Ben Cooper's September Recipe - Mediterranean filled Portobello Mushrooms with Goats Cheese and Mozzarella
What is in season in September?
Aubergine, Beetroot, Blackberries, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Courgettes, Chicory, Chillies, Cucumber, Damsons, Garlic, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mangetout, Marrow, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Peas, Peppers, Plums, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Sorrel, Spinach, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Sweetcorn, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Wild Mushrooms.
What can I eat now?
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 spring onions chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced or finely chopped
- 2 friggitello peppers finely sliced (if you prefer a spicier and hotter taste use 2 cayenne peppers instead)
- 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
- 30g spinach roughly chopped
- 8 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 30g goat cheese crumbled
- pinch of salt or to taste
- pinch of ground black pepper or to taste
- 60g* fresh breadcrumbs (*approximately until the mixture just starts to absorb excess liquid)
- 60g grated mozzarella cheese
Pre-heat oven to 190°C / gas mark 5.
Method:
- Carefully remove the stems from the mushrooms (Do not throw away the stems from the mushrooms but chop them up to be added to the filling). Place the mushroom stem side down onto a baking tray lined with parchment and brush with a little olive oil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the water leaks out of them. Remove from the oven and use paper towels to soak up the excess water. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and on a medium heat sauté the chopped onion, garlic and red peppers for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Turn up the heat and add the green peppers and spinach to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add tomatoes, chopped mushrooms stems and finally the *breadcrumbs. Stir and cook for a couple minutes to take the raw edge off the ingredients. Set aside to cool.
- Once the mixture is cool, crumble with the goat’s cheese.
- Fill the mushrooms with the mixture equally and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese melts.