Portobello Pizzas

Portobello mushrooms have a wide, flat cap that makes an innovative base for mini pizzas. For a fabulous first course, top the mushroom with a bean purée flavoured with fresh basil and parmesan, then layer on shredded mozzarella and tomatoes.

Ingredients for portobello pizzas

8 large portobello mushrooms or other flat mushrooms, 50g each, stalks removed
1 can (about 400g) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup (125ml) water
½ cup (20g) firmly packed chopped fresh basil
¼ cup (20g) freshly grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup (90g) coarsely grated reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste
3 large roma tomatoes, halved, deseeded and diced or slivered

Preparation method for portobello pizzas

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. With a spoon, scrape out and discard the black gills from the mushrooms. Coat a baking tray with cooking spray. Place the mushrooms, hollow-side down, in the tray. Cover with a piece of foil and bake for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the mushrooms from the baking tray and drain, hollow-side down, on paper towels. Leave the oven on.

2. Meanwhile, combine the beans, water, basil, parmesan and pepper in a medium bowl. Mash until smooth using a potato masher or large fork.

3.    Return the mushrooms, hollow-side up, to the baking tray. Spoon the bean mixture into the mushroom hollows and bake for 5 minutes.

4. Top with the mozzarella and tomatoes, and bake for a further 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the bean mixture is hot.

From: Beat High Blood Pressure Cookbook