroom babies to charm the heck out of my guests--to bring them to champion status and make them zing!

For that touch of kitchen sorcery, I topped the patties with a spoonful of Melissa's Hatch Chile Salsa. That's what made them awesome! They found their best friend @melissasproduce

The patties and the relish are the ultimate convenience foods--prepare them a day ahead and chill them separately. Shortly before serving, reheat the patties at 350 degrees F/Gas Mark 4. for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The relish will keep for up to 3 days.

@melissasproduce http://www.melissasproduce.com

Makes 10 to 12 patties 3-inches/7.5 cm in diameter.

Mushroom Patties
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal

3/4 pound/340g portobello, cremini, or button mushrooms (2 to 3 giant Portobellos)
1 cup (240 ml) cooked brown rice, barley, or buckwheat
1 cup (240 ml) diced onions
1/2 cup (120 ml) almond meal or hazelnut meal
2/3 cup (180 ml) old fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Hot Relish
2 cups (480 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved (I used multi-color tomatoes)
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons water
1 to 2 teaspoons canola oil

Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup (120 ml) vegan shredded Mozzarella, for garnish (optional)
1 (12-ounce/340g) jar Melissa's Hatch Chile Salsa

Few sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish

1. TO MAKE THE MUSHROOM PATTIES, preheat oven to 375 degrees F/Gas Mark 5 and have ready 2 large, rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment.
2. In a small bowl, combine the water and flaxseed meal. Mix well and set aside to thicken.
3. Coarsely chop the mushrooms, put them into the food processor in batches, and pulse until minced. Transfer the mushrooms to a large bowl.
4. Add the cooked brown rice, onions, almond meal, rolled oats, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to the bowl and mix well with clean hands to distribute ingredients evenly.
5. If the reserved flaxseed meal has not thickened, beat it with a fork until it forms a thickened slurry. Add the slurry to the mushroom mixture and incorporate it thoroughly, mixing it in with clean hands. Set the mushroom mixture aside for about 10 minutes to firm slightly.
6. Form into patties and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Press lightly on the tops to flatten them slightly. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the patties with a spatula and bake 12 minutes longer until the tops are firm.
7. TO MAKE THE HOT RELISH, combine the cherry tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, garlic, water, and canola in a large, deep skillet and cook over high heat, stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables are just beginning to soften.
8. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper and adjust seasonings as needed.
9. TO SERVE, arrange the warm mushroom patties on a platter and garnish each with a sprinkle of Mozzarella and a dollop of the Hot Relish. Finally, drizzle a spoonful of Melissa's Hatch Chile Salsa over the top. Garnish the platter with the parsley and bring the remaining relish and salsa to the table. Enjoy to the max!

Note:
If you've chosen to use the buckwheat in the patties, double the flaxseed and water quantity.