Recipe: Portabella Mushrooms Stuffed with Low-fat Mashed Potatoes

Who'd miss the beef when dining on a meaty balsamic-marinated portabella mushroom? And stuffing them with creamy mashed potatoes is the piece de resistance. I love mashed potatoes loaded with butter and cream more than just about anything. But, sadly, they're a special occasion indulgence. This low-fat version is a great stand-in, and I feel less weighted down after eating the reduced fat version.

Yield: 4 stuffed portabella caps
Time: Approx. 45 minutes
Cost: Approx. $11.50

Ingredients for potatoes:

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Reserved mushroom juice (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup milk, plus more if necessary
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives, plus additional for garnish
• Paprika as needed for dusting

Directions for potatoes:

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.?
2. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Boil for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.
3. Mash potatoes, reserved mushroom juice, milk and olive oil together until smooth. Add additional milk (or potato cooking liquid), if necessary, to make a creamy mixture.
4. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespooons snipped chives and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Ingredients for roasted or grilled vegetables:

• 8 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
• 4 (5-inch) portobello mushroom caps, remove stems and scrape gills;clean with a damp cloth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions for roasted or grilled vegetables:

1. Brush asparagus and portobellos with balsamic vinegar. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes to absorb flavor.?
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. If grilling, heat grill to medium high heat and oil grill grates.
3. If roasting: Roast portabellas on middle rack of oven 6-8 minutes or until just tender; roast asparagus 2-4 minutes.If grilling: grill until tender and charred grill marks appear, about 15 minutes for portobellos, about 5 to 7 for asparagus. (You may find using a vegetable grill basket helpful, if grilling.) RESERVE JUICES ACCUMULATED IN MUSHROOM CAPS FOR MASHED POTATOES.

Assembly:

Mound mashed potatoes onto upturned portobello caps. Arrange 4 asparagus spears so their points meet over the top of the potatoes. Lightly dust with paprika. Garnish with remaining chives and serve.

This recipe was written by Peggy Lampman and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Nov. 2, 2010.