Korean Stuffed Mushrooms

I'm kind of on a Korean kick lately!

Ingredients:
4 portobello mushrooms
1 lb lean ground beef
1 bunch scallions, chopped fine
1 tsp garlic powder or equivalent minced garlic
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 ounces firm tofu
Tempura batter (my recipe is very loose - I dump some flour or cornstarch into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, then add water until it is the right texture. That is to say, thick enough to coat but thin enough that it drips freely. I make more as needed and don't get fussy about it.)

Optional:
Canola oil, enough to fully coat the bottom of a skillet

Wash the tops of the mushrooms. Remove the stems, and use a butter knife to gently scoop out the gills.

Mix the beef and seasonings and tofu together until well combined. You're less worried about overmixing than usual because the tofu and mushrooms keep it moist - go ahead and mash it together fully.

Stuff the mushroom caps with the beef mixture. Pack it in tight so they stay together.

Now, if you are going to fry them, then heat the oil to medium-high heat. Dip the mushrooms in the batter and fry until golden, about 5 minutes on each side. This is not for the faint of heart. If you cook the mushrooms a little too long, they will suddenly do what mushrooms do best and release their liquid. This will cause oil to spatter everywhere and is both dangerous and scary. Do not leave them unattended while cooking, and cover your hands with oven mitts so you can quickly move the pan if necessary without getting spattered by oil. The payoff for this is a delightfully crispy, dumpling-like dinner which you can then dip in soy sauce like a pot sticker!

If you don't want to fry them, then heat the oven to 450. Dip the shrooms in the batter and lay them on a heat-safe baking sheet. Note that most non-stick baking sheets are NOT safe at such a high heat and should not be used above 400. If you don't have a non-non-stick baking sheet, just use tinfoil. Spray them with cooking spray, then bake them for 12 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. If you overcook them they will be wet from the mushrooms, but it is less of a problem than if you were frying them.

You can also bake them with no batter at all, but you can't fry them without batter.

These make incredible lunches the next day. I like to dip them in a sauce made of chopped scallions and soy sauce, like what you dip dumplings in at a chinese restaurant.