Meatless Monday - Panko Packed Portobello

One of my favorite things to consume, when I am not consuming meat, is mushrooms; especially shiitake.  Shiitake have an extremely meaty flavor, for being "meat free".   Add that to the "meaty" texture of a Portobello mushroom, and you have a recipe for deliciousness that can fool even the most ravenous of carnivores.

Granted, this recipe also includes a significant amount of gorgonzola cheese. Gorgonzola, like most blue cheeses, is blessed with glutamates.  While the level is not nearly as high as that of Parmigiano-Reggiano, the undisputed king of cheeses, it is significant enough to provide even more of that savory umami response on your taste buds.  This, again, lends to that "meat" sensation along with Shiitake flavor and the Portobello texture.

This also makes great lunch time fare... At which point you can still have a steak for dinner. :)  Me?  I am OK with the occasional meatless dinner.  For some reason, I feel healthier when I remove meat from my diet at least 1 day out of the week.  Honestly, if I didn't eat so much fish already, I would probably go meatless more often. 

Panko Packed Portobello

4 Portabello Mushroom Caps
Olive Oil
4 oz (113g) Shiitake, minced
2 TB unsalted Butter
a couple sprigs of Thyme leaves
3 oz (85g) Gorgonzola, crumbled (or shredded Gruyere or Gouda)
3/4 cup Panko
2 TB Italian Parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) degrees.
First, remove the stems of the Portobello.

Slice off the bottom, to clean up the stem a little before finely mincing them.

Remove the stems from the Shiitake and toss (they are usually way too woody to eat),

then mince the Shiitake caps as well.

Place the Portobello caps in a glass baking dish, gills down, and brush liberally with olive oil and place in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet.

Add the minced mushrooms and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the flame and allow it to cool slightly before adding the Thyme, Panko, and Parsley.

Crumble the Gorgonzola and stir it into the mixture as well.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and flip the caps over so the gills are exposed.

Divide the filling amongst the Portobello caps, pressing lightly to form a nice dome of deliciousness.

Place until the broiler for about 5-10 minutes or until the filling is nicely browned.

Serve with a light Uplandcress Salad with Meyer Lemon Citrusette.

Mangia!!
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