This delicious mushroom dish takes many of the flavors from traditional chicken Contadina but turns them into a wonderful vegetarian main course.

Whenever we have a dinner party with friends at which a meat dish is going to be the main meal, we come up with a vegetarian alternative so that I can eat something made with most of the same ingredients. This cuts down on cost and also lets me enjoy the flavors of the main dish minus the meat. When we made chicken Contadina last week for our friends, this is the delicious vegetarian / vegan mushroom Contadina recipe that resulted.

This dish tastes great served with toasted garlic mashed potatoes (click here for a toasted garlic mashed potato recipe that goes very well with this dish).

Mushroom Contadina Recipe

serves one

Ingredients:

• 4 portobello mushrooms
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
• a pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• a pinch of course ground black pepper to sprinkle over
• a pinch of salt to sprinkle over

• 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped into long strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into long strips
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 4 grape tomatoes
• 6-9 whole pepperoncini peppers

• a few sprigs fresh parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

2. Wash all vegetables. Carefully remove the stems from the portobello mushroom caps, being careful to keep the caps whole. Chop herbs, onion, bell pepper, and garlic.

3. In a skillet, pre-sauté the onions, garlic, and peppers in a tablespoon of olive oil until the onions are just translucent.

4. Pour the white wine into the bottom of a baking dish or cast iron skillet large enough to accommodate all of the mushrooms in one layer. Add about a third of the red bell pepper strips, sweet onion strips, and chopped garlic, spread evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.

5. Add the mushrooms to the pan, topsides down. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary and oregano, ground cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and salt. Top all with the remainder of the vegetables.

6. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius), just until the mushrooms are soft and juicy.

7. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for about five minutes before serving.

8. Serve over mashed potatoes with the juice from the pan (mashed potato recipe that goes very well with this dish). Garnish with the roasted vegetables, pepperoncinis, and fresh parsley. Serve with fresh green salad or a vegetable side to round the meal out.