Dinner Tonight! : LOW-FAT COOKING / DONNA DEANE : Hail, Portabello

You can have a Caesar salad in any bowl. But a bowl that you can also eat? For this recipe, pick the largest portabello mushrooms you can find, because they become the bowls for the salad.

Portabellos have a great meaty flavor and are excellent as an entree. This dish, with the salad served on the hot mushrooms, makes for an interesting contrast of hot and cold. The dressing remains low-fat because of a surprise ingredient--tofu--which also lends a creaminess.

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Portabello Mushrooms Stuffed With Caesar Salad

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 45 minutes

8 large portabello mushrooms

Olive oil cooking spray

Salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 anchovy filets, chopped

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 (12.3-ounce) carton low-fat tofu

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons water

8 cups coarsely chopped romaine (about 3/4 head)

Garlic Croutons

4 whole anchovies, cut in half

* Wipe mushrooms with damp paper towel. Cut off stems. Using spoon, scrape gills off underside of mushrooms caps. Place mushrooms stem-side down on baking pan and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake at 450 degrees 5 minutes. Turn, spray surface of mushroom and lightly salt. Bake 5 more minutes. Remove and keep warm.

* Puree lemon juice, chopped anchovies, vinegar, mustard, garlic, olive oil and tofu in food processor until smooth. Blend in 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and water.

* Toss together romaine, remaining cheese, dressing and croutons. Spoon into warm mushroom caps. Top each with 1/2 anchovy.

8 servings. Each serving: 95 calories; 405 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.81 gram fiber.

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Garlic Croutons

Active Work Time: 5 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes

2 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes

Garlic olive oil cooking spray

Salt

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

* Place bread in single layer on baking pan sprayed with garlic cooking spray. Lightly spray bread cubes with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 400 degrees until bread is browned, about 10 minutes. Toss hot toasted bread cubes with Parmesan cheese.

8 servings. Each serving: 18.5 calories; 77.5 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 0.5 gram fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 grams protein; 0.1 gram fiber.