Bellissima Portabella with Not-so-Mozzarella

I've been looking for health-ful, non-chemical laden animal substitutes for everyday eating. I am a new Rice Milk convert for milk & cereal (I swear, you can't tell the difference from skim milk), and this morning I tried Silk Live Soy Yogurt for the first time. Mmm. Rich and creamy, tastes like fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt. We will see how the Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella comes into play in a little bit. :)

I was craving something a little meatier tonight - Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms!

This is a variation of the Savory Stuffed Mushroom recipe found in Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites (thanks for the cookbook, Annie! I love it!!).

1 package baby portabellas

1 cup diced green onions

2 cloves garlic

3 tbs chopped basil

1/4 cup parsley

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

salt & pepper to taste

vegan mozzarella

3 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic, mixed in a separate bowl

1/4 cup toasted sun flower seeds

Preheat oven to 450.

Wash portabella and twist out stems. Chop stems and set aside for later.

Toast up some sunflower seeds. This only takes about a minute (my first batch burned!). They should be golden brown. Place aside for later.

In pan, brown garlic and onions. Add in mushroom stems and allow them to reduce slightly. Basil, parsley, and breadcrumbs. Toast mixture for 1-2 minutes, toss in seeds, and toss for one more minute until well-mixed.

In separate bowl, mix olive oil - balsamic, 3/1. You don't need a lot.

Coat mushrooms in oil, then roll in bread mixture. Stuff with mixture, trying to get as many stems & seeds in there as you can. Place in pan.

Bake for 10 minutes. Take out and place slices of vegan mozzarella on top. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Crunchy, melty, meaty mushrooms. Served with leftover Spanish Rice & Chickpeas.

The result is .... mmm. I think next time I'll mix in some tomatoes and spinach to make it heartier, or even some Morningstar tofu crumbles. I think these are intended as an appetizer, but I like them as my main course!