Stuffed Portabella Mushroom featuring Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Cheese

Dear Foodies who hate mushrooms:

While I do not apologize for this dish, I understand. You feel about mushrooms the way I feel about… … (trying to think of something I don’t like…) … oh, terragon! I hate terragon. So yes, I can empathize!

But rest assured the other Laughing Cow recipes I developed are mushroom free and delicious. Check back throughout this week as I share how Bariatric Foodie imagines the possibilities with The Laughing Cow!

To everyone else:

So I bought this Portabella Mushroom. And I’d never cooked one before so I was a bit nervous about the whole thing. I mean I’d eaten one before and loved it but never cooked one. I asked for suggestions on Facebook and Twitter but finally I decided, you know what, I’m gonna use what’s in my refrigerator! I have an abundance of veggies that need using and it seemed wasteful to go out and buy more food, especially considering I’m leaving town in two days!

So here’s what I came up with.

Nik’s Baked Stuffed Portabella featuring Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Cheese

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 Portabella mushroom, cleaned, stemmed and “spongy part” gills removed
• 2 tbsp. diced onions
• 2 tbsp. finely diced zucchini
• 2 tbsp. finely diced yellow squash
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 wedges Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp. Herbs de Provence (or fresh herbs of your choosing work well too!)
• 1 heaping tablespoon your favorite shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Clean outside of mushroom with a damp paper towel and then spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Use salt and pepper as desired.

Spray down a small skillet and sautee the onions, squash, zucchini and garlic until just tender.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix together Laughing Cow wedges and egg. Add vegetables.

Place mushroom in a baking pan that’s been coated with nonstick and pour egg/cheese/veggie mixture in. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set, cheese is brown on top and the mushroom has flattened considerably.

I garnished with fresh diced tomatoes (I liked the pop of color).

WARNING: A full-size Portabella is going to yield more than one serving. My advice? Let it cool for a few minutes and slice it like a pizza. It keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge and if you’re ok with reheated food, this reheats well in the microwave. If you’re not good with reheated food then you might consider either halving the filling recipe and using baby bellas OR sharing this recipe with someone you love, who also loves mushrooms.

Enjoy!

Nik's Zesty Skillet Mushroom Chicken

Better pic forthcoming...I promise! I made it yesterday for tonights dinner which...hasn't happened yet.



I’ve found, in my experience, that people either love mushrooms or they hate them. Every once in a while I’ll run into the rare person who says, “Enhhh, I can take them or leave them,” but again…that’s pretty rare.

Me? Definitely on Team Mushroom! I put them in egg scrambles, on tortilla pizzas, in casseroles…and now in this yummy and quick skillet dish.

But when I posted the picture of it on the Bariatric Foodie Facebook Wall yesterday, I was reminded of the polarizing effect of mushrooms (and mushroom sauce). To those who hate mushrooms I have this to say: play with your food!

Nik’s Zesty Skillet Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breasts
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
1 medium onion, cut into slivers
About 6-8 large button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp low-calorie butter stick (or butter, if that’s your thing)
10.5 oz. can of low-fat cream of mushroom soup
½ c. skim milk
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH CHICKEN:

Try my chicken marinating technique: place chicken in a zip-top bag with a container of unflavored Greek yogurt for a few hours. Do it in the morning before you leave for work and trust me, your chicken will be transformed! I’ve not yet a chicken intolerant person yet who hasn’t been able to eat chicken made this way, so give it a try! I promise, the yogurt cooks off and you will NOT taste it!

Once you are ready to cook, season your chicken with garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper on both sides. Then cook your chicken in a heavily sprayed skillet (don’t use your George Foreman or grill pan for this one. I’ll tell you why in a moment.)

When chicken is done, set it aside but don’t cut it yet. Let it reabsorb those juices! Meanwhile, toss your tablespoon of butter in the skillet and let it melt down, then add the mushrooms and onions. Cook until softened, stirring often. This is where the skillet comes in handy. The little bits of crud left by your chicken go into the onions and mushrooms, infusing it with flavor!

NOW dice up your chicken and return it to the skillet and stir.

Add your cream of mushroom soup and milk and stir that thoroughly and then taste. If you need more salt or pepper (I like a LOT of pepper in this), adjust. Let it come to a bubble.

Finally, add your two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and stir that into the entire mixture and let it simmer another five minutes or so.

This stuff is SOOOOO good! I am eating mine atop some cauliflower rice. If your family is into mushroom chicken, this would go well with regular rice or atop a REALLY crusty piece of bread (provided you can handle being around said crusty bread).