Sun, 12/30/2012 - 7:00pm

Chris Wolf

Chef Jacob Grass of Delvino’s Grill & Pasta House, Belfast.

The stoves are hot and to help celebrate the season, area chefs and businesses are sharing special recipes. PenBayPilot.com is posting recipes and tips throughout the holidays. Enjoy!

Chef Jacob Grass of Delvino’s Grill & Pasta House, 55 Main Street in Belfast, offers up a wonderful appetizer that could go as well as a main course for the vegetarian in your group (minus the bacon and/or subsitute it with chopped broccoli florets). It works equally as well on a bun for an alternate to the burger.

Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Caps with Balsamic Glaze

The recipe serves four

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

You will need:

4 Portabella mushroom caps

8 slices of bacon, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 cups of fresh baby spinach

½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the glaze:

2 cups Balsamic vinegar

½ cup sugar

Combine vinegar and sugar in a pot and cook over medium heat until slightly thick.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms and discard
Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat
Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp
Add the onion and continue cooking till translucent
Add the spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted
Remove from heat
Season with salt and pepper

Place the mushrooms on a sheet pan and top with the spinach mixture
Add the parmesan cheese to the top
Bake for eight to ten minutes, or until cheese starts to brown

To serve:

Transfer the mushrooms to a plate
Drizzle with the Balsamic vinegar glaze
Serve