Portobello “Pizzas”

Makes 8 “pizzas”

Trying to cut back on fat, but craving the taste of pizza? Try these savory mushroom “pies” and you won’t miss a thing. The portobello mushroom base is chewy and lends an earthy taste. You just might decide you like these even treats better!

• 8 large Portobello mushrooms (4 ounces each), stems removed and reserved
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cooked white beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup arugula, spinach or watercress leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
• 4 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a small spoon to scrape the black “gills” out from the mushroom caps. Spray a rimmed baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and place the mushroom caps on the sheet, stemmed side down. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the mushroom caps are tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer the baked mushroom caps to paper towels so they can drain (lay them stemmed side down). Discard any liquid left in the baking pan, and leave the oven on while you finish prep work.

Finely chop the mushroom stems and saute them with the garlic in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently, cooking until the stems are tender and the liquid has been absorbed – about 5 minutes. Transfer the sauteed veggies to a large mixing bowl, then add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the beans, cherry tomatoes, the greens, 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan, and the vinegar.

Return the baked mushroom caps to the baking pan, this time laying them in the pan stemmed side up. Sprinkle the mushroom caps with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt then fill the caps with the vegetable-bean mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until the bean mixture is piping hot and the Parmesan cheese is browned and crusty, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.