Mozzarella & Tomato Stuffed Portabellos with Roasted Red Peppers & Asparagus

Growing up and well into my adulthood, I was not a huge fan of vegetables. In fact, I never ate any vegetables unless it was covered with Ranch dressing. I didn't realize how much delicious food I was missing out on until I started trying veggies in various form....roasted, grilled, sauteed.

Portabellos are such a great vegetable. They are so meaty that I, along with many others, consider them the steak of the vegetarian world. I had my first portabello "burger" about 4 years ago at the Rocky River Brewing Company and I was immediately sold. It was marinated in balsamic vinegar and paired with the perfect veggies & mozzarella cheese...I didn't regret for a minute that I didn't opt for "real" burger instead.

Tonight I tried my hand at making a stuffed portabello cap as a main dish and served it up with a side of roasted red peppers and asparagus and my taste-buds were pleasantly surprised. And not to toot my own horn, but Justin actually said it was so good that it could be served at a gourmet restaurant (brownie points for the Ju-man!).

If you have never been a fan of veggies or haven't known how to prepare them, take a stab at this recipe. I think you'll become an instant veggie-lover.

INGREDIENTS:

For the roasted veggies....
1 lb green asparagus, trim off the ends
2 large red peppers, core and julienne lengthwise
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium shallot, sliced
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

For the stuffed portabellos...
4 medium-large portabello caps
1/4 c balsamic vinegar + another tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1 lb sweet tomatoes, diced (about 5-6 Roma tomatoes)
4oz of pearled fresh mozzarella cheese
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

HOW-TO:

Preheat your oven to 425*.

In a 9x13 baking dish, add all of the ingredients for the roasted veggies & toss until evenly combined. Place the veggies in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, heat 2 tbsp of EVOO in a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Clean the portabello caps with a damp paper towel. Place 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar on a small plate that has edges, or you could use a large bowl. Brush 1 portabello cap with the balsamic so it is evenly coated and set aside. Repeat this with the remaining 3 caps.

Once they are coated with the balsamic, place the cap in the heated grill pan and grill each side for about 3-4 minutes.

While the mushroom caps are grilling, in a large bowl ad the tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, 1tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 2tbsp of EVOO, basil, salt, and pepper and mix together.

Evenly scoop the tomato & mozzarello salad into the 4 caps and serve alongside the roasted veggies.

TIPS:
- You could make each of these dishes separately and serve them as sides alongside grilled chicken or steak.
- I broke out the nutritional info per dish in case you decide to serve these separately.
- Add a side of brown rice or pearled couscous to this dish if you are looking to add a starch.

Nutritional Info Per Serving (recipe yields 4 servings):
Calories: 302
Fat: 19
Sodium: 358
Carbs: 20g
Protein: 13g

Roasted Veggies Only:
Calories: 112
Fat: 7g
Sodium: 143mg
Carbs: 9g
Protein: 3g

Stuffed Portabello Mushroom Caps Only:
Calories: 190
Fat: 12g
Sodium: 215mg
Carbs: 11g
Protein: 10g