Tomato and Garlic Mushrooms

As I mentioned in my last post, I've recently become a vegetarian and I've been scouring the web to find some delicious veggie recipes. As well as being a great place to spend hours browsing all sorts of beautiful craft ideas, I've found that Pinterest is also fab for finding and sharing recipes. I had a whole heap of vegetables in the fridge that needed using up, including some portobello mushrooms, so I did a quick Pinterest search and, inspired by some goodies I spotted on there, decided to make stuffed mushrooms for my tea. They turned out really well so I thought I'd share my recipe here! 

Ingredients

• Portobello Mushrooms
• Tomatoes
• Garlic (granules and fresh)
• Onion
• Basil
• Cheese

Method

1. Firstly, remove the skins and stalks of the mushrooms. You could leave the skins on if you prefer but I found removing them was the easiest way to get all the grubby bits off, and to avoid waste, save the stalks for the filling. Brush the mushrooms caps with olive oil and put them cap-side down on a baking tray. To add a bit of extra flavour I sprinkle the mushrooms with garlic granules, and pop them in a 200°C oven for around 15 minutes. 

2. While the mushrooms are baking, prepare the filling. Chop up half an onion, one clove of garlic, the left-over mushroom stalks and a handful of tomatoes, then cook them in a pan on a medium heat until soft. There are lots of other veggies that I think would work well in this mix, like peppers or courgettes, but for me it was a case of using up what was in the fridge. Add salt and ground pepper to the mix and I shredded some fresh basil if you have some to give a bit of colour and flavour. Top tip: I didn't bother to take the skins off the tomatoes because I'm lazy, but I think the dish would benefit from having the skins removed!

3. Once the mushrooms are baked and smelling delicious, take them out of the oven and spoon the tomato filling on top, sharing it equally between the mushrooms. Sprinkle some grated cheese on as well (I used mild cheddar but whatever you've got really- breadcrumbs would also work well if you've got some bread to use up) and put them back in the oven for another five minutes until the cheese has melted. 

4. When they're done, use a spatula to lift the mushrooms from the baking tray and transfer to a plate. Serve with green beans or whatever else you like, and enjoy your delicious veggies!