Vegetarian: Baked Portobello Parmesan

By á-3151

The whole purpose of this recipe was to come up with a variation that would require no frying and, if possible, use no meat or poultry. I had, for several years, grilled portobello mushrooms and was really happy with their meaty taste and texture. I settled on them for my recipe because eggplant simply didn't work when cooked this way. This version is really simple to make and if you are looking for a healthier alternative to standard "parm" recipes you might want to give this a try. You won't be sorry. Smaller families can halve the recipe and still enjoy its wonderful flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, divided
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced, divided
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon marjoram leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano leaves
• 4 (5 to 6-inches wide) large stemmed portobello mushrooms, brushed clean
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup commercially prepared light tomato sauce
• nonstick cooking spray

Details

Servings 5
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 50mins
Adapted from oneperfectbite.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Position a baking rack in upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 17.5x11.75-inch baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a 16.5x11.5-inch wire cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Mist rack with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons parsley, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow pan. Mix well. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine egg substitute and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, marjoram, garlic powder, and oregano. Mix well.

Dip both sides of mushrooms into egg mixture. Dredge in crumb mixture until both sides are completely coated. Transfer, stem side down, to the prepared wire rack. Spray tops with cooking spray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Remove pan from oven.

Reset oven thermostat to 450°F. Meanwhile, carefully turn mushrooms stem side up. Cover each mushroom with 2 tablespoons of remaining Parmesan cheese, 1/4 of mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup tomato sauce. Spray tops lightly. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and mushrooms are warmed through, about 10 minutes. Use a wide spatula to transfer mushrooms to a serving platter. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon parsley.