Portobellos — or portabellos or portobellas —  I’ve seen it spelled all three ways — are fat-free and very low in calories.

They’re also a rich source of selenium, copper and niacin. I learned that portobello mushrooms are the mature form of baby crimini mushrooms. They grow up to six inches in diameter with a dense, meaty texture.

It’s that “meaty” texture that vegetarians and vegans love. We’re definitely NOT trying to recreate meat in any fashion– but quinoa and brown rice and lentils leave little in the way of a CHEWING experience — and this ‘shroom is beyond versatile on the grill or stuffed and baked.

This is how I prepared it last night.

For two people:
Two portobello mushrooms
1/2 onion
One summer squash or zucchini
1/2 jalapeño
Chard and beet greens (from our garden)
One small tomato
Two slices whole wheat bread or 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Prepare the mushrooms by carefully washing off all dirt — don’t soak any mushroom in water or they’ll tend to become spongy and/or mushy. Ick. Wipe dry. Remove the stem and set aside. Scrape out the gills to make more room for the filling. Place bottom side down (stem side up) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a teaspoon of olive oil over the mushrooms. Bake at 350 degrees for about twelve minutes. Immediately remove and drain off any water. Notice the shrinkage!

While the mushrooms are in the oven, chop the onion, jalapeño, tomato, greens, mushroom stems, and shred the squash.

Using a teaspoon of olive oil to coat the pan, sauté all the vegetables except for the greens until soft. Add a pinch (or more) of dried red pepper flakes, cracked pepper, fresh basil, and oregano. Add the greens and a few tablespoons water or wine or low sodium vegetable stock. Put a top on the pan and steam until the greens are tender.

Take off the heat. If you’re using bread crumbs, add them now and stir. If you’re like me and ran out of bread crumbs, take the bread and shred it in a bowl, add about half cup of warm water. Allow the bread to soak up the water and then squeeze out all the water and add to the cooked vegetables. Mix well.

Place the mushroom cups on a baking sheet with a clean sheet of parchment paper. Fill each of the portobellos with equal amounts of filling and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese (or vegan cheese), if desired.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for approximately fifteen minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

Add a fresh salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta cheese with a lemony vinaigrette to complement the “meaty” stuffed portobello mushrooms for a healthy and satisfying dinner.

 Options: Use any leftover cooked vegetables, too. plus spinach, green peppers, shredded carrots, corn, brown rice, quinoa.

#portobello #recipe #vegetarian