Finally the day has arrived that I am posting a new recipe! My life has been so busy over the past few months, I am so sorry... Please remember that my recipes are like variations of recipes that I kind of make up and find. I usually make it my own by changing most things about it. I change the amounts, flavors, ingredients and I never measure unless it needs to be specific. All of my recipes can be altered and if you have any questions just ask! Maybe you can recommend something to me. One of my rules... Approach love and cooking with a reckless abandon! Just go for it!
I made these for Tom the other night and he just loved them! Well that is what he said at least... I made this with baked pasta. Baked pasta is easy... Pick your favorite pasta, cook it, pick your fav sauce and some ricotta cheese and mix the cooked pasta, ricotta and sauce all together in a big bowl and the put it in a casserole dish or a deep baking pan. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for about 20-25 minutes on 350 uncovered.
Shopping list
Crab meat already cooked and shelled
Stuffing in a box chicken flavored
Chicken Broth 1 can
Roasted Red Peppers in a jar
1 Roma tomato
1/2 onion
1-2 cloves of garlic
Balsamic Vinegar
Cream cheese (softened)
EVOO
Shredded Mozarella or Parmesan Cheese, or both!
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Portobello Mushrooms, large or babies
OK! Ready! First do the sauce...
Sauce is simple... 1/2 jar of roasted red peppers only, leave the water in the jar. 1 roma tomato, 1 garlic clove. Add that to the food processor and puree... Taste it... Add a drizzle of EVOO, and a drizzle of Balsamic. Process again to mix then add to a sauce pan and add salt and sugar and possibly a little black pepper to taste. Simmer on low and just let it reduce and don't worry about it till the end. If you let it simmer on low it wont reduce too much so you have nothing to worry about. If you want to add more red pepper or more tomato do it! Its your mouth! You have to eat it! I like the sauce a little sweet so I am heavier with the sugar, but some may like it saltier or more tomato based.
The Stuffing
Begin with making your stuffing in a box according to the directions... Set aside in a large bowl
while that is cooking and sitting clean out your portobellos, do not rinse with water, just use a paper towel or a wet cloth to clean them, mushrooms absorb water or any liquid like crazy so do not hold them underneath any water. Just wipe them down . Cut out stems and with a metal spoon clean out the dark part inside. I forgot what it is called, but I believe they are called gills. Just use a spoon to scrape the gills out. They have a dark and very potent color and you do not want to get many of the gills in your recipe, but definitely save the stems. The gills will discolor anything you are cooking and turn it dark black or brown. Just toss them.
In a food processor chop up your garlic, onion, and stems and set aside
Then open up your crab and rinse and check for shells... Squeeze out any water and add to your prepared stuffing.
Preheat oven to the broil setting
Now you can begin sautéing your chopped stuff, onions, garlic and stems, add just a little EVOO and cook them until they are soft. about 5 minutes on medium. Add to stuffing and crab mixture. Finally you can add in your cream cheese. I decided to get the cream cheese in a box shaped like a brick. I added 1/2 of the brick. I love cream cheese! So I added more than maybe someone else would add. But add to taste and the cream cheese binds the crab and the veggies and the stuffing together. Mix the stuffing mixture well with all ingredients.
The Mushrooms
Grab a nice size baking pan, cookie sheet or what ever you have that works and line up the mushrooms, cap up. Brush the caps with EVOO generously, you will notice that the caps absorb the oil almost instantly and it will look like you didn't do it at all. But just keep track of the ones you coated and where and you should be fine. Place in oven and broil the mushrooms cap up for about five minutes. Just to make them a little harder, perhaps crispy for when you fill them with the stuffing.
Once you have broiled them until you are happy with the crispiness you can pull them out and flip them over. Turn oven to bake and temp should be about 350. Begin filling the mushrooms with the stuffing mixture. Yum! Top with mozzarella or parmesan cheese and bake for about 15-20 minutes on 350.
Pull them out when they look yummy and golden brown and the cheese should be bubbling over! I think that is my favorite part... Watching the cheese begin to bubble! Drizzle with the red pepper sauce and enjoy!
Pair with your favorite wine!
