Stuffed Fungi for a Fun Guy

Mushrooms are definitely one of my top meat replacements. They are super meaty, flavorful and hearty. Plus, they go well with so many foods - breakfast, italian, mexican, asian....the list goes on.

I have recently been on a stuffed mushroom kick. While many vegetarian meals feel just like a larger portion of a side dish, stuffed mushrooms are a centerpiece. Here's a recipe for one way to make them, but I often just throw in whatever I have hangin' around the vegetable bin at the time.

Shroomie-toomies (Brian talk for Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms)

Ingredients:
2 large portobello mushrooms
1 /2 cup of diced onions
1/2 green bell pepper diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
About 3-4 large handfuls of spinach (more the better I say!)
1 piece of GF bread diced as small as possible
1 egg
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of shredded parmesan, romano or feta crumbles (or the cheese of your liking really)
*Note the egg and cheese are not necessary if you don't eat any animal products

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Scrub mushrooms clean (it is often recommended not to wash mushrooms because they absorb water. Many people just use a scrub brush to get all the soil off, but if you are paranoid like me I use the scrub brush, give them a quick rinse with the spray hose, and then immediately wipe dry with a paper towel)
3. Pluck the stems out of the center of the shrooms and gently scrape the creepy brown gills out of the insides with a spoon to make a bowl (careful not to be too aggressive or the shroomie will crumble)
4. If the stems are of decent size, cut them up and reserve to add to sauteed veggies later
5. Lightly coat the rounded side and edges of the mushrooms with olive oil and put in the oven for about 7 minutes
6. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and saute onions about 2 minutes
7. Add garlic and cook another minute
8. Add in peppers (at this stage you could also substitute diced zucchini or even diced eggplant and the mushroom stems)
9. Saute for about 2-3 more minutes, adding crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and/or spices of your choice
10. Add in spinach and bread crumbs and stir, turn off heat when spinach is well mixed in but not completely cooked
11. Then mix in the well beaten egg
12. Take out mushrooms and scoop the veggie mix on top of each mushroom - if they are overflowing that is a good thing
13. Top with cheese and throw back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and egg is cooked through and not runny
14. Serve immediately, including any stuffing that overflowed out of the mushroom bowls

Brian got two bc he needs to be stuffed more than I do

Good sides to this might be roasted asparagus, spinach salad, or risotto. I served spinach salad first while the shrooms baked. Since Brian doesn't get sick of things, I often make my side dishes with a lot of the same ingredients as the main dish because it makes shopping easier, and I don't have a bunch of half used vegetable going bad in the fridge.

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