Ingredients:

• 2 large portobello mushrooms
• 8-12 medium shrimp (about 4-6 per mushroom)
• 2 tomatoes (about 1 medium tomato per mushroom)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt & crushed black pepper, according to taste
• 1/2 tsp (or less) crushed red pepper flakes
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

 Start by making the tomato bruschetta topping: Dice the tomatoes into small bite size pieces. Chiffonade (the fancy term for stacking the leaves, rolling them tightly…then slicing them into thin long strips) the basil and add it to the diced tomatoes.

Peel and finely mince the garlic. Add about 1/2 tsp of the garlic to the tomato and basil mixture…reserving the rest for the shrimp and mushrooms.

Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper (to taste), a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle (about 1/2 – 1 tbsp) of extra virgin olive oil and mix everything well together. Let the tomatoes sit in this juicy mixture to absorb the flavors while you prepare the mushrooms and shrimp.

Pre-heat your oven to 450F. Clean your mushrooms by removing the stalk (save them to stir fry with the shrimp later) and if you want, scrape out the gills with a spoon (optional, it’s not necessary). Rinse or clean the mushroom of any dirt.

Then simple drizzle a little bit of olive oil and season the mushroom generously with salt and pepper on bo

th sides. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of the finely diced garlic into the cavity of the mushroo

m, place them on a baking sheet and pop them into the oven for 10-12 mins.

While the mushrooms are roasting, trim and dice the mushroom stalks. Also dice up the shrimp into the same small bite size pieces as the tomato. (I left 2 whole for the garnish)

Heat a tbsp of olive olive in a sautee pan on medium high heat, add all the remaining garlic and let it flavor the oil and let it sizzle for a few seconds, then add the diced mushroom stalks and shrimp stirring to coat everything with the oil and garlic.

Add 1/2 tsp (or less if you don’t like spice) of crushed red pepper flakes and season with salt. Stir fry the shrimp for 2-4 minutes until they turn opaque and pink. Turn off the heat.

To assemble simply spoon some of the shrimp and tomato mixture into the cavity of the shrimp, drizzling the tomato juices in there too.