Don't walk so quickly past those mushrooms in the grocery store. Mushrooms are a great way to change up your daily meal routine without sacrificing those needed vitamins and nutrients. Check out our recipe below for stuffed portobello mushrooms that you can easily make at home.
Kacie Vavrek, MS, RD, CSSD, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says this recipe is a simple plant-based recipe that boosts whole food (aka unprocessed) intake, but does not sacrifice flavor.
"The sun-dried tomatoes and pesto create a flavorful profile while providing healthy fats and nutrients from plant foods," Vavrek says.
Vavrek says the recipe is great for heart healthy fats and is also low in saturated fat and cholesterol. However, she cautions that it is also higher in calories.
She explains an easy substitution to improve the healthfulness of this recipe is to drastically reduce the amount of pesto by at least half.
Additionally, this meal could be easily converted to a vegan meal by eliminating the cheeses or replacing with a plant-based/vegan cheese for anyone following a vegan meal plan. For anyone with celiac disease, removing the bread crumbs could make this a gluten-free meal.
Mushrooms are packed with nutrients, including a variety of vitamins and minerals depending on the mushroom type, including selenium and vitamin D. Mushrooms also contain antioxidants that are proven to reduce free radical production that can lead to certain cancers. Vavrek says some positive studies involve the phytonutrients in mushrooms and a decrease in breast cancer. Mushrooms are naturally very low in calories and sodium and can provide a decent amount of fiber. Mushrooms also provide a small amount of protein per serving and are often used as a meat substitute in some recipes.
4 servings:
Portobello mushrooms:
Stuffing:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to clean and dry well. Do not rinse under water. Brush the tops of the mushrooms with canola oil and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together the pesto sauce, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes and the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and mix thoroughly.
4. Divide the mixture evenly into the 4 mushroom caps and top each with some mozzarella cheese.
5. Put in the oven and cook until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.
Nutrition value estimate by ingredient (Based on 1 mushroom serving):
620 calories
16g protein
23g carbohydrates
50g fat (mostly unsaturated)
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