Yum! That’s all I have to say. Ok, maybe I do have a few more words in me this morning. I was searching around the Internet for some recipes that include yogurt cheese (basically, yogurt drained of its liquid, or whey). Found a  recipe that called for yogurt cheese, spinach, garlic and shallots. Sounded appetizing enough, if not a tad boring. So I added a few more ingredients (and eliminated the shallots, as my hubby’s delicate tummy can’t handle them, lol) … and voila. I have a hit. A very healthy hit, at that. Very low carb, low fat, and best of all… very high in protein (thanks to the secret ingredient: yogurt cheese).

• 3 tbs shredded “three cheese” Italian cheese blend (something with a little more moisture than just parm)
• 3 tsp minced garlic
• 9 medium portabello mushrooms (approx 2.5 inches)
• 3 tbs real crumbled bacon (I used Hormel premade bacon bits, it the salad dressing aisle)
• 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 3 cups raw baby spinach, chopped
• 2/3 cup Trader Joes Greek style yogurt (plain, 0%)
• 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Strain yogurt for at least 2 hours in a cheese cloth to remove moisture. You should end up with about 1/2 cup of “yogurt cheese” when it’s done. If you’re making real yogurt cheese, you should let it sit over night, but for this purpose, 2 hours is plenty.

Wash the mushrooms and remove the stems without breaking the caps. Finely chop the stems, and saute them with the garlic, vinegar and soy sauce over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the spinach and cook until it wilted and there is no more liquid in the pan. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Once the mushroom/spinach mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in the yogurt cheese, bacon, blue cheese, and Italian cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spray a baking dish with olive oil non-stick spray and sprinkle the bottom of the dish with garlic salt. Stuff each mushroom cap with 1-2 tablespoons of the filling and place into the baking dish.

Bake for 25 minues at 350, or until tender. Let them sit for a few minutes to set before serving. Yields: 9 mushrooms; 2-3 servings