Recipe: Grilled Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

Well, I gave you the recipe for the Roasted Red Pepper Pesto that tops this, so I should probably share our most popular vegetarian item- beloved of meat-eaters as well as vegetarians. Serves 2 to 4 people.

•  4 large portabello mushrooms, destemmed and washed

MARINADE:

• 1/2 cup cooking sherry
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1 tsp basil, dry

FILLING:

• 12 oz low aft cream cheese or neufchatel
• 4 Tbs fresh chives or scallions, chopped
• 2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
• 1 Tbs warm water
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and warm until just simmering. Marinate the mushrooms overnight in the refrigerator, with a weight upon them to keep them from floating above the liquid.
2. Combine all the filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
3. To cook the Mushrooms you can either grill them, use your broiler or cook in a non-stick pan with a whisper of olive oil. Cook gill side down for 1 1/;2 minutes on medium-high heat.
4. Turn and cook 1 minute more.
5. Fill the cap with a goodly amount of the of cheese mixture- with large enough mushrooms you'll use about a quarter of the mixture each.
6. At this point transfer your stuffed mushroom into a non-stick pan with a cover or create a cover you can use with the mushroom placed on aluminum foil if broiling or grilling. Melt the cheese by covering and steaming them by carefully adding a little warm water (about 1/2 Tbs) to the pan- or onto the foil. Keep covered tightly while steaming and let cook 1 to 1 1/2  minutes.
7. To Serve;: Place each mushroom on a plate over a bed of spinach or mixed greens. Garnish with a few Tbs to a 1/4 cup of the Roasted Red Pepper Pesto.

Filling will last up to 2 weeks when refrigerated in a covered container. Mushrooms can stay marinating up to a week before they get too soft. Marinade can be used twice before too much flavor is lost and will keep about a month in a closed container.

You can use smaller portabellos  if you want to use them as an appetizer.