Broiled Portobello Mushroom "Pizzas"

I have gotten 2 requests for this recipe and I have procrastinated long enough! Here you are, Rita and Holly!

I got this recipe from The Complete Vegan Cookbook. This cookbook is amazing for healthy, feel-good recipes (bonus: they weren't too vegan-y). This recipe is really simple and can be made with non-vegan ingredients. It makes 4 "pizzas" but I would say it serves 2, maybe 3. It's one of my favorite dishes to make when I have a friend over for lunch because it's easy to prep ahead of time and tastes great.

Broiled Portobello Mushroom "Pizzas"

4 medium portobello mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 canned tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh spinach leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 course dry break crumbs

1/2 cup shredded soy cheese (or just normal mozzarella cheese)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the broiler.

Pop off stems of the mushrooms - wipe off any bits of soil. Sprinkle caps with salt and pepper and place mushrooms cap side down on a broiler pan (I always put aluminum foil on the pan for easy clean up). Place pan about 6 inches from heat source and cook until lightly browned and tenderized, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, spinach, basil, garlic, oregano, and remaining salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss to combine well and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, soy cheese, and olive oil. Toss to combine well and set aside.

When mushrooms caps are ready, turn them over and spoon in tomato filling evenly into the caps. Top evenly with the bread crumb mixture. Return the pan the broiler and cook until cheese has melted and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note: I almost always end up burning the bread crumb mixture and while it looks nasty, it still tastes fine. But you can avoid this by carefully watching the "pizzas" and constantly checking on them after 1 minute under the broiler.

Enjoy!