South Beach Portabella Florentine

*Pixie*'s Note:

A light version of baked stuffed portobello mushrooms, suitable for Phase 1 of the South Beach diet and probably other diets as well. Submitted for Ready Set Cook Winter 2005. Note: spinach or mushroom haters should avoid this recipe.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0 mushrooms

• 4 portabella mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 5 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons grated lowfat mozzarella cheese (or a little more if you prefer)
• salt and pepper (to taste) (optional)

Directions:

1. Brush the mushrooms and remove the stem and scoop out some of the gills so that a shallow cup is formed.
2. Chop the stems and gills into small pieces.
3. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon basil in a small glass bowl for a minute or so until well combined (should be cloudy looking).
4. Turn the mushrooms gill side down on a nonstick baking pan and brush the non-gill side throughly with the olive oil mixture, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper as desired.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Use the brush to coat a non stick frying pan with any remaining olive oil mixture then add 1/2 teaspoon more olive oil, the garlic and chopped mushroom and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
7. Add the spinach, 1 teaspoon basil and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and cook stirring frequently for another 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach is completely wilted, remove from heat and add salt and pepper if desired.
8. Whisk the eggs until yolk and white are well combined and then mix in the spinach mixture.
9. Flip the mushrooms so that the gill side is upward and divide the spinach mixture evenly between the mushrooms being careful not to spill egg on the pan.
10. Sprinkle each mushroom with 1 tablespoon grated mozzarella cheese.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the mushrooms are done and cheese is lightly browned.

Reviews

[little_wing]

Very very good, even if you aren't on the South Beach diet. I didn't have enough spinach so I added a bit of diced celery and some diced canadian bacon. Very tasty and meaty. Thanks for sharing!

[Spencer #2]

Excellent! It even looked pretty when I served it. My grocery store didn't carry Portabello caps but large button mushroom caps also worked well.

[Impera_Magna]

Very tasty side dish and certainly spectacular looking on the plate. I followed the recipe but needed twice the amount the stuff to brush over the mushrooms and then need to make some more in which to saute the mushroom pieces and garlic. Not a big deal tho; went very smoothly. DD and I are on Phase 2 of SB and next time I think I'll add some cheese to the spinach filling and maybe some chopped onion sauted w/ the mushrooms and garlic. Just a personal preference... I love onions! Thanks for a great recipe. I'll definitely be making this again!