Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

We indulge in appetizers sporadically at home.  Appetizers are usually reserved for entertaining or special occasions.  Every once in awhile I either am testing a new appetizer recipe or idea.  Such is the life of a food blogger but really I would be doing it whether I was blogging or not. 

A couple of nights ago we had pan fried cod, steamed potatoes, spaghetti squash and stuffed portabello mushrooms.  Portabello mushrooms are a wonderful meat replacement but because of their size they are ideal for stuffing, grilling and even browning.  I bought a package of portabello mushrooms because they were on sale.

Stuffing for portabello mushrooms can be just about anything from vegetable based to meat or seafood based.  We really like them stuffed with crab meat or pizza stuffing.  The deep, woodsy flavour of the portabello mushrooms really compliments savory flavours like sage and rosemary.

I decided to use a simple bread stuffing for the portabello mushrooms.  The stuffing was beyond simple yet it made for a very nice appetizer.  I just mixed soft broken bread with a bit of butter, poultry season, salt and pepper then rolled it into a ball to stuff the mushroom cap and topped with Parmesan cheese.  I served the stuffed portabello mushroom caps with pan fried cod, steamed potatoes and spaghetti squash.

Now, if you look at the plate you will notice everything is close to the same colour which is something I try to avoid for both nutrition and presentation.  I am craving spaghetti squash likely because we have not been getting enough beta carotene in our diet lately.  Cravings are always an indication of some type of nutrient missing in the diet.  At any rate, the meal was served with a tossed garden salad so at least we got a few greens into the meal!