Stuffed mushrooms satisfy like Buffalo wings
Anybody who has kids will appreciate this milestone. My daughter, Margaux, ate an entire mushroom for the first time the other day!
I love mushrooms because they are meaty and satisfying, yet an entire cup has just 15 tiny calories (and two grams of protein). Plus, they offer a dose of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.
But the real benefit is the deep flavour of mushrooms will make you completely forget you are eating something healthy. And the perfect time to forget your food is actually healthy is the tailgate party. Football season is snacking season.
The only problem with game-time snacking — especially for the Super Bowl — is that we can easily get stuck in a Buffalo wing rut, which is not an excellent long-term major snacking strategy for the health-conscious.
So this weekend I couldn’t help but be inspired by Margaux’s newfound love of mushrooms. I took all the flavours of a Buffalo wing and stuffed them into a mushroom cap, then baked it. The filling and bulky mushroom slowed down my snacking enough to keep me from overdoing it on the cheesy, spicy goodness. Just in case I happen to get caught up in the game.
RECIPE Buffalo Chicken and Kale Stuffed Mushrooms
2, 10-oz (284-g) packages medium white button, baby bella or cremini mushrooms, stemmed Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter 1 shallot, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed, finely chopped (about 1 cup or 250 mL) 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice 3/4 cup (180 mL) chopped cooked chicken 8 oz (226 g) light cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup (60 mL) hot sauce, such as Frank’s 1/4 cup (60 mL) blue cheese crumbles Olive oil cooking spray Start to finish: 45 minutes Makes 15 mushrooms Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or kitchen parchment, then mist with olive oil cooking spray. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the mushroom caps clean, then season them with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the kale and sauté until wilted. Add the lemon juice, cover and allow to steam for 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover, remove the pan from heat and stir in the chicken. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, hot sauce and blue cheese crumbles. Add the kale and chicken mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix well. Spoon the cheese filling into the mushroom caps, then arrange the filled caps on the prepared baking sheet. Mist the tops lightly with olive oil cooking spray, then bake for 25 minutes, or until tops are golden and mushrooms are tender. Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the upcoming cookbook Supermarket Healthy.