My ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic (she used none)
1/2 pound fresh spinach (she used frozen)
2 tbsp fresh thyme (Marianne's recipe on line has this ingredient, but she did not use it on the show)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (she omitted these altogether)
2 eggs (she used 3 for a recipe that I halved)
6-7 oz Fontina cheese (her half recipe would have been 1/2 cup)
2 large portobello mushrooms
olive oil

First I removed the stems from the portobello mushrooms and cut the stems into very small pieces for sauteing. (Marianne threw her stews away.) I started the filling by sauteing the garlic and mushroom stem pieces in olive oil, and then I added the spinach and cooked it down to a wilted stage and added the S&P and thyme. Then I put the spinach in a mixing bowl to cool.

Next I put the mushroom caps in the saute pan, cap side down with olive oil to saute for a couple of minutes to get the caps softer. Then I covered the pan on low heat for about three minutes more and then removed the caps.

At this point, I added the two eggs to the spinach/garlic mixture, along with about 3/4 of the cheese, which I had grated. I stuffed the caps with this mixture, put them in a 7x11 pan, added the rest of the cheese on top, covered the pan with aluminum foil and baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then I took the foil off and baked it ten more minutes.

It was supposed to be brown on top when I took them out, but they weren't, and the filling (which was supposed to resemble a quiche) was a bit runny and had drizzled out of the caps a bit. The drizzling was okay because it was easy to pick that up and put back inside the caps.

The problem is that the filling was watery, and I felt that I should have added bread crumbs, kasha, couscous, or something to soak up the excess water. I guess I should have squeezed the water out of the spinach, but I didn't want to lose all of that flavor. BTW, they tasted great, but I would like to make them with some kind of binder in the future. Does anyone have a suggestion for what I should use and how much? Should I use fresh or dried breadcrumbs, or would something else work better?

I'm sure plenty of you have good stuffed mushroom recipes that you can refer to that might be similar. I had never made stuffed portobellos and I had never stuffed mushrooms with spinach before.

Lars

1. Cook the mushroom caps (with stems removed to use in the filling as you did) stem side up on high in the microwave until somewhat soft. Lots of juice would collect in the caps and I'd pour it off to use in something else later in the week** and then let the caps drain stem side down on paper towels until ready to stuff them.
2. Parcook the spinach in the microwave, cool slightly, and then squeeze the water out into the same container as the mushroom liquid. I'd only cook it long enough to release the liquid; then add the drained spinach back into the garlic/mushroom mixture.
3. If you want a quichelike texture, try baking them uncovered so the eggs don't become steamed. You could probably up the temp to 375 since all components except the eggs are already cooked and shorter baking time would limit additional liquid release.

**Added to some chicken broth, the mushroom and spinach juices would be good ladled over cooked tortellini with sliced scallions and grated cheese on top.

I would drain the Spinach first.
Add some filler as you said, to dry it a little.

Take the foil of a little sooner, when baking.

Whenever I cook Spinach, I add some Powdered Garlic also.
Plus I add some chopped up lunchmeat,Cooked Salami or pieces of Pepperoni.

LOU

Marianne specifically said that a melting cheese should be used and suggested mozzarella as an alternative, but the Fontina was great! The mushroom caps had so much flavor that they did not need a sharp cheese, and so I think I'll stick with the Fontina, as it does not compete with the mushrooom flavor.

I loved this recipe and felt that it was worth experimenting with. Basically, it was extremely easy to make, even though I used more than five ingredients. I'm also going to have to remember to use the drained spinach and mushroom juices - I hate to pour them out when they have such a great flavor. I frequently make omelets with spinach, cheese (usually Provolone), mushrooms, onion, and turkey bacon (DB won't eat pork :(), and I generally have spinach/mushroom juice leftover from when I saute them. In the past, I've just drunk the juice (I can't bring myself to pour it out), but I think I'll start saving it for pasta dishes now!

Lou, I do not have any powdered garlic, but I do have a huge garland of garlic that I ordered from Gilroy, and so I need to use that for my garlic. I usually add mushrooms when I am cooking spinach, and I would also add prosciutto if DB would eat it. I bought some really good dry Italian salami at Bristol Farms that would be good also, but I've been using that only on my personal lunch sandwiches.

BTW, Marianne also has some good eggplant recipes. I was trying to tell someone at work about those today and could only remember the word Melanzane instead of eggplant. It's an easier word for me to remember.

Lars

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound fresh mushrooms ( medium size)
1/4 c. butter
3 green onions
1/2 c finely grated fresh bread crumbs
3 T crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese
1 T minced fresh parsley
1T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
Wipe mushrooms and remove stems. Chop stems and green onions ( tops too!) and saute in the butter until just getting soft. Add crumbs, cheese, parsley, lemon juice and salt. Place in mushroom caps in a shallow baking dish, sprinkle with paprika, Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 450, and watch them disappear.

Lars

I also do something similar to lpinkmountain, except I use tomato powder.

Another thing I do, I use garlic powder.

dcarch

Steve

I won't be adding cream or half & half, as that would upset my stomach - the soft cheese is difficult enough for me to handle! When I raise the tempurature of the oven, I'll have to keep a close eye on them, especially if I bake them at 400. I might try that, if you think it will make the filling rise faster. I might make it again this week-end, but I'm seriously considering buying frozen spinach - just to have on hand.

Lars

Steve

2011 Hungry Girl. All Rights Reserved.

yield:
2 servings

Level:
Easy

Ingredients

2 wedges light spreadable Swiss cheese (recommended: The Laughing Cow Light), room temperature
1 zucchini, ends removed, finely diced
2 large portabella mushrooms, stems chopped and reserved
1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
Dash ground thyme
Black pepper
1/2 tablespoon reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine cheese wedges, zucchini, chopped mushroom stems, onion, garlic, salt, and thyme. Add pepper, to taste. Mix until smooth. Set aside.

Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet. Lightly spray both sides of the mushroom caps with olive oil nonstick spray, and place next to each other on the foil with the rounded sides down. Spoon veggie-cheese mixture into the mushroom caps-there will be a lot, so pack it in!

Sprinkle with grated topping.

Place another large piece of foil over the caps. Fold together and seal all four edges of the two foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.

Allow the packet to cool for a few minutes, and then cut it to release steam before opening it entirely. (Careful-steam will be hot.)

If you like, season with additional salt and thyme, to taste. Enjoy!

PER SERVING (1/2 of recipe, 1 large stuffed mushroom): 90 calories, 2.5g fat, 400mg sodium, 10g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g sugars, 6.5g protein
Linda

I agree with those that suggested not covering the dish when you bake it. If it starts to over brown, you could tent some foil over it then.

I like the sound of this recipe. I eat portabellas on a somewhat frequent basis, maybe once every month or two, so I like alternatives to the olive oil/balsamic vinegar throw it on the grill thing we do so much.

We had a cookbook put out by Webber Grills that had a stuffed portabella mushroom recipe in it that I tried. Of course, it was grilled, but it had lots of ingredients, and was only okay, not great. It sounded really good, but I doubt I'll make it again. Unfortunately, we've returned the cookbook to the library. What I remember the recipe had in it was spinach, sun dried tomatoes, bread crumbs, but I don't remember what else. I'm sure it had some kind of cheese - maybe blue cheese, and garlic. Sorry I don't have the recipe with me any more.

Sally

Thanks for convincing me to squeeze the spinach - there was really no need for a binder after that was done.

Lars