I solemly swear; I could never go vegetarian. Pescatarian? Perhaps. I really don't think I'd miss land meat if I was feasting on scallops, crab, Ahi tuna, and halibut every damn day. But vegetarain...heck, no. It's not a dietary life change that I've ever had the slightest desire to attempt. Sure, as a devout animal lover, I'm weary about eating meat sometimes. But that feeling passes. And knowing that the meat I purchase is always humanely raised, grass-fed, antibiotic free, etc. makes me feel a trillion times better.
Oh, and there are definitely certain "meats" that I simply won't touch. Even if every crazed foodie I'm with rolls their eyes and calls me a tree hugger. I do have my limits.
While I do love shellfish, bacon, lamb, pulled pork, and even the (very) occasional filet mignon, I really quite enjoy vegetables. I like filling up on greens (and whites, reds, oranges, etc.) so much in fact, sometimes I can go without meat. For an entire day, even. And at the end of that meatless day, I'm not really fazed. But the very next morning, I'm craving some delicious apple and maple turkey sausage the second I wake up.
Last week I had one of those vegetarain-inspired days. I didn't even notice until Chris asked that night at dinner what we'd be having with our oversized stuffed portobello mushrooms. Whoops. Sorry, my carnivorous man. But I suppose he kinda has to eat what I put on the table...since the kitchen isn't exactly his fun zone.
With just one bite, he wasn't longing for meat. For these stuffed mushrooms offer so much meatiness and an abundance of flavors. Stuffed with sauteed and chopped artichoke, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, onion, and a sprinkling of feta cheese, they're pretty bodacious, I tell you. All topped off with a Caper brown butter sauce and you've forgotten about that little thing called "meat" for a week. Yes, they're that good. They're also incredibly easy and quick to make.
Spinach-Artichoke Sun-dried Tomato and Feta Stuffed Mushrooms with a Brown Butter Caper Sauce
Ingredients:
Pack of 6 large "stuffing" portobellos (These can be hard to find as they're a unique size. If you can't find them, just use 4 regular portobello caps)
1-8 ounce bottle/can artichoke hearts
1-10 ounce bag fresh spinach
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
For the Caper Brown Butter:
1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon brined capers
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
Directions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Twist stems out of mushrooms and discard. Using a damp paper-towel, clean any dirt off the mushrooms. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl and with a brush (or your hands) brush all mushroom caps with oil. Then, sprinkle the mushrooms with salt. Place in an oven-safe pan and set aside.
3) In a large pan, bring 2 tablespoons olive oil to medium heat. Then, add the shallots and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Then, add the artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the spinach and sauté until reduced by half. Remove pan from heat.
5) Put the spinach, artichoke, etc. in a food processor along with the feta cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse 4-5 times until coarsely chopped. Then, generously stuff all of the mushroom caps. Place in the oven for 25 minutes.
6) When the mushrooms only have 5 minutes baking time remaining, melt 1/2 stick butter on medium-low heat in a small pan. When melted, add the minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir occasionally and cook until it's golden brown in color. Skim off foam if necessary. Add the capers at the end and stir another minute.
7) Remove mushrooms from oven and let sit for a few minutes while you attend to the brown butter. Serve mushrooms and pour brown butter sauce on top.
8) Enjoy!
