WITH winter just around the corner it’s time to gather a good stock of nutritious and comforting recipes which will see you through the colder months.

Many of us are drawn to rich, heavy, meat-based meals at this time of year, but it’s good to have a decent stock of hearty vegetarian dishes to choose from too. I believe it can be beneficial to both your health and wallet to have a meat-free day at least once a week, if possible, and there are plenty of wonderful seasonal ingredients around at the moment to experiment with.

One tasty and simple winter dish to add to your culinary repertoire is the classic (if slightly retro) stuffed Portobello mushroom.

The Portobello was supposedly given its name in the 1980s to make this rather ugly variety of mushroom seem a bit more glamorous, which marketers hoped would encourage more people to buy them. However, what they lack in looks they make up for in taste.

Because the Portobello is a more mature mushroom and is harvested later than other varieties, it contains less moisture and therefore has a more concentrated flavour and denser texture.

When preparing mushrooms, simply tap the dirt off them and wipe with kitchen paper – never wash mushrooms. For this dish, be sure to choose large, firm and dry Portobellos for the best result.

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

Ingredients (serves 2)

4 large, firm Portobello mushrooms

1 clove of garlic

2 slices bread

2 sprigs of fresh dill

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parley

100g feta cheese

150g spinach

1 small onion, very finely chopped

8 medium white or chestnut mushrooms, chopped

50g Parmesan cheese, grated

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Blitz the bread, dill, parsley, garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a blender to create the herby breadcrumbs. Crumble in the feta cheese and blitz again until everything is well combined. Set aside.

Steam the spinach for a few minutes until wilted then squeeze any of the excess moisture from it. Set aside.

Remove the stalk from the Portobello mushrooms, drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and place under a hot grill for five minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the onions and chopped mushrooms in a little oil for a few minutes until the onions have become translucent and the mushrooms have softened. Stir in the cooked spinach and turn off the heat.

Remove the Portobello mushrooms from the grill and spoon the cheesy breadcrumb mixture on top of each one. Top with a spoonful of the onion, mushrooms and spinach and finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Return to the grill and cook for a further five minutes until the cheese stuffing has started to melt and the top has turned golden.

Serve with a few green leaves, such as watercress or rocket, or for a more substantial evening meal you could pair this with a little pasta or polenta and some green beans.