Substitutions

Now that my greatest resource is time rather than money I have been able to cook much more.  This is a gift to me because I love to cook and try out new recipes.  I remember when I was newly engaged making a meal for Nathan at my apartment.  I made one of my favorite dishes I had in Greece, Moussaka.  The recipe I used has many ingredients and by the end I'm pretty sure I had spent over $30 just to make the dish.  Doh.

When I make meals now I often just use substitutions and short cuts where I can based on items I may already have in the pantry.  Here's tonight's dinner with substitutions noted:

Lasagna-Stuffed Portabellos

Yield: 5-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

4-6 large portabello mushrooms * one sale this week at our grocery store
3 cloves garlic, minced * I usually have fresh on hand but also buy the frozen cubes of herbs that I love.  Who ever uses up all of their fresh herbs?
1½ tbsp. olive oil
Coarsely ground salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese * I substituted with cottage cheese because we are more likely to use the leftovers.
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided * I buy whole and shred myself.  Much cheaper.
2/3 cup drained frozen chopped spinach * I had fresh spinach left over from another meal last week
½ tsp. Italian seasoning * Just added my own spices.
1 cup tomato sauce * recipe can be found here.

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Remove the stems from the mushrooms and carefully scrape the gills from the caps with a spoon or paring knife; discard.  Place the mushrooms caps on the baking sheet.  In a small bowl, combine the garlic and olive oil.  Brush the garlic-oil mixture over the inside of the mushroom caps.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Roast the caps about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven, maintaining the oven temperature.  If excess liquid has collected inside or underneath the caps, blot it away with a paper towel.
• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, about ¾ of the mozzarella, spinach, and Italian seasoning.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix until evenly incorporated.  Divide the mixture into the roasted portabello caps, spreading gently to fill them evenly.  Top each with 1-2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce.  Sprinkle the tops with the remaining shredded mozzarella.
• Return to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the filling is warmed through.  Serve with additional tomato sauce, as desired.
  
  This recipe comes from annies-eats.com