Stuffed Mushrooms

I've just recently discovered that I don't hate mushrooms. I grew up in a household where one of our mushroom-loving friends used to bring her own shrooms to get-togethers, because my parents wouldn't deliberately purchase that nasty fungus.

I saw some beautiful baby portobellos at Trader Joe's - they looked more like really large crimini, but whatever. They were pretty. Into the basket they went.

















I minced up some veggies, sauteed, added some bread crumbs and cheese, stuffed, and baked. Yum. So yum that I did it again less than a week later. And again last night. But this time I added in some chopped smoked oysters (do you have any idea how hard it is to find smoked oysters that aren't a product of China?). Next time I might try adding some cooked sausage instead of oysters.

















Delicious.

<recipe>

Stuffed Mushrooms

olive oil or butter
6 large crimini (or 'bello) mushrooms, stems disconnected & chopped fine
1 stalk celery, diced fine
1 carrot, diced fine
1 large clove garlic, diced fine
a handful of fine bread crumbs
a handful of grated parmesan (or Gruyere, or pecorino, etc.)
chopped parsley (or other herb)
2 smoked oysters, chopped fine (yes, only 2, they're really potent) (optional)

Heat the oven to 350. Pre-bake the mushrooms caps (no need to wait for the oven to come to temp) until their liquid starts pooling in the caps.

Saute the veggies in your fat of choice until soft. Let cool slightly, then add the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, and oysters. Add a little more fat to moisten if you'd like, and season with a little salt (depending on the saltiness of your cheese) and pepper.

Stuff the mushroom caps with the mix, and top with a little more grated cheese. Bake until the caps are as soft as you'd like, or your kitchen smells too delicious to wait any longer.

</recipe>