The Fungus Amongus

I must admit...the first thing I think of when I hear the word "fungus" is anything but food.  My thoughts go to either gross toenails or the ever-so-popular Incubus album....had to give them props for giving me a good post title...and good music =)

Mushrooms, as you probably already know, are a type of fungus.  Not all of them should be eaten, but many can be and are.  It`s sort of difficult to give them much credit in the area of nutrition.  They are roughly 90% water and are good sources of B vitamins, selenium, potassium, and vitamin D. Aside from that, their value comes from their versatility.  They are a low calorie option that can add bulk to a salad, texture to a pasta, and substance to a gravy.  Even moreso, they can be used as a meat replacement.  Portabellos, in particular, are great for this.  They can be grilled and served hamburger-style on a bun.  They can be thrown on a pizza to replace sausage or pepperoni.  They can also be stuffed, baked, and served as a main course.  That`s what I wanted to post about today.  Since my sis and I are doing this vegetarian adventure together, I wanted to post one of her recipes.  These are very pleasing to the eye and I would suggest them as an easy entree for when you have company!



Stuffed Portabellos

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar  

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

4 large portobello mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium-sized red pepper, diced and chunked

1/2 medium-sized green pepper, diced and chunked

1/2 medium-sized red onion, diced and chunked

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 (6 ounce) jar artichoke hearts in brine, drained and chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Stir the vinegars, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a small bowl until blended. Place the mushrooms into a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in the vinegar mixture, seal bag, and turn gently to coat mushrooms evenly with marinade. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Place the olive oil into a skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Stir in the peppers, onion, and spinach; cook and stir about 5 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Remove mushrooms from marinade, carefully shake off any excess, and discard marinade. Place mushrooms in prepared dish, top side down. Spoon the pepper, onion, and spinach mixture evenly over the mushrooms. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Divide the tomatoes and artichoke hearts evenly between the mushrooms. Top each mushroom with Parmesan cheese.
5. Place in preheated oven, and bake until the cheese melts, about 12 minutes. Serve hot.

*Hannah`s tip: Be gentle when you're cleaning the mushrooms and removing the
stalk because they are very sensitive and can break easily. 


....Thanks, Nanners.