Stuffed Mushrooms

Portobellos are so mellow!

 Susan gave me these portobello mushrooms. However, since I'd never cooked those giants before (that's a dinner plate in the picture.),  I searched on the internet for a recipe.  On the Food Network website I found this one by Emeril Lagasse. It was for six mushrooms but I only had two. Oh well. No problem. So I adapted it. Here.

2 large portobello mushrooms
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more more drizzling
1 sweet Italian sausage (or use hot)
1/4 cup onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup sweet bell pepper, chopped finely (for color use yellow, red or orange)
1/4 cup celery, chopped finely
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, minced (optional)
1 teaspoon dried herbs, e.g. basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme
1 egg lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Spray a baking tray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Slit the sausage casing and scrape out the meat into a small bowl. Set aside. Discard casing. In a medium bowl, combine onion, bell pepper, and celery. Set aside. Lightly rub mushrooms with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Put on prepared baking tray and set aside.

In a medium skillet with the heat turned to medium high, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, until, as they say on America's Test Kitchen, the oil begins to shimmer. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Cook the sausage meat until no longer pink, breaking up the chunks with a wooden spoon. Add the onion mixture and cook until vegetables are tender. Add the bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add cheese, parsley (if using), herbs, and egg. Mix thoroughly.  [I used 3 egg yolks left over from baking a sponge cake.]

Spoon filling generously into each mushroom cap, making the top rounded. If desired, drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on filled mushrooms. Bake 15-18 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the mushrooms are tender. Serve at once. Eat. All gone.