Portobello Mushroom Pizzas and Brussels Sprouts with Tomato Pesto

I love mushrooms. I have for as long as I can remember and they remain one of my all-time favorites today. They tend to get a bad rep - they are a common food to dislike - and even among those who like the food I so often hear that they're "nutritionally void." This simply isn't true. While mushrooms do contain a lot of water, they also have other essential vitamins and nutrients. A single portobello cap, the mushroom featured in this recipe, has 3 g of fiber and 5 g of protein. It also has decent amounts of iron, potassium, and numerous other minerals and vitamins. To be fair, though, while they do in fact have health benefits, I think I'd eat them regardless. They are simply delicious! In this recipe mushrooms are the feature with the giant portobello standing in as a hearty base for a very healthy pizza. So dive right in and enjoy.

To pair with the mushroom pizzas I made brussels sprouts with tomato pesto and walnuts, but "made" is used loosely here. While in the past I would have shunned it, as regular readers know, I've had a few life changes recently! I actually purchased this pre-made kit from Wegmans which meant all I had to was open a cap, stir, and bake. Feeling guilty about not making the side from scratch? The good news is that while it might have a tad more salt than making your own pesto from scratch, it's still far better than anything you'll get in a restaurant or for take-out. You're still making dinner for less money and with more nutritious content than eating out. So give yourself a break and dig right in!

Don't have a Wegmans nearby? Have a little extra time? You can find Wegman's recipe, duplicating their efforts in the pre-made kit, right here.

Time: 25 min



Portobello Mushroom Pizzas
Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
4 portobello mushroom caps, washed and stems trimmed/removed
1 lb Campari tomatoes (can't find them? substitute plum tomatoes)
1/2 c fresh basil leaves
3/4 c shredded mozzarella

Note: This recipe was adapted from Wegman's version found here.

Get your oven pre-heating to 350 degrees.

Place your mushrooms, gill side up, on a greased baking sheet. Top the mushrooms evenly with the sliced tomatoes (I really piled them on... I love tomatoes, perhaps even more than I love mushrooms...!) and the basil leaves. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!