Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Stuffed in a large Portobello mushroom, a savory pork and spinach filling combined with roasted red peppers and Italian seasoning make a hearty lunch or dinner. They can be made ahead, refrigerated, and reheated. You need a fork and knife for these giants! Prep time: 20 mins • Cook time: 25 mins • Yield: 4 entrée servings

Ingredients:

• 4 large Portobello mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
• ¼ cup scallions, about 6 or 7, white part only, minced
• ¼ cup roasted red peppers, blotted dry and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced 6 Kalamata olives, chopped (for maintenance or the 80/20 plan)
• 1 pound lean ground pork or ground turkey
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ½ to 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds, optional
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• ½ teaspoon Celtic or Pink Himalayan salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 packed cups fresh spinach, chopped, measure after chopping
• 2 ounces, about 3 tablespoons goat cheese feta, crumbled (for maintenance or the 80/20 plan)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts (for maintenance or the 80/20 plan)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, chop, and set aside. With a damp cloth, gently clean the mushroom caps. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the black gills and discard. Place mushroom caps on a sheet pan, cap side up and roast for about 7 minutes to soften the caps.

In a large skillet on medium heat, melt the coconut oil/ghee. Sauté the scallions for about 4 minutes. Add the chopped mushroom stems, roasted red peppers, garlic, olives (optional) meat, seasonings, salt and pepper and sauté for another 5 minutes, breaking up any large chunks of meat. Add the spinach and goat cheese and pine nuts (optional), and combine.

Scoop the filling into each mushroom cap and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes.