It’s like a Pizza with a Mushroom Crust. Whaaat?
Portobello mushrooms make the best “vessel” for this pizza inspired filling, creating a juicy, grilled toothsome bite that is pretty healthy too.
I love mushrooms –I think they are a great neutral base that take on all the flavors you choose to add to your dish. I use them often in my cooking, adding them to pasta, salads, chicken and more. In this recipe I use large portobello mushrooms and stuff them with a Mediterranean mix of tomatoes, olives, peppers and add a Fall twist with the addition of rosemary.
A few tips, don’t ever wash your mushrooms under running water, or in a bowl of water. They will absorb the liquid. This prevents them from soaking up all the delicious flavors you are cooking with and prevents them from browning as well. Instead, use a mushroom brush or a slightly damp paper towel to gently remove any dirt. This way the porous fungi will absorb the balsamic soy flavor and brown nicely on the grill or oven
Be BRAVE with what you stuff your mushroom with too – I enjoyed my concoction, but spinach, feta, olives and oregano would add a nice Greek flair, or just rummage through your refrigerator and experiment. This is a nice healthy, plant-based meal that you can pair with a salad or serve as a side dish to a lean protein like grilled chicken. A perfect meal to follow the Mediterranean Lifestyle.
Happy Cooking!
Mediterranean Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients
2 Portobello mushroom caps
2-3 plum tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup mozzarella cheese or vegan mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup Black Olives, chopped
¼ cup chopped peppers (yellow or orange look nice)
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise or Veganaise (optional)
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon O&V IGP Balsamic vinegar *
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Single Estate EVOO or Rosemary EVOO *
Minced parsley for garnish
Preparation
Preheat the Grill to medium high (see Chef Tip for baking this instead of grilling)
In a bowl mix together the chopped tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olives, peppers, rosemary and mayonnaise (if using). Season with pepper and a little salt if needed.
Remove the gills from the mushroom caps. Mix the lemon juice, IGP Balsamic, soy sauce and EVOO. Brush the mushroom caps with the mixture
Place the mushrooms caps stem-side down on the grill for 5 minutes, then turn over and grill an additional 5 minutes.
Remove and fill with the tomato and olive mixture and return to the grill. Close the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes until cheese melts
Serve alongside a spring green or arugula salad and garnish with minced parsley
Serves 2
Total time 20 minutes
Notes
*This O&V Balsamic Vinegar has a nice balance of sweet and tart and pairs nicely with the soy sauce to add flavor to the portobellos. You can use another good quality, balanced, authentic balsamic without caramel or added sugars.
*I use the O&V Rosemary EVOO to add an additional layer of rosemary flavor. You can choose to use a plain, unflavored oil and increase the amount of chopped rosemary in the stuffing.
Chef Tip
If you prefer to bake versus grill your mushrooms, preheat your oven to 400F.
Bake caps stem side down for 10 minutes on a baking sheet. Remove from the oven, turn over, stuff with the filling and bake for another 10 minutes.
This is an easy recipe to multiply without adding very much more time. Additional time might be needed to chop, and prep, but you can grill or bake many more mushrooms at the same time.
Categories: Entrée, Snacks & Sides, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Mushrooms, Portobello, Grilled Mushrooms, Mushroom Pizza, IGP Balsamic, Rosemary EVOO, 30-Minute Meal, Weeknight Dinner, Mediterranean Diet, Plant Based Meal
