One of the most popular new diets in the health and fitness world is the Mediterranean Diet. This diet is based on the eating habits of the peoples living in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. If you have ever eaten at an authentic Italian restaurant or enjoyed traditional Greek cuisine such as hummus and falafel, you have experienced a taste of the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet is not one of those fad diets that advocates for extreme restriction or low calorie counts this diet is about eating wholesome foods that are good for your body and enjoying them in good company.

This recipe for stuffed portabella mushrooms is a wonderful meat-free dish that can be used as a main entre, lunch or even an appetizer. Full of Mediterranean flavors like parmesan cheese, olives and red onion, this recipe is sure to please.

As an alternative to baking the mushrooms, you can also cook them on the grill simply cover the grates with foil and heat the grill to medium-high heat. You may need to adjust the cooking time according to the heat of your grill but the flavor will be amazing.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

Marinade:
6 large portabella mushroom caps
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
cup good balsamic vinegar
cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme
2 tsp. minced garlic
Pinch salt and pepper

Filling:
1 (10 oz.) bag frozen spinach
1 lbs. sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
cup Italian breadcrumbs
Sliced olives to garnish

Preparation:

1. Carefully clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Set the mushroom caps aside and chop the stems into a bowl.
2. Prepare the marinade by whisking together the remaining ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
3. Arrange the mushroom caps in a glass dish and pour the marinade over them. Turn the mushrooms to coat then cover and chill for 4 hours.
4. To prepare the filling, start by cooking the spinach according to the directions on the package. Cool the spinach and squeeze as much moisture from it as you can.
5. Chop the sliced mushrooms in a food processor until fine. Add the chopped mushroom stems from earlier and chop fine as well.
6. Spoon the mushroom mixture into a bowl. Stir in the onions, garlic, breadcrumbs and cup grated parmesan cheese.
7. Stir in the feta cheese then let the mixture stand while the oven preheats.
8. Heat the oven to 400F and remove the marinated mushrooms from the refrigerator. Place the mushroom caps on a rimmed baking sheet.
9. Cook the mushrooms for 15 minutes then remove from the oven. Spoon the filling into the caps and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.
10. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until heated through then serve sprinkled with sliced green olives.