Baked Stuffed Portabellini Mushrooms

Grate the zucchini on the large holes of the grater, then place in a bowl with the
teaspoon of kosher salt. Let stand while you do the rest of the vegetable prep,
then drain and squeeze dry in a clean towel. Set aside. 

Combine the picked over and rinsed lentils with 1 1/2 cups water in a small pot, bring
to a boil, turn the flame down, and cook 15 minutes or until almost tender.
Drain and set aside.

Remove the stem from each mushroom by snapping it carefully out of the cap, and chop
the stems fine. Fine-chop the onion, and add to the mushroom stems. Peel and
mince the garlic. Cut the stem from each tomato, make an X in the bottom with a
knife, and either blanch for 10 seconds in boiling water, or quickly grill over
an open flame — the gas flame on your stove works well. You want the skin to
loosen, so you can pull it off, without cooking the tomatoes. Chop the skinned
tomatoes, removing seeds if there are a lot. Have these ingredients near the
stove before you start to cook.

Sauté
onions and mushrooms in olive oil, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Add the
garlic and drained zucchini, then cook and stir briefly to combine the
ingredients. Add chopped tomatoes and season well with both types of pimenton;
taste the mixture, it should be smoky, and a bit spicy, and also a little
salty. Fold in the cooked lentils. Taste and re-season with more salt and
pepper as needed. Add the lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the mixture
is juicy but not runny, taste once more and adjust seasonings if needed,
including adding more lemon, then remove from the heat and fold in half the
cheese. Stuff mushrooms with the mixture, and top with remaining cheese. You can
do all the prep the day before or in the morning, then refrigerate until ready
to bake and eat. 

Preheat
oven to 350-375° F. You can put these in with any other thing you’re roasting,
the temperature is a bit flexible. Place mushrooms on a parchment-covered,
lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the mushrooms
are soft and juicing out a bit, and the filling is toasty with nicely browned
cheese. If you've refrigerated the mushrooms, you may need a bit more
cooking time. Serve hot and enjoy!

Paulding & Company
This recipe is from Paulding & Company, a full catering kitchen based in San Francisco, founded by mother-daughter duo Tracy and Terry Paulding.