Hot Topic------Salad

Just realized that this is a bit of a milestone for my blog....this is my fifty-first recipe, so that is kind a something. Does not seem like I have been doing this long enough to rack of fifty dishes, but times flies when your having fun.

Today I made Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms with Tomato and Bread Salad.

Ingredients
8 portabello mushroom caps
EVOO, for brushing mushrooms, plus 1/4 cup
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted(I used fresh)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg yolk
1 clove garlic grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
6 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20, torn
4 cups crusty bread, torn or coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced



Tidbit: Panzanella, stale bread salad, requires that you soak and wring out the bread before assembling the salad. If you make this with fresh crusty bread or the bread has staled a bit but not hardened, the juice from the tomatoes should be enough to tenderize the bread's crusty edges.

Preheat grill to medium-high and oven to 425 degrees F.

Using a damp towel, brush mushroom caps to clean. Using a pastry brush, coat the caps with EVOO and grill with lid down or roast about 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until tender but still firm at center.

Wring the spinach out in a clean kitchen towel. Separate the spinach with your fingers and combine with artichokes, ricotta cheese, egg yolk, grated garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and nutmeg.

Remove mushroom caps from grill.

To portion-control the filling, divided the stuffing into 4 parts then just split each of those evenly between 2 caps. Sprinkle the caps with Parmigiano and cook 5 to 6 minutes more in the preheated oven to set filling and lightly brown tops.


Do not seed tomatoes. Chop and place in a salad bowl. Add basil, bread, onions, 1/4 cup EVOO, lots of salt and pepper and toss with your hands to combine.

Serve 2 caps with a pile of salad alongside.

The Verdict..........well I had a friend try this and she thought it was pretty good, but it did take me a while to make this(around 50 mins), not that it was difficult to make, but I kept stopping to watch that new Friday the 13th movie hollywood remade..........you will probably not be surprised to hear that jason is still killing lots of overly hormonal teens. Anyway, the dish was very good and something I woul make again when not distracted by screaming camp crystal lake campers.

Until Tomorrow........