I love Portobello mushrooms, well any mushrooms really!  So meaty, so flavorful; I find them to be a great substitute for meat, ie the mushroom burger. They could make a great vehicle for pizza as well. Unfortunately my daughter does not like mushrooms; her palate has not matured yet. * Fingers Crossed * one day she will get there, I can’t complain she does try almost everything I make and she is not a fussy eater. Because she does not like mushrooms, we decided to remove the core of a tomato and use this as our base for the crab imperial. Still came out very good, She did eat it all!  Stephan and I loved the way this came out and he was raving about it while eating his second helping. You can make the mushroom recipe alone and not put the crab on it, but all together this was an amazing meal, very filling and it certainly has the elegance of a restaurant quality meal.  It is fairly easy to make and would be a great meal for when you have a nice dinner party!

What you will need for the mushrooms;
4 Portobello mushroom caps (I did three and one tomato)
2 handfuls mixed salad greens, usually half a bunch
4 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 teaspoonsminced garlic
Salt and pepper
1 large tomato
1 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 c. marinara sauce (your favorite)
1 lemon, juiced

Start by removing the stems and insides of the mushroom caps with a spoon. In a food processor, add mixed salad and minced garlic. Puree. Add the butter, lemon juice, dashes of salt and pepper and olive oil. Puree.

Generously spread the arugula butter onto the inside of the mushroom cap.

Add a small spoonful of marinara sauce, then a slice of tomato.

Sprinkle top with parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Here is the tomato stuffed with the crab mixture in case you don’t like or have the mushrooms.

 

While they are cooking you can make the crab imperial

2 pats of butter = 1 stick of butter melted

½ onion finely chopped

½ red bell pepper chopped

½ green pepper chopped

1 celery stalk chopped

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup of low fat milk

1 teaspoon dried mustard

Dash cayenne pepper

1 lb lump crab meat

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup toasted bread crumbs (Or use stuffing mix)

Cook the onions, peppers and celery in the 2 pats of butter. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes.

In the milk add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Slowly add the milk to the pepper mixture and stir continually until thick and bubbly.

Add to a bowl and incorporate the crab and cilantro, adding the seasoning as well.

In a separate bowl add the bread crumbs and melted butter, stir until all soaked up.  (I find using a flavored stuffing mix is great for this step)

Once the mushrooms have cooked top with the crab imperial and cook for an additional 10 minutes or so or until lightly browned.  I must confess, this came out way better than I could have hoped for, don’t you love it when a meal comes together better than you planned?  I certainly do!

Enjoy the recipe, and as always if you need to reach me you can email me at LauraLovinglife@hotmail.com

Bon Appétit

LauraLovingLife

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