A hollowed-out mushroom cap makes an ideal little edible bowl, perfect for filling with cream cheese and bacon, creamed spinach and ham, Italian sausage and cheese, or crabmeat. These—made with fresh crab, a little bit of low-fat mayo, and real bacon—are a real caloric bargain. A single serving (4 large mushrooms) nets you only 4 grams of fat and just under 120 calories.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　4 small portobello mushrooms (about 2 ounces each)

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 ounces fresh lump crabmeat

　　1/3 cup Rocco’s Magnificent Mayonnaise (page 200) or store-bought low-fat mayonnaise such as Hellmann’s Low-Fat Mayonnaise Dressing

　　2 tablespoons real bacon bits, such as Hormel Real Bacon Bits

　　1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

　　3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

　　1/4 cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as Ian’s All-Natural

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

　　

Step 2

Lay the mushrooms on the prepared baking sheet, gill side up. Spray them with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until the mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together the crabmeat, mayonnaise, bacon bits, peas, chives, and panko. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 4

Divide the mixture among the mushrooms, covering the top of each mushroom completely and mounding the filling high. Bake until the crab mixture is hot throughout and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 5

Fat: 28g (before), 2.7g (after)

　　

Step 6

Calories: 410 (before), 111 (after)

　　

Step 7

Protein: 13g

　　

Step 8

Carbohydrates: 9g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 24mg

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 751mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.