Stove-top Portobello Pizzas

Serves 2
Husband-Tested Recipe by Alice Wootton

It was one of those cloudy, wet, dreary late winter days when only comfort food would do. Jim had requested a pizza, but I didn’t have any dough prepared. Lost River Market & Deli had just gotten in some lovely portobello mushrooms, kale and bok choy, so I added those to my cart. Then I bought some fresh mozzarella for the comfort part and decided to make a pizza with those ingredients. The other ingredients I already had in my fridge, including Local Folks Pizza Sauce. Feel free to substitute other veggies, nuts and cheeses. This dish had all the flavors of a pizza without using the oven or dirtying up a bunch of pans. The small amount of vegetable broth keeps the mushrooms perfectly moist. Needless to say, this dinner hit the spot! Serve this for a very satisfying Meatless Monday dinner.

4 portobello mushrooms (use a pastry brush to clean mushrooms)
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 leaves of kale, discard stems and roughly chop leaves (broccoli florets would be a good substitute)
2 cups, chopped bok choy leaves (spinach would be a good substitute)
¼ of a red bell pepper, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup pine nuts (walnuts or pecans would be good substitutes)
¼ cup vegetable broth
¼ cup Local Folks Pizza Sauce (or other pizza sauce)
½ cup fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or cut into small pieces
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Trim the stems and roughly chop. Set aside the mushrooms. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, kale, bok choy, red pepper and the chopped mushroom stems. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Sprinkle in the pine nuts. Sauté until vegetables are wilted but still brightly colored and nuts are toasted. Pour contents of skillet into a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive to the skillet. Add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with just a bit of Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat the mushrooms about 1 minute per side. Add the vegetable broth to the skillet. Turn the mushrooms so that the undersides of them are up. Spoon equal amounts of pizza sauce into each mushroom cap. Spoon equal amounts of the vegetable mixture into each cap. Top each mushroom pizza with mozzarella cheese and then parmesan cheese. Place a lid on the skillet. Heat mushroom pizzas until the cheeses are melted. Serve hot. Drizzle the pizzas with the hot vegetable broth, if desired.

Storing Portobello Mushrooms:
Select plump firm and solid mushrooms. Avoid limp or dried looking ones. They should not be shriveled or slippery (which indicates decomposition). The mushroom should have a nice earthy smell.
Remove the mushrooms from any wrapping and spread on a tray and cover with paper toweling. Don't moisten the toweling or the mushrooms and place them in the refrigerator in an area that allows the air to circulate. Avoid placing any other items on top of them. The mushrooms should keep about 5 - 6 days.