Butternut Squash Burger

When I visited London last year, I happened to be visiting over National Pancake Day. Now, in the US, we have these food holidays all the time and sometimes they come with free things like a free donut with your coffee or free coffee, for that matter. Pancake Day was no exception and I found a place that sounded perfect for the occasion: The Breakfast Club.

Of course, when we got there (on a weekday, no less) there was a line out the door. So when I moved here, I saw there was one near where I was staying so on day 1, checked out this place for brunch. I was impressed with their traditional breakfasts (including an American Breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausages and bacon) but they also had a variety of Eggs Benedict where you could swap the muffin (is it still an English muffin here?) for butternut squash. Genius!

I've now been to The Breakfast Club several times and most recently, had their veggie burger which was actually butternut squash, halloumi cheese, portobello mushroom and avocado. Plus goat cheese because more cheese! This was definitely a fork and knife burger.

It was so good and so fall with the squash, I decided to recreate it with white fish instead of cheese. I also definitely dropped the entire pan of roasted butternut squash on the floor. Five second rule!!

Roasted butternut squash is stacked with pan-seared white fish. I used cod seasoned with some lemon juice. Layer with portobello mushroom and avocado. I skipped the bun so stacked another butternut squash patty on top. Definitely fork and knife material here.

Recipe

• 1 small butternut squash
• 2 portobello mushrooms
• 2 filets of white fish 
• 1 lemon
• 1 avocado

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Prepare the butternut squash by first peeling with a vegetable peeler or carefully with a knife. Cut off the ends and slice into 1/2 inch slices. When you reach the bulb of the squash, scoop out the seeds and continue slicing. These pieces will be more like rings.
3. Place the butternut squash slices on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake until easily pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the fish. In a skillet, heat a small amount of oil to prevent the fish from sticking. 
5. Cook until no longer transparent. I used skin-on fillets and cooked them skin up.
6. In a separate pan, cook the portobello mushrooms until soft.
7. Stack the fish, mushroom and sliced avocado between two slices of butternut squash.