Ever notice how those great big portobello mushroom caps almost exactly match the mini pita breads in size? When my neighbor wondered what to do with portobellos, I adapted a recipe from a women’s magazine, sending in a whole portobello cap to replace the suggested chopped white mushrooms. Think lunch! Think hors d’oeuvres! Think how tasty!

image: examiner.com

Cheese ‘n’ Chutney Portobello Pitas
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

¼ cup olive oil
4 Tablespoons butter (½ stick)
4 portobello mushroom caps
½ cup grated Swiss cheese (about 2 ounces)
½ cup crumbled Stilton cheese (about 2 ounces)
4 small pita breads
¼ cup mango chutney (cut up any big chunks)

Preheat the oven to 400°. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the mushrooms, turning frequently and pressing down with a spatula, for 7 minutes, or until tender and juicy. If you want to be absolutely sure, sneak a teeny-weeny wedge of a mushroom and taste it for doneness.

Combine the cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of the cheese mixture on each pita bread; this will anchor the mushrooms to the pitas. Set a mushroom cap on top of each pita, gill side down. Sprinkle each pita with 3 Tablespoons of the remaining cheese. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and browning at the edges.

Drizzle each pita with 1 Tablespoon chutney. Cut the pitas into halves or quarters and eat them with your fingers.

Serves 4.

Karyl Bannister writes and illustrates the newsletter Cook & Tell, published ten times a year.