Stuffed Mushroom Caps

We are not fussy when it comes to eating and this blog is repertoire of that. There are hardly any vegetables or fruits we dislike. With an exception of capsicum which my husband is not particularly fond of, he will eat anything and everything if tastefully made. He doesn't despise eating peppers, but prefers them mixed with other veggies. I make a stuffed version that he truly adores and insists on making it every time we get capsicum home. That's a very Indian stuff with potatoes, onions, nuts and masalas.

I often make stuffed vegetables of different kinds. Sometime baked and sometimes roasted. I make the stuffed and baked vegetables on our weekends when freedom of time is at hand. We thoroughly enjoy them.

Mushrooms were not as common earlier as they are these days. We hardly used to get them home and even if we did it meant a day to treat for us. In fact, whenever we went out to dine in a restaurant, we would ensure that we ordered at least one dish that included mushrooms. Be it Chinese or Indian or Italian or any other cuisine, a must have's on our menu order was either mushrooms or baby corns. That meant delicacy for us, to get away from the routine, something different from the usual food.

It used to be so uncommon then that my friend and I would often joke that we would run a mushroom cultivation business some day and it would turn a big hit in Indian markets. Well! That only remained a joke! Fetching these now is not an issue as we get them in almost every super market.

Recently on a week day, I was back home pretty much tired and strained from work. I had a fresh pack of mushrooms in the fridge and I intended to make usual subzi out of them. However, since I didn't want to strain myself much, I decided to go an easier way. Instead of the Indian stuffing, I opted to use Italian herbs. These stuffed mushrooms were an instant hit and I bet a single bite will not satisfy you.

Quick and easy... these were indulgent and awesome. Served with cheese n' garlic breads, they made a brilliant combo quick meal. They will leave you craving for more.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

INGREDIENTS

200 gms button mushrooms
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 pods of fresh garlic, finely chopped
1/2 capsicum, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato sauce
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Cheddar cheese
Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Button mushrooms work the best as they can hold a good amount of stuffing. Wash the mushrooms and dry them on a towel. Divide the mushroom caps from stems and keep these caps aside.

Prepare the filling:

Chop onions, garlic, capsicum and the mushroom steps finely. Add a tbsp of tomato sauce and Italian seasoning along with a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Fill them in the mushroom cap till the top. Top them with grated cheese. Arrange these stuffed caps on a baking dish. Drizzle some olive oil and bake for 15 minutes on 350 degrees till the cheese begins to melt. The mushroom may leave water while baking, but that's okay. Do not over bake them as mushrooms cook quickly and may tend to get soggy to baked long. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestion: Top with dried Italian herbs and serve with any bread and soup.