Serves 4: This easy starter is delicious with any favorite filling recipe. Try basil pesto or roasted corn salsa in place of the olive tapenade. You can increase the amounts to serve any number. Use whole mushrooms as a starter or side dish, or cut in half or quarters and serve as canapés.
Preheat oven to 375
Rimmed baking sheet, lightly oiled
4 portobello mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup olive tapenade
Directions: Arrange mushrooms on prepared baking sheet, gill side down. Brush or drizzle with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 15 min.
Turn mushrooms over and spoon 1 tbsp of the olive tapenade into the centers. Bake for another 5 to 10 min or until mushrooms are tender when pierced with a sharp knife and filling is bubbly.
Olive Tapenade
Makes 1 cup: Like pesto, olive tapenade has a strong taste on its own. But when used as a spread or mixed with other ingredients in canapés, tortillas or pita pockets, as a base for sandwich spreads and as a flavour booster for sauces and stir-fries, it is pleasant and very versatile.
Tip: you can use a 14-oz can of olives for this recipe.
1 large clove garlic
2 tbsp pine nuts or sunflower seeds
2 cups drained pitted black or green olives
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or parsley
1 tsp drained capers
¼ cup olive oil
Directions: In a food processor or blender, process garlic and pine nuts for about 30 sec or until finely chopped. Add olives, thyme, oregano, and caper and pulse 2 to 3 times to chop. With the motor running, slowly add oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process just until oil is mixed in well.
Transfer mixture to a clean container with lid. Store tapenade tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week!
