Arugula Pesto Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 12 Shiitake mushrooms approx 1 1/2 inches in diameter
• 1 package dried oyster mushrooms or one 1/2 oz pkg. of other Melissa’s dried mushrooms
• 1 cup Crimini mushrooms or other fresh mushroom
• 2 oz. arugula, quickly blanched, cooled and roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted (one 3 oz. pkg. = 10 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon organic garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Trim and discard the stem of each Shiitake mushroom; set caps aside.
2. Place the dried mushrooms in bowl of warm water; press to submerge.
3. Let stand until the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Lift mushrooms from water, being careful not to stir any sediment that may have sunken to the bottom.
5. Lightly squeeze excess water from mushrooms and roughly chop.
6. Strain mushroom water and reserve for another use.
7. Combine the dried mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, pine nuts, garlic, and arugula in a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
8. Add oil and 2 tablespoons of the cheese; pulse to combine and transfer to mixing bowl.
9. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. There will be about 1 1/2 cups of filling. It should be just moist enough to stick together but not wet. If not using filling right away, cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent discoloration.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
11. Mound 1 tablespoon of filling into each Shiitake cap with a spoon, pressing firmly with the inside of the spoon to form a smooth mound. At this point, the recipe can be prepared up to eight hours ahead of time and refrigerated up until baking time.
12. Place stuffed mushroom caps on a baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of cheese.
13. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.