You can serve these veggies in bread, on top of a salad, or in a crunchy taco shell. I choose a taco ! Spreading the cheese inside the taco makes for a great bite from start to finish.

Grilled Veggie Tacos

4 servings (1 serving = 2 tacos)
230 calories per serving

Get taco shells and spread the inside with the spread mix – then put in veggies – if more room, add extra chopped lettuce for crunch

Spread:
3.5 oz. goat cheese
¼ c roasted red peppers
1 t chopped chives
1 t liquid from jar of roasted red peppers

Veggies:
1 T oil (used in an oil mister, 1 T goes a long way !)
1 t Kosher salt
4 large Portobello mushrooms halved
1 red bell pepper, quartered lengthwise
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered lengthwise
1 small eggplant in ¼ inch slices
4 taco shells
4 lettuce leaves, chopped
Pam

Preheat broiler. Process all the ingredients for the spread in a food processor and then set aside. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and place mushrooms, peppers and eggplant in a single layer on sheet and spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil 8 minutes, turn, then broil another 5 minutes or until tender. Cool for a bit and then slice up. Spread inside of tacos with the cheese mix and then add lettuce and then veggies.

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Grilled Portobello mushrooms make any sandwich a winner in my book. The turkey and cheddar are just the supporting cast here – the mushrooms are really the stars

Turkey Sandwich Deluxe

1 serving
365 calories per serving

1 T low fat mayo mixed with ¼ t minced horseradish
1 small club roll
1 slice cheddar cheese
6 slices lean and thin deli turkey breast (Oscar Mayer has great lean deli meats pre-packaged and ready to go)
1/2 c sliced grilled portobello mushrooms

Spread mayo mix on buns. Fill up the sandwich and enjoy !

This is like a cross between a stroganoff and a goulash – very, very good and quite satisfying. The cream sauce is just delicious

Creamy Beef Dinner

4 servings
390 calories per serving

1 T oil, divided
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/2 t pepper
3 c whole wheat egg noodles, uncooked
1/4 c Light Zesty Italian Dressing
2 onions, chopped
1/2 lb. Portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 T minced garlic
1 T paprika
3/4 c beef broth
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c light sour cream
1 small tomato, chopped

Heat 1 ½ t oil in a skillet and add beef. Sprinkle with pepper and brown meat 2 minutes. Work in batches with the rest of the meat and oil so as not to overcrowd the pan and make sure meat is patted dry – these 2 things will help make sure it browns nicely. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Heat dressing in skillet and add onions and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic and paprika and cook 12 minutes. Stir in broth and peas and simmer 2 minutes then add meat and cook 5 minutes to heat through. Stir in sour cream at the very end and serve over noodles with the tomato sprinkled over the top.

Savory with just a bit of sweet from the dried cranberries. An earthy dish that is a great vegetarian main dish or a perfect side to a fish or chicken dinner.

Grilled Mushrooms with Couscous

4 servings
208 calories per serving

4 whole Portobello mushrooms
4 T white balsamic vinegar
Pam
½ c chicken or vegetable broth
½ c water
¼ t turmeric
2/3 c couscous
¼ c dried cranberries
½ t lemon zest
¼ t salt
1 t oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. chopped fresh spinach
2 T water
1 T margarine
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped

Cut 4 slits in the top of each mushroom about 2 inches long and ½ inch deep. Remove stems and place top facing up in a baking dish. Sprinkle with half the vinegar and spray with Pam. Turn the mushrooms over and sprinkle with the rest of the vinegar. Spray again with Pam. Cover dish with plastic wrap and set aside. Combine broth, water and turmeric in a small pan. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the couscous, cranberries, lemon and salt. Remove from heat and cover and let stand 5 minutes or until ready to serve the dish. Heat another saucepan and add oil and then sauté garlic for one minute. Add the greens and 2 T water and cook 3 minutes. Add the margarine and stir in for 30 seconds. Remove from pan and keep warm. Cook mushrooms 3 minutes each side and place stem side up on a serving plate. Spoon the couscous mix on the top and then top with the greens. Sprinkle with bell pepper and serve immediately.

I modeled this recipe after a restaurant favorite of mine – it is a wild mushroom ravioli appetizer that I could not help but order every time I frequented a certain restaurant, but the calorie count was over the top. Not this one !! Between the RICH cream sauce and the multiple mushroom flavors, this meal tastes just as decadent but with so few calories, you can eat it without any guilt.

Portobello and Ricotta Wontons

Thanks to Marxfoods.com for the wild mushrooms to create this masterpiece ! The different varieties lend quite a flavor to this dish. The dish would just not be the same using run of the mill mushrooms. The mixture of the chanterelles and matsutakes inside the little packet of goodness combined with the flavors of the porcini, lobster and black trumpet mushroom sauce … well, it’s just a little bit of heaven right here on earth.

Marxfoods offers a bunch of wild mushroom varieties – I think my favorite in this dish were the black trumpet mushrooms – they have a very delicate texture and the aroma is akin to a truffle. These are definitely on my list of favorites.

8 appetizer servings (3 wontons each) – 106 calories per serving
4 dinner servings (6 wontons each – 212 calories per serving

Filling –
1 t oil
4 shallots, sliced
¼ c water
2 oz. reconstituted dry chanterelle mushrooms (reserve the liquid)
2 oz. reconstituted dry matsutake mushrooms (reserve the liquid)
2 oz. Portobello mushrooms, sliced
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1/3 c part skim ricotta cheese

To reconstitute dried wild mushroom, place in a glass bowl and cover with very hot water. Let sit 20-30 minutes. Reserve the water to use as when boiling the wontons.

Heat 1 t oil in a skillet and sauté the shallots on medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add 1-2 T of water if needed to keep the shallots moist. Add the reconstituted mushroom and sauté another 2 minutes. Finally add the Portobello mushrooms and sauté another 7 minutes. When done, place all in a food processor and pulse 14 times. (It’s best to chop or mince the woodier mushrooms like chanterelles and matsutakes). Turn into a bowl and mix with the ricotta. Set aside.

Sauce –
1 t oil
1.5 oz. reconstituted dry porcini mushrooms (reserve the liquid)
.25 oz. reconstituted dry black trumpet mushrooms (reserve the liquid)
.50 oz. reconstituted dry lobster mushrooms (reserve the liquid)
1 T water
1 c beef broth
2 t cornstarch
¼ c fat free evaporated milk
1 t red vinegar

To reconstitute dried wild mushroom, place in a glass bowl and cover with very hot water. Let sit 20-30 minutes. Reserve the water to use as when boiling the wontons.

Heat 1 t oil in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms 6 minutes. Add up to 1 T of water to keep the mixture moist. Mix starch and broth and add to the pan along with the evaporated milk. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook 2 minutes to thicken the sauce. During the last minute of cooking, add the vinegar. Set aside.

Wontons –
24 wonton wrappers
Small bowl of water
Reserved mushroom liquid
Water
2 t salt

Put reserved liquid in a pot and add enough water to make 2 quarts. Add salt and bring to a boil.

Fill wontons with 1 T of the filling – - either use instructions on the back of the wonton package or watch this short video tutorial:

Complete all wontons then boil in 2 batches. Use a slotted spoon to lift the wontons out of the pot – put on a platter and cover with the sauce.

Umami – the fifth taste (after salt, sweet, bitter, and sour) – Umami tastes earthy and savory – and a perfect example of the taste is mushrooms or tomatoes – and this recipe has both – it is umami-delicious !

Mushroomy Brown Rice

4 servings
108 calories per serving

Just about any mushroom with work in this recipe, but I like portobellos for their intense mushroom flavor.

1 t oil
1 c sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 c grape tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove, minced
2 containers precooked brown rice (4.4 oz each)
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high and add mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes and add tomatoes and garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Heat rice in microwave according to package instructions. Add to mushroom mix along with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Adding balsamic to grilled or broiled vegetables brings out a whole new dimension of flavor. Vinegar is often used as a flavor enhancer and boy does it do the trick here. This is a great side, lunch, appetizer – - however you slice it, you gotta make it !

Roasted Vegetable Salad

8 servings
140 calories per serving

1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
8 oz. Portobello mushroom caps
6 eggplant slices
1 c low fat Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Cut peppers lengthwise into quarters and place all veggies on a broiler rack or on a wire rack atop a baking sheet and brush them with 1/2 c of the dressing. Broil 6-8 minutes turning and brushing a few times with the another ¼ c of the dressing. Slice mushrooms and mix all ingredients together and dress with the last ¼ c of dressing.

This is a great, hearty sandwich that fills you up and contains no high calorie meat. Sometimes when you get these in a restaurant, they have the same calorie content as having a burger (sometimes they are done in tons of oil or butter). But this version keeps the oil to a minimum and adds a nice amount of cheesy goodness to the sandwich.

Portobello Burger

1 serving
299 calories per serving

1 large portobello mushroom cap, stem removed
1 t oil
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper
¼ c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1 100 calorie Arnold Select Sandwich Thins bun
1 t buttery spread
Garlic powder to taste
1 large onion slice
1 large tomato slice
Lettuce leaves
Pam

Coat mushroom with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cayenne. Spray skillet and heat to medium high. Place mushroom in the pan rounded side up. Cook 5 minutes. Flip. Sprinkle with garlic powder, top with cheese and cook another 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, toast bun and spread butter on it. Place mushroom on bun and top with tomato, onion and lettuce.

Mushrooms are so low cal – and so delicious ! When you have an extra 50 calories left over in a meal and you want to fill it up with something savory, why not pan fry some Portobello mushroom caps ! It is simple to do and you can easily change up the flavor by substituting different dry and fresh herbs and spices.

Portobello Mushroom Caps

4 Portobello mushroom caps (4-5 oz. each)
Pam
Salt and pepper to taste
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)

Heat a skillet to medium high heat and spray with Pam. Place mushroom caps in pan underside facing down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder and ½ t of Worcestershire. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip and re-season the same way and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley and serve.