Florentine Stuffed Mushrooms

The word Florentine refers to a recipe that is prepared in the style of the Italian region of Florence. Florentine recipes will typically feature a conspicuous cast of characters such as meat, poultry or fish, served on a bed of spinach, and then topped with cheese. I should call these beauties “Mushrooms not so Florentine,” as I dispensed with the cheese and replaced spinach with the arugula. Crushed almonds make a cameo here as well, picking up on the earthy tones of the portobello and thyme.

Along with the other fragrant ingredients, these mushrooms are stuffed with their own stems. So as not to waste anything, I cut up the stems and added them to the stuffing mix, essentially making this treat pretty full of itself, and deservingly so, in my opinion. The key to packing these mushrooms with flavor lies in the sweetness of the caramelized onions and garlic, which weaves its way through the mixture. Combined with the nuts, bread crumbs, bitter arugula and the stems I could not resist taking the spoon to the bowl and eating the stuffing straight. I packed the rest into these little buttons and used the leftover stuffing to put it into a salad and over some grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

• 24 portobello mini mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped arugula
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup crushed almonds
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Pull stems out of mushrooms and lay caps on cookie sheet. Chop the stems very finely and set aside. Preheat frying pan on medium heat. Add oil and allow to heat up. Add onions, thyme and garlic. When onions begin to brown, add chopped mushroom stems, arugula, and breadcrumbs.Continue to cook until tender and moisture has been absorbed. Remove form heat. Add optional Parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir in well. Stuff each mushroom cap with filling. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.