Rachel's Recipes: Stuffed mushrooms can be more than an appetizer

Those of us who are currently observing Lent are likely scrambling to provide our families with vegetarian meals every Friday. There is no doubt that our society is heavy on the meat eating, but please don't misunderstand me. I like meat just fine! I do think, however, that it is healthier to incorporate a bit more vegetarian fare into my family's regular dinner rotation, and that doesn't necessarily mean tofu either. Not that I'm knocking tofu, either, if it's prepared correctly. I can really only remember two Lenten meals growing up, and neither of them were fried fish (more's the pity!). We ate salmon croquettes fairly regularly, and I also remember cheese pizza. Ungrateful wretches that we were, I am sure that's all we would eat for my poor mother, who now makes meatless entrees all the time (since we're not there to turn our noses up anymore). I tried this one out on our entire brood, non-Lent observing stepkids and all, and it was a huge success. Cian, our 11-year-old, actually advised me to feature this recipe in one of my columns, so I am. Thank you, Cian, for trying this out even though you claim not to like mushrooms.The entire idea behind this is the popularity of stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer, just on a larger scale. Then I added green beans for bulk and sun-dried tomatoes (I know, Mom, so Californian) for the sweetness and bite, and I switched up the cheeses as well. I think your family will approve just as mine did. Main-Course Stuffed Mushrooms6 Portobello mushrooms, stems removed and chopped and gills scraped out1/2 cup chopped onion4 cloves garlic, minced1 tablespoon fresh thyme1/2 fresh green beans, cut into half-inch lengths1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, choppedolive oil1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese3/4 cup grated fontina cheesesalt and pepperSaute onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add thyme and sauté 2 minutes. Add mushroom stems, green beans, and tomatoes – cook for 8 minutes or until the beans are tender. Put bean mix into medium bowl; add breadcrumbs, cheeses, and salt and pepper to taste. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Place mushroom caps, open side down, into the oil and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Turn the mushrooms over and cook an additional 3 minutes. Pour out the excess liquid from the mushroom caps, and place them, open side up, on a baking sheet. Mound filling into the mushroom caps. Broil for 5-8 minutes or until the filling is golden and the cheese is starting to melt. Serves 6.