**This recipe can also be used as an appetizer by substituting the large portobello mushrooms with 16 baby portobello mushrooms.
~ 4-6 large portobello mushrooms
~ 1 pound ground chicken or turkey breast
~ 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
~ 1 small onion, finely chopped
~ 3 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
~ Zest of 1 lemon
~ 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
~ 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
~ 1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung of excess liquid
~ salt and pepper
~ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
~ 1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds
1. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Remove the stems and finely chop.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 400ºF.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, fennel seed, onion, garlic, lemon zest, half of the cheese, the chopped mushroom stems, breadcrumbs and spinach and season with salt and pepper. Season the mushroom caps as well with salt and pepper, then brush them lightly with EVOO and stuff the mixture into them.
4. Arrange the stuffed mushrooms on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Leave some room around each mushroom to prevent the caps from getting steamy. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and nuts on the caps and transfer to the oven.
5. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
6. Serve warm.
*Personal touch - We used ground turkey...it's cheaper than chicken and usually easier to find. We used chopped almonds for the same reason. The only pine nuts I could find were somewhere around $14.00 for 1 bag.
** We rate this recipe a 5 star! We ate it by itself and it was so filling.
