As promised each week I will be featuring my recipes for the Mediterranean Medley cooking class I will be teaching at the Culinaria Foods Arts Studio on June 21st. We will start off this week with the easiest – Portabella Mushroom Pizzas. This recipe is something that I love for its simplicity. The bold flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes really stands out against the creaminess of the mozzarella di bufala. For my class, since it is more Greek-slanted I will be using a tangy sheep’s milk feta instead. This livens up the dish even more. Because the mushroom is so meaty and delicious; it can stand up to the richness of the tangy cheese and the brightness of the sun-dried tomato. The earthiness of the white truffle oil brings balance to the entire thing, giving it a unique and special touch.

INGREDIENTS:

10 portabella mushroom caps
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup fresh mozzarella di Bufala, (goat cheese is also a favorite for this recipe!)
10 fresh basil leaves
drizzle of white truffle olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:

Preheat grill. Brush both sides of mushroom caps with extra virgin olive oil. Place mushrooms on the grill, cap side down first. Grill both sides for about 3 minutes each or until the mushroom begins to soften and the top of the cap has grill marks.

Take mushrooms off the grill and place 1/10 of mozzarella on each mushroom. On top of that place 1/10 of the sun-dried tomatoes. Place mushrooms back on the grill and close lid long enough for the mozzarella to start melting (you don’t want to melt it entirely, just enough to soften it). Take mushrooms off the grill and place on a serving plate. Garnish each mushroom with a basil leaf and drizzle with white truffle olive oil. Serves 10 as entrée, or 20 half portions, for appetizer portions.

Eat and Enjoy!