Carrie: Iron Chef Blogger Challenge Mushrooms

So for this week's Iron Chef Blogger Challenge, Sara A. chose mushrooms. I love mushrooms. I think they're delicious and add a nice touch to a lot of dishes. More often than not, I only cook with brown mushrooms, so I decided I'd try something else. I always love the sound of a big portobello cap, but I never cook with it. Changing that up this week! I found this great recipe for Stuffed Portobellos with Balsamic Reduction on Love and Olive Oil, one of my favorite cooking blogs. I adjusted the recipe slightly to accommodate what I have on my hand, and I'd say my stuffed mushroom was a delightful success.

Stuffed Portobello with Balsamic Reduction (adapted from Love and Olive Oil)
4 portobello caps
package of frozen spinach (I didn't note the size of the package, but a smaller one should do)
1/4 cup chopped artichokes quarters in water
1 cup of diced yellow onion
1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 ounces of goat cheese
mozzarella
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
salt and pepper
olive oil

Balsamic Reduction
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Preheat over to 400 degrees.
Prepare the spinach according to package directions, then set aside to cool. Saute the onions in olive oil over medium heat until they begin to brown slightly. Add minced garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Set aside. Drain the spinach and squeeze out the excess water. Combine the spinach, onions and garlic, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, mozzarella, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in bowl and mix together well. I just eyed the mozzarella and the bread crumbs.
Place the caps on a baking sheet. (When preparing mushrooms, just take a damp towel and wipe off the tops.) Stuff the caps with the filling, then sprinkle more mozzarella on top. Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.
While the mushrooms are baking, prepare your balsamic reduction. Combine the balsamic and brown sugar in small saucepan over medium high heat and whisk until sugar dissolves. (At this point, Love and Olive Oil calls for a sprig of thyme but I didn't have any, was going to use dried, but forgot so there we are.) Reduce heat and allow the balsamic to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it reduces by half. The sauce should be thick and syrupy. Drizzle over the finished stuffed portobellos and serve immediately. I'm not sure if mine was reduced quite enough, but it was still delicious.