Monday Mushroom Pizzas

I told you I started cooking again --- and here's the proof!

Invisible Internet Friends...I give you:


Portobella Mushroom Pizzas!

Although I've tweaked it a little, I can't exactly take complete credit for this one. It's actually a recipe from when I worked on THIS SHOW way back when. It was one of my favorites of that season and I make it at least once or twice a month. It's boy-approved, too, because the Hubs LOVES it.

It's so super simple to make, and what takes the longest is just cleaning out the 'bellas.

Which, let's be honest, cleaning two of them takes about two minutes, tops.

Fast supper? Coming right up.

I've used both chopped fresh tomatoes and canned diced tomatoes, depending on what I have on hand (sometimes a combination!) - and both will work fine. Occasionally I'll have leftover sauce and I'll put it over fish or chicken or whole wheat pasta the next day, and it still tastes just as good!

And BONUS POINTS because it's super healthy and tastes like delicious little drops of fungi.

Too far? Yeah, probably. But trust me on this. You'll love it.

At least I hope so.

You won't regret it!

And a little birdie once told me this is a gluten-free recipe. If you're into that sort of thing. So try it out! It'll be fun :)

Portobella Mushroom Pizzas

Serves 2

What you'll need:

2 medium-sized portobella mushrooms

2 whole tomatoes (or 1 can of low-sodium diced tomatoes)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (separate from previous)

1 tsp garlic powder (NOT salt!)

half tsp garlic powder (separate)

1 tsp onion powder (NOT salt!)

half tsp onion powder (separate)

2 tsp tomato paste (tomato sauce will work, too!)

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp part-skim mozzarella cheese

cracked red pepper, to taste

black pepper, to taste

dash of cayenne pepper

dash of oregano

dash of basil

What you'll do:

Clean the mushrooms by first twisting off the stems (set these aside), then using a spoon to gently scrape off the gills (you won't need these). Rinse thoroughly. Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and sprinkle in garlic and onion powder. Sauté mushrooms in mixture for 2-3 minutes (longer if needed), flipping to give both sides flavor.

In a separate skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium heat with half a tsp of garlic and onion powder. Once heated, add diced tomatoes and stir until lightly coated in oil mixture. Let simmer, adding 1 tbsp water as tomatoes begin to cook down. NOTE: You may need an additional tbsp of water, depending on the consistency you prefer for your sauce. Add cracked red pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste and stir. Turn heat to low once you've reached your preferred consistency and taste.

Meanwhile, remove mushrooms from skillet and place in a baking dish or cookie tray. Keep heat on skillet medium low. Chop the stems that you removed earlier and sauté in leftover oil in skillet. If you need to add a little more, add about half a tsp at this point.

While stems are cooking, assemble your "pizzas." Place 1-2 tbsp of sauce on the bowl side of mushrooms, then add a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Add mushroom stems and top with a dash of oregano and basil. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.