Garlic, Cheese, and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushroom

This morning when I was thinking about what to make for dinner all I knew is that I REALLY wanted portobello mushrooms. I was either debating making it a meal and substituting it for meat, or just making it an appetizer. Usually when we go up to the lake house we marinate the mushroom in garlic and olive oil and grill it, but today I was making a meal for one (Jeff doesn't feel good and has decided for soup instead) and I really don't know enough to operate the grill on my own.

I finally decided I would try a vegetarian meal. Plus, I made some peanut butter blossoms today so that would be my source of protein. =]

Also, my pictures are really terrible today. HEB didn't have rounded portobello mushroom caps so they kind of came out ugly, but they tasted really good!!!

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)
4 large portobello mushroom caps
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
2 minced garlic cloves, divided
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup prepared marinara sauce
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F and prepare mushroom and stuffing. If you can tell by the picture, the mushroom I chose was not a good one for stuffing. The edges weren't curved up like a bowl so it flattened out when I heated it up. Those were the only ones at HEB so made do with what I had.

Chop the spinach and then mash with ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, minced garlic clove, Italian seasoning and the pepper in a medium bowl. Place marinara sauce in a separate bowl, cover and microwave on High until hot, 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes.



Carefully cut the stem off the mushroom and with a small spoon curve the inside like a bowl.

Place mushroom caps, gill-side up, and coat with olive oil and a minced garlic clove. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

When the mushrooms are tender, carefully pour out any liquid accumulated in the caps. Return the caps to the pan gill-side up. Spread 1 tablespoon marinara into each cap; cover the remaining sauce to keep warm.

Mound a generous 1/3 cup ricotta filling into each cap and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until hot, about 10 minutes. Spoon some of the marinara on plate to put the mushroom on top of and then use remaining to smother on top. I paired my stuffed mushroom with a Cesar salad.

I was so full that I didn't have any room for my cookies. Fortunately, I got to taste two after I made them. THEY WERE DELICIOUS!! I'm ok with giving up 100 calories for a cookie instead of beer or wine tonight!