Where do recipes come from? For me, I look for what is available seasonally in the grocery store. I refer to traditional and non-traditional flavor combinations that I enjoy and most people enjoy and I go for it. This recipe is one of those recipes.

This dish was part of a weekly menu I prepared for a client that included Chicken Milanese, king salmon with chimichurri and vegetable sides of herbed orzo and a Caprese salad. I was on an Italian vibe mostly.

I saw these beautiful organic portobello mushrooms that I was going to simply grill, but then I came across organic hot pork sausage. And, as a New Yorker, when I think of pork sausage, it must be served with peppers and onions. So here is my Sausage + Peppers Stuffed Portobellos made “parmesan” with leftover buffalo mozzarella.

4 large (4-5 inch diameter)

portobello mushroom

caps (stems removed,

gills removed with a

spoon, wiped clean with a

damp paper towel)

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 cup onion, diced finely

1 cup red, yellow or orange

bell pepper, diced finely

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch dried basil

1 pinch of crushed red

pepper (optional, if using

sweet sausage)

1 lb Italian sausage (hot or

sweet or mixed), removed

from casing

½ cup breadcrumbs

½ cup good simple marinara

sauce (I like Rao’s)

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup grated Pecorino

Romano cheese

buffalo mozzarella cheese

fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of the prepared mushroom caps and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place caps bottom up on a foil and parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and bell pepper in one tablespoon of olive oil until onions are translucent. Turn off heat and immediately add garlic, dried basil and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir to combine and let cool.

In a bowl combine sausage, breadcrumbs, marinara, egg, and pecorino cheese using a fork to blend mixture. Add cooled vegetable mixture and continue to combine all ingredients with the fork. Add more marinara if needed. Season with a little salt and pepper but be mindful of the salt in the other ingredients.

Evenly fill the mushroom tops with the sausage mixture. Return to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. When done, remove from oven, top each with marinara sauce and a slice of fresh mozzarella. Place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or place under the broiler, to melt the cheese. Garnish each with a fresh basil leaf.

Vegetarian? Replace the meat with cooked rice or grain and/or your favorite bean.

These little babies are good as an entrée with the herbed orzo and Caprese salad but between two pieces of ciabatta or focaccia bread with fresh tomato and greens would be a burger for the ages.

Happy eating (and cooking) and thanks for reading!

Kysha Harris is a food writer, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service offering weekly and in-home entertaining packages. Questions? Comments? Requests? Feedback? Invitations! Email her at kysha@iSCHOP.com, follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SCHOPgirl or on Facebook www.facebook.com/SCHOPnyc. For even more recipes, tips and food musings subscribe to her blog at www.talkingSCHOP.wordpress.com. Follow AmNewsFOOD @NYAmNewsFOOD.