Taming The Beast – Baked Portobello
When I first tasted roasted portobello sandwich, I took all the mushroom slices out and ate just the bread. It was too meaty for my liking and I vowed never to lay my hands on it again. Even though crimini and shitake were regulars in my kitchen, portobello took a long time to be accepted. Until I learnt to tame the beast, that is.
I understood that this meaty fungus takes more than a simple salt and pepper seasoning. Taking inspiration from a restaurant meal, I recreated the recipe with few twists of my own. The cavity is filled with spicy tomato-cream sauce(or any tomato sauce you have on hand) and topped with two kinds of cheese, like a pizza. To make it a wholesome meal, I serve it on a bed of salad greens. The tomato-cheese filling is spicy, tangy and creamy; the greens, dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette, are crisp and fresh. Healthy, filling and best of all, tasty. Now there is no reason not to welcome this mighty but, tamed beast, into my kitchen. This entrée salad goes to No Croutons Required - Mushrooms, a monthly soup and salad challenge hosted by Lisa and Holler.
IngredientsPortobello mushroom – 2, large sizedMarinara or any tomato sauce – ½ cup
Mozzarella cheese – ½ cup, shredded
Parmesan cheese – 2 tbsp, grated
Salad greens – enough to serve two
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Salt
PepperMethod
Preheat oven to 400F. Clean mushroom caps with a damp towel. With a small spoon, gently remove the gills and tough stems. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and spoon marinara sauce into it. Top with mozzarella cheese followed by grated parmesan. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Let the mushrooms rest for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, dress salad greens with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve warm portobello over the greens.
