Mushrooms

Mushrooms, our family loves them, forage for them, take pictures of them .......

Growing up in our family we had many mushroom picking adventures.  It was a day that my parents gathered all of us children (4) and packed a picnic lunch, some homemade Atvar ( fruit juice), pickled eggs, cheese, homemade bread and more.   Off we went for the day to  pick the mushrooms that were in season.  We picked certain kinds in the Spring and others in the Fall.  Memories of this time in my life always make me smile.  My brother and sisters and I had fun running in the mountains, playing in the streams, picking berries along the paths and just being children.  My  Mother or Father would point out the mushrooms that we were there to find, and once we got older we were then able to help pick the mushrooms.  After the picking we head back home to clean and process them for either pickled or canned to use for meals  later in the year.  A favourite of our family was corral mushrooms sauteed in a bit of butter with onions and garlic and sliced potatoes, any leftovers were  scrambled the next morning with eggs.   I am slowly learning what species and what time of the year mushrooms grow here on the West Coast rain forest of BC. In the last 5 years I have managed to  find Shaggy Manes,  Puff Balls and Morels and a few Coral mushrooms on a hike one day.

Last night my daughter Anastasia asked me to cook up one of her favourite dishes, Stuffed  Portobello Mushrooms - these are stuffed with  mozzarella, artichokes, Parmesan cheese and more.

PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH ARTICHOKES

Dinner of Artichoke stuffed Portobello Mushroom

with a side of pearl couscous.

Ingredients you will need.

Sauteed onion, garlic and mushroom stems

Delicious just like this....smells so good already.

Cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise added.

Shredded cheeses  and Boursin cheese added and mixed,

ready for stuffing into the  Portobellos.

 Almost there.....



Top with thinly sliced tomatoes and more mozzarella

or  Parmesan

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

5   Portobello mushrooms

1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated),  chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp cream cheese (I use light)

3 Tbsp  mayonnaise (I use light)

1 1/2 Tbsp Boursin cheese (herb & garlic) - optional see note below

2-3 Tbsp sour cream (I use light)

1-2 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Tabasco sauce, to  your taste

Salt, pepper to taste

 Remove stems from the Portobellos, and chop finely.  Place the mushroom caps on a greased

 cookie sheet, set aside.

 Make filling by chopping and sauteing the onion and garlic in the butter,

add the mushroom stems and saute another 3-4 minutes.   Cool slightly.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the shredded cheeses, sour cream, cream cheese.

Add Tabasco and the cooled mushroom/onion/garlic, artichoke hearts

Season to taste with salt and pepper

With a spoon top the Portobello caps with the filling,  top with thinly sliced tomatoes.

Sprinkle with either more mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

Serve with either couscous, rice or potatoes and a side salad.



*Note:  I used the Boursin - had some left over from Christmas Day

Love, Peace and Joy

Love
to make your memories brighter...
Peace
to make your heart at rest...
Joy
to make your celebration wonderful and really blessed.

Happy New Year