The Mushrooms without a Picture

After watching a TV show on french fries, my older daughter begged for homemade fries. It didn’t take much for her to talk me into it. When I asked what else she would like to eat, Virginia answered “I can have only French fries, thank you!”.  If I was 8 years old, I am sure I would have asked for a “french fries” meal, but that would not be a nutritional lunch. I wanted to come up with an exciting meal for the entire family but my mind was going blank. I couldn’t think of anything creative beyond “french fries & steak”.

You are probably asking yourself  why I am talking so much about potatoes if this should be a post about a mushroom dish. Well, this is when the mushrooms came into the picture. After searching for side dishes ideas, it suddenly came to me. I could bake the baby Portabella mushrooms I had in the fridge. They would go great with steak, french fries and a nice salad. And I was corrected. These mushrooms paired so well with the rest of our meal that we ate them all before I could take a picture. I am sorry but I don’t have a single photo to show you.

Baked Mushroom Bites:

Ingredients:

8z of fresh mushrooms (white or baby portabella)

½ cup of Italian breading

1 ¼ tablespoons of parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

2 egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 380F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, place parmesan cheese, breading, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Clean mushrooms with a damp kitchen cloth without removing the steams. Leave them aside.

In a different bowl, lightly whisk egg whites. Dip each clean mushroom into the egg whites and then into breadcrumb mixture. Place mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or until crust is crisp and golden.

Cayenne Pepper dipping sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 small garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon of onion powder

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped

½ tablespoon of lemon juice (optional)

In a small bowl, stir all the ingredients together until well combined. Cover and keep it refrigerated overnight for flavor infusion. Serve it chilled.

This is a quick and tasty recipe is great for parties and for everyday meals!