Caprese Style Portobellos

caprese stuffed portobellosI love the large portobello mushroom caps because basically you can stuff them with almost anything you want resulting in a beautiful meal that you created in no time. You don’t need a bunch of ingredients to make them and you feel totally satisfied after you’ve eaten them.
stuffed portobello We often eat these as a main course during the week along with a nice big salad but if you want to make them as a delicious side dish next to grilled chops or a steak, I’m here to tell you they go perfectly together!

caprese mush
What’s not to like? All the flavors of a caprese salad plopped into a large portobello cap! It’s good, it’s really good.

caprese mush11One of the reasons this tastes so good is that you cut and prepare your cherry tomatoes ahead of time letting them sit in a bowl for a few minutes with your olive oil, fresh basil, salt and pepper, letting all the flavors meld together. I also like to scrape out the gills, it gives you more room for all the toppings, and of course good tomatoes are the key!

caprese mush9And lastly, and I wouldn’t say this unless I meant it, but if you really want to take the whole flavor experience over the top, finish it off some balsamic glaze!

Caprese Style Portobellos
 
Ingredients
  • large portobello mushroom caps, gills removed
  • cherry tomatoes, halved
  • shredded or fresh mozzarella ( although I've tried both I prefer the dryer shredded version for this because of the moisture factor seeping out)
  • fresh basil
  • olive oil
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.
  3. Brush the caps and rims with olive oil on each mushroom.
  4. Slice cherry or grape tomatoes in half, place in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, add chopped basil, salt and pepper. Let it sit for a few minutes to let the flavors meld.
  5. Place your cheese on the bottom of the mushroom cap, spoon on the tomato basil mixture and bake until cheese melts and mushrooms are cooked but not overcooked.
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Veggie "Wraps" Caprese Style!

Even though it’s the dead of winter here in Chicagoland, and the weather forecast says blizzard conditions here tomorrow with frigid temperatures, I still crave grilled veggies!

Thank goodness for an indoor grill pan! There’s no way you’d catch me out there grilling anything!

Grilling eggplant and zucchini indoors is so quick and easy. Get your grill pan nice and hot, brush your veggies with olive oil, cook till tender, and then while they’re still warm, layer with fresh basil, a ripe tomato slice, and a small bite size ball of fresh Bocconcini. Drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with pine nuts. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Add a salad, and have a great lunch, or a light dinner!

Nothing extraordinary, just simple, good food!
Buon Appetito!!!

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