Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Portobello

A low carb bacon cheeseburger stuffed portobello mushroom. It's getting warm and I want my summer burgers. This satisfies my craving without wads of fluffy white buns and their associated carbs!

Serves: 4

1 lb ground beef
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup tomato puree or sauce, check ingredients (make sure there is no sugar)
2 ½ tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp flax meal
4 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed
4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
⅓ cup grated cheese


Preheat oven to 400 F, and line or grease a baking sheet.
Add ground beef, sea salt, black pepper and minced garlic to a fry pan over medium high heat and cook until beef is browned.
Drain beef of excess fat.
In a large mixing bowl combine: browned ground beef and garlic, tomato sauce, flax meal and mayonnaise.
Mix together thoroughly.
Spoon equal amounts of meat mixture into hollow of the portobella mushrooms.
Top with chopped bacon.
Place mushrooms on a lined or oiled baking sheet.
Bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes until mushrooms are cooked.
Remove from oven and top with grated cheese if desired.
Allow to cool slightly. Top each with grated cheese and your favorite cheeseburger toppings!


Cook's Notes:

• Check the labels on your tomato products and mayonnaise. The GOOD ones don't add sugar
• ⅓ cup of cheese isn't much.  I must admit I drowned mine in loads of rich cheddar - and I LOVED it!

Chinese Braised Mushrooms

I love mushrooms. They are dense and meaty. They have a wonderful earthy flavor on their own and accept and carry added flavors well. This classic Chinese mushroom preparation not only makes a wonderful side dish by itself, but the mushrooms can also be added to other dishes, either sliced or whole. 

Chinese Braised Mushrooms 

Nutrition Facts 
Servings 4-6 

Amount per Serving 
Calories 46 
Total Fat 3.0g 
Cholesterol 0mg 
Sodium 350mg 
Total Carbohydrates 3.8g 
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 
Sugars 0.9g 
Protein 1.8g 


4 oz dried shiitake mushrooms 
3-4 cups hot water 
2 Tbs soy sauce 
2 Tbs Splenda Granular 
1 tsp toasted sesame oil 
3 Tbs peanut or vegetable oil 

Remove and discard the stems from the mushroom. 
Squeeze as much liquid from the mushroom caps as possible into a 2 cup (or larger) measuring cup. 
Add enough of the soaking liquid to make 1 1/2 cups total. 
Add the soy sauce, sweetener, and sesame oil, stirring to incorporate. 
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat and saute the mushroom caps for about 3 minutes. 
Add the liquid mixture, reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the mushrooms are shiny, about 3 minutes. 

Cook's Notes: The recipe calls for shiitake, but you can use about any dried mushroom available at your local market - the variety is delicious. I've tried fresh, but they don't impart the richness of flavor into the soaking liquid that makes this such an outstanding dish.

Grilled Portobellos Parmesan

Saturday morning started with a trip to the local farmer's market  where all the vegetable's are just now ready for this summer's close-up beauty shots. The corn is brilliant green, the cucumber's plump and juicy and the  variegated shades of the heirloom tomatoes make for an entire rainbow of deliciousness.  From the dairyman I bought fresh ricotta and mozzarella and the poultryman had some blue chicken eggs that were just too beautiful to pass up.  One odd thing that caught my attention was a stand of mushrooms.  She had some big gorgeous fresh portobellos.  You can tell they are fresh when the edges are still curled in tight.  With the natural "walls" still in place it makes it easy to stuff them.

Later, when dinner time was approaching, it was hot and humid in coastal North Carolina, so the last thing I wanted to do was fire up my kitchen to heat up the house.  I stared intently at my morning haul, trying to figure out a tasty, filling treat for the dear wife, the couple next door and me.  Obviously, a capressi salad would have been an acceptable choice, but we have those often - and I wanted to do something with those luscious mushrooms... I thought,  we're all familiar with eggplant Parmesan and chicken Parmesan and veal Parmesan, so why not portobello Parmesan?!?  And do it  on the grill outside in the shade!! No frying - no breading - WIN!!

Grilled Portobellos Parmesan

3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press (unless you have REALLY good knife skills and can puree the clove)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 large portobello mushroom caps, stemmed, gills scraped out if desired
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
4 thick tomato slices
4 slices Fontina cheese

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. 
Drizzle over the gill side of the mushrooms and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. 
Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. 
Place the tomato slices and the mushrooms (gill side down) over hot coals.  Heat the tomatoes through and cook mushrooms until the edges begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. 

Transfer the portobellos to a baking sheet, gill side up. 
Place a slice of grilled tomato in the hollow of each portobello
Divide the ricotta mixture among them, mounding it on the tomatoes. 
Top with the Fontina slices and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. 

Using a spatula, carefully transfer the mushrooms to the grill and cook until the portobellos are soft and the cheeses are melted, about 5 minutes.  

Serve with a mixed green salad.  Serves 4 

Cook's Notes: 
Variations on the theme..  
1) Smear a nice layer of pesto on the portobello before adding the tomato.  
2) If not tomato season, replace the tomato slice with a dollop your favorite marinara sauce.
3) Stuff it all in a bun and serve it to your vegetarian burger-buddies.

Mushroom and Sausage Mini Quiche

These crustless mini quiches are like portable omelets. They make excellent "plan ahead" breakfast fare. Or bake in mini-muffin tins for a small and satisfying finger food for your next cocktail party. 

Nutritional Data per quiche
Calories 67
Total Fat 4.9g
Saturated Fat 1.7g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 72mg
Sodium 98mg
Total Carbohydrates 1.1g
Sugars 0.8g
Protein 4.6g

8 ounces breakfast sausage
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 eggs
1 cup milk

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F.
Coat a (preferably nonstick) muffin tin generously with cooking spray.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Add oil to the pan.
Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage.
Let cool for 5 minutes.
Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.

Whisk eggs and milk in a medium bowl.
Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack.
Turn upright and let cool completely.


Cook's Notes: If you want to lighten the fat and cholesterol in this dish use this ingredients list instead:

8 ounces turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing and crumbled into small pieces
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup 1% milk

Nutritional Data per Quiche for the Lite version
Calories 60
Total Fat 4.2g
Saturated Fat 1.4g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 48mg
Sodium 98mg
Total Carbohydrates 1.1g
Sugars 0.8g
Protein 4.4g

Chevre and 'shrooms

A good stuffed mushroom is a little oozy, a little rich and a little bite or two. They are great for appetizers since they can be prepared in the morning and popped into the oven for a few minutes before you serve them, leaving you plenty of time to take a long hot bath and pretty yourself up before your guests arrive.

I have had a lot of different stuffed mushrooms and have enjoyed almost all of them. I have also made these in small portabellas for dinner with a salad. If you prefer a vegetarian version and if you are vegan, well, I can't help you because I totally love dairy.

This is more about method that quantities, so as the Italians say, "Use as much as you need"



Goat Cheese and Mushroom stuffed Mushrooms



Button Mushrooms
Chevre (goat cheese)
thyme
scallion
bread crumbs (Panko is crispy)
olive oil

remove stem from mushrooms and set aside
Drizzle caps w/ oil and bake (tops up) in 350 F oven for 5 minutes
Finely chop stems, scallion and thyme
add to 1 tsp olive oil in saute pan and cook 5 minutes

Flip mushroom caps upside down (open side up)
crumble in chevre
top with scallion/mushroom mixture
sprinkle on bread crumbs
drizzle with oil

Return to oven and cook until bread crumbs turn golden and crunchy
Accompany with a dollop of Balsamic Reduction for dipping

Serve along side a tiny alfalfa sprout salad dressed with a few drops of good olive oil and a spritz of lemon juice

Spicy Chipotle Mushrooms

If you like a little fiery food, you'll love this side dish. You can tone it down by using only half a chipotle. Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeños and are available canned in most supermarkets and Hispanic specialty shops. The smoky flavor and fiery heat do wonders to the otherwise tame mushrooms.


NY Strip with Chipotles Mushrooms and Wilted Spinach

Nutritional Values per serving:
Calories 111
Total Fat 9.4g
Saturated Fat 1.3g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 106mg
Total Carbohydrates 5.7g
Dietary Fiber 1.3g
Sugars 2.8g
Protein 2.9g

1 lb mushrooms, brushed clean
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chipotle chile in adobe (or to taste)
2 Tbs tomato paste
3/4 cup chicken stock
4 Tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon


Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop the stems, leaving the mushroom caps whole.
Combine the mushroom stems, onion, garlic, chipotle, tomato paste, and chicken
stock in an electric blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Heat half the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat and add the puree.
Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a separate skillet over high heat and saute the mushroom caps, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the chipotle puree to the mushrooms, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and stir in the lemon juice.
Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6


Cook's Notes: I love serving mine beside a nice rare steak on a bed of wilted spinach

Asparagus Mushroom Quiche

Beautiful asparagus at the store last night.. Looks like a crustless quiche for the wife and I tonight, with leftovers for lunch tomorrow!



Nutritional values per serving
Calories 155
Total Fat 6.4g
Saturated Fat 3.4g
Cholesterol 84mg
Sodium 403mg
Total Carbohydrates 7.1g
Dietary Fiber 2.0g
Sugars 2.2g
Protein 17.9g



1 1/2 lbs asparagus, trimmed
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 cup cottage cheese
4 oz Mozzarella cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
3 eggs
1 tsp mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Coat 10 inch quiche pan with nonstick cooking spray
Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces
Steam until tender - about 5 minutes
Cool and chop saving 8 pieces to decorate the top.
Saute mushrooms until tender, cool and chop
Puree cottage cheese, Mozzarella, onion, parsley, eggs and mustard in processor
Fold in chopped asparagus and mushrooms
Pour into prepared quiche pan (I used a 10 in cast iron skillet)
Sprinkle with Parmesan
Bake in preheated 325F oven for 1 hour or until set

Serves 8