Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

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Last weekend, Alex and I went home to California for a wedding in our college town, which is also my hometown. Yay! It was a short 48 hours, but somehow we fit in spending time with both our families and friends. Here are some of the highlights, and the not highlights of the trip!

HIGHLIGHTS:
-Meeting our friends’ adorable puppy!
-Eating a delicious home-cooked dinner by my mother-in-law, and enjoying it with family and friends.
-Brunch with my family
-Witnessing Matt & Lindsey get married and partying it up on the dance floor with our college friends.
-Watching Alex and his college roommates close down the reception by performing their old dancing routines.
-Basking in the sun
-Eating Firestone’s Tri-tip Cobb salad. OMG this is my favorite salad ever. Alex and I frequently recreate their concoction at home, but since Minnesota doesn’t sell/know what tri-tip is, nor do we have the ingredients to make their secret BBQ sauce, our attempts always fall short. So obviously we had to get the real deal while we were on the central coast.

NOT HIGHLIGHTS:
-Catching a connecting flight via the Seattle airport, specifically to eat at Ivar’s, but finding out that it is closed due to remodeling. When I used to live in Portland, and Alex in Minneapolis, there used to be no direct flights between the two cities. So, I always picked Seattle airport to stopover because Ivar’s has THE best fish tacos ever.  
-Realizing how incredibly pale we are relative to everyone else in California. lol. 
-Having our returning plane be delayed, and not getting home until 2AM. 

After being home in California I always get inspired to create recipes that are healthy. So, I made these caprese stuffed Portobello mushrooms, and they are so yummy! Not only are they naturally gluten free, but they are also vegetarian. The meaty mushrooms provide sustenance while the colorful topping adds beautiful flavor. Everything comes together perfectly with a balsamic glaze, that is incredibly easy to make, though I recommend opening a window while it is on the stove because the evaporating vinegar is a lot to handle! 

Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Prep time:

Bake time:

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

  • 4 large portobello mushrooms
  • Olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • 4 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. Using a damp paper towel, gently wipe the mushroom caps to get rid of any dirt. Remove the stems. Using a spoon, scrape out the gills.
  3. Brush the caps with olive oil and place cap side down onto the prepared baking sheet.
  4. Line the inside of the mushroom caps with a layer of pesto.
  5. Evenly distribute the mozzarella cheese inside the caps. Top with the cherry tomatoes.
  6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
  7. While the mushrooms are baking, prepare the balsamic glaze. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the glaze has been reduced by half. Allow glaze to cool.
  8. Once the mushrooms are done, top with basil, and drizzle with the balsamic glaze.