I am always looking for healthier snacks and appetizers that are not too high calorie and offer nutritional value. Of course, when crafting my holiday eats I think about using veggies or fruits, whole grains, high-quality proteins and dairy products in the mix.
Since stuffed mushrooms top my appetizer list, that is where I set my sights. Plus the fact that mushrooms offer a lot of nutritional value – even the white ones. Mushrooms are jam-packed with the antioxidant, selenium, as well as potassium, B vitamins like niacin and riboflavin – and even vitamin D as they are exposed to UV-light. Plus, mushrooms offer great texture in dishes and savoriness or umami and as a result are a great stand-in for meat.
This dish is super simple to make with real lump crabmeat. Crabmeat can be pricey, so I use canned lump crab. I steer clear of imitation crab as it’s not flaky and it contains a lot of fillers.
Crab is low-calorie at 80 calories per 4 ounces (1/2 cup) and jammed with good-quality protein. I jazzed up the crab before filling the mushrooms with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, a sprig of fresh dill, minced shallot, garlic, a dash of Dijon mustard and grated cheddar.
16 medium white button mushrooms, stems removed and cleaned
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
2 garlic clove, minced
2 – 4 ounce can lump crab meat, drained
1 Tablespoon fresh dill, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoon plain non-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 ounces Cabot Horseradish or Cabot White Oak Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Clean mushrooms with a dry cloth – do not clean mushroom under water as they get water logged. Peel outer skin with a small pairing knife, if desired, and hallow out by removing stems. Set prepped mushrooms aside.
In a small skillet over medium-low heat, drizzle olive oil and add shallots and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes.
Place crab in a bowl and stir in sautéed shallots and garlic. Add dill, yogurt, mustard and 4 ounces of the grated cheese (set the other half aside for topping the mushrooms).
Spoon crab mixture with a teaspoon into each mushroom. Top each one with remaining grated cheese. Set them in a baking dish or sheet pan; bake for 20 minutes or until cheese on top is golden brown and bubbling. Remove from oven and serve while warm.
Nutrition Information (per serving): Calories: 116, Total Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 43 mg, Sodium: 204 mg, Carbohydrates: 2 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 1 g, Protein: 11 g
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