Portabella Mushrooms Stuffed with Goat Cheese

2 large Portabella mushrooms

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Filling ~ about 2 oz. of goat cheese (1 oz. each)

Topping ~

about 1/2 cup of fresh bread crumbs

some freshly grated cheese (a few tablespoons)

finely chopped fresh herbs (about 2 tablespoons)

a pinch of kosher salt & a few grinds of black pepper

a couple of tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation ~

Preheat the oven to 425. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Scrape out the gills of the mushrooms with a spoon, cut out the stems and reserve. Line a small cookie sheet with foil (for easy cleanup), place the mushrooms, caps down on the cookie sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub around in the oil and vinegar on both sides and roast in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, caps down. Meanwhile, finely chop the stems. Mix the bread crumbs, grated cheese, herbs, finely chopped stems, s & p and olive oil in a small bowl. Once you have removed the mushrooms from the oven, let cool. Top each mushroom with goat cheese (about one ounce on each mushroom, broken into chunks) and then top with the crumb mixture. Pop back into the oven for about 6 minutes until the bread crumbs are brown and crisp and the goat cheese is oozy. Serve alongside or on top of a simple salad. Tonight, I used baby arugula and thinly sliced red onion, dressed with olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, s & p, and shards of Parmesan. With some fresh bread and butter, this was a filling and delicious late night meal. It would make an elegant lunch, too!

This is the type of meal that's a cinch, providing you have the stuff on hand. I always try to have fresh bread crumbs in stock (I keep them in a zip-lock bag in the freezer). Thankfully, fresh herbs are still plentiful in the yard. Goat cheese lasts a long time in the fridge. Keep some on hand for fast appetizers or to add to a salad. I try to always have fresh greens on hand in the fridge. Arugula tonight. Or....baby romaine, mixed greens or a mixed herb combination. Something tender and delicate. Lemons.... always on hand. Olive oil. Never without it. Hard cheese like Parmesan or Romano. Always. If you're stocked, you will ALWAYS have something wonderful to eat!

Stay stocked. Stay inspired. Stay with me.

Wishing you a fully stocked life and a fully stocked pantry,

Love, from Katie's Late Night Passion Kitchen

Katie

aka Katharine Fioretti

Note: The lovely orange nectar in the glass is actually Prosecco with a splash of Aperol, an ice cube, and a nectarine slice. Gorgeous color for this time of year and a refreshing late night sip.