Relaxing on a Mushroom

On the weekends, I like to make something a little more elaborate than the usual hurried weekday breakfast. This eggs and lox recipe is one of my favorites to enjoy at a leisurely pace while reading the Sunday paper.

Roasted portabello mushrooms take the place of high-fat sausage or ham to give a meaty flavor to the salmon and eggs. Skip the hollandaise and go for a dollop of low-fat sour cream mixed with lemon peel for tang and richness.

The smaller portabello mushrooms--those about 4 inches in diameter--are best for this dish. I pop them in the oven to roast while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

After the eggs are cooked, spoon them into the hot roasted mushroom caps and top with the lemon sour cream. The hot eggs will warm the sour cream slightly. Serve two stuffed mushrooms per person, or one if you’re eating light.

Eggs and Lox Stuffed Mushrooms

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes. Quick

Hungarian green peppers are pale green and shaped something like a jalapeno but are nowhere near as hot. Substitute any mildly spicy pepper.

Nonstick cooking spray

4 portabello mushrooms, about 4 inches in diameter

Salt

2 tablespoons light sour cream

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 ounces smoked salmon

1/4 cup minced green onions

1/4 cup minced Hungarian green pepper

1 cup nonfat egg substitute (equivalent to 4 eggs)

Snipped chives

1 tomato, cut into wedges

Watercress

* Spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put mushrooms in pan, stem side down. Spray tops of mushrooms with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 425 degrees until mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until ready to fill. Combine sour cream, lemon peel and a sprinkle of salt.

* Finely chop salmon. Set aside a few small pieces for garnish. In nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cook onions and pepper over medium heat until tender, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salmon. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in egg substitute. Cook without stirring until eggs are set around edges, then stir lightly until all egg is cooked. Spoon into mushrooms.

* Spoon dollop of lemon cream mixture atop each mushroom and sprinkle with chives. Garnish with reserved pieces of salmon; arrange tomato wedges and watercress on plates around mushrooms.

4 servings. Each serving: 103 calories; 513 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 1 fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams protein; 1.30 grams fiber.