Introduction: PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT AND HAVARTI CHEESE WITH JALAPENOS

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About: I am a 82-year-old self-proclaimed Chef who has spent most of his life in the hotel/resort tourism industry. I have traveled up and down the east coast of the United States from New York to Key West, and from …

BOGO! The local Winn-Dixie grocery store just had a sale on 1 LB cans of Pasteurized Crabmeat. By one can and get the second one free; your choice of lump crabmeat or crab claw meat. I bought one of each!

Step 1: INGREDIENTS

  1. 2 TBS Extra Light Olive Oil
  2. 1/2 Cup Petite Diced Tomatoes, No Salt Added
  3. 1/4 Cup Havarti Cheese with Jalapenos, *Shredded
  4. 1/4 LB Pasteurized Lump Crabmeat, ;picked over for pieces of shell and broken into small pieces
  5. 2 Large Portobello Mushroom Caps (the larger the better)
  6. 1 Clove Garlic, peeled and minced
  7. 2 teaspoons Coarse Ground Black Pepper
  8. 1 TBS Red Onion, finely diced
  9. 1 TBS Spicy Brown Mustard (Zatarain's is great)
  10. 1 TBS freshly squeezed Lime Juice, plus slices of lime for garnish
  11. 1 TBS Panko Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  12. 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  13. A Pinch of freshly grated Nutmeg
  14. Paprika (Sprinkle over baked Crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms when done

NOTE: Havarti Cheese is a soft cheese and not easy to shred. I suggest placing a block of it in the freezer and leaving it there for about one-half hour; maybe a little longer. This will make it much easier to shred.

Step 2: PREPARATION

  1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F
  2. Line a rimmed Baking Sheet with Aluminum foil and lightly spray with Cooking Oil
  3. If you feel that it is necessary, very gently wipe the tops of the Mushroom Caps with a moistened paper towel. (Despite there size, Portobello Mushroom Caps are delicate; you want to handle them as little as possible, and as gently as possible, to avoid breaking off the edges or "lips" of the caps)
  4. Remove and dice the stems; set aside.
  5. Carefully remove the gills of the caps by scraping them off with the side of a spoon and discard.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, Combine the Pasteurized Crabmeat, 1 TBS of Oil (reserving the other TBS), the diced Mushroom Stems, and all other ingredients except the Mushroom Caps and the Paprika. Mix the ingredients until completely combined and set aside. (Your hands will work well here; you don't want to over mix the ingredients; just combine them).
  7. Place the Mushroom Caps on the baking sheet and brush both sides with the remaining TBS of Oil. Place them stem-side down and bake for 10 minutes.
  8. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Carefully invert the caps with a spatula or "turner," and place 1/2 half of the Crabmeat mixture onto each of the Caps.
  9. Return to the oven and Bake Stuffing-side up for another 10 minutes, or just until the cheese is melted and the caps are tender.

NOTE:

As you can see from the photographs, the two Mushroom Caps that I used are not of equal size, and one does not have a "cup shape." I have found it extremely difficult to locate 2 large Portobello Caps of equal size (hasn't happened yet)! In addition, the caps flatten out during the 1st ten-minute period of baking. If this happens to you, all you can do is to "mound" the Crabmeat Mixture on top of the flattened caps. While the end result will not be as pretty as you might want, they will be just as tasty!

Step 3: TIME TO EAT . . .

Remove the baked Mushroom Caps from the oven, dust with Paprika and serve with a slice or two of lime - and perhaps a nice salad.

A chilled glass of Riesling will definitely compliment the dish. I prefer a JohannIsberg Riesling, but a bottle of the "good stuff" can cost anywhere from about $35 to well over $100. I was quite surprised, and pleasantly so, when I tasted Barefoot's California Riesling. It was light, sweet and almost "bubbly;" perhaps slightly effervescent - and all for just under $10.00!!!

Bon appétit


NUTRITION:

I estimate that each Crab-stuffed Mushroom Cap will contain about 300 calories and just 12 Carbohydrates.