If you have never had Boursin, it is a garlic and herb flavored spreadable cheese, usually available in the gourmet cheese section of the grocery store. It makes anything it touches taste better!

Jean-Michel, 72, the eldest son of Jacques Cousteau, sent his recipe out to members (like me) of Ocean Futures, his global organization designed to explore the ocean, inspire and educate people to act responsibly for its protection, document the critical connection between humanity and nature, and celebrate the ocean’s vital importance to the survival of all life on our planet.

He makes the mushrooms on special occasions or when his team is on expedition in a location where he can get the ingredients. The Ocean Futures staff always begs him for his mushrooms and he loves to cook, according to Carrie Vonderhaar, chief expedition photographer for Ocean Futures.

“The team always talks about his mushrooms. They are wonderful!” said Carrie. “After he gave me the recipe, I went home and made them. Yum!  But somehow when JMC makes them they taste better – I think HE is the special ingredient! ”

Since many team members are vegetarian, these Portobellos are beloved.

 You could serve them as a main course along with a salad on the side (there are lots of vegetarians on the team), or cut them into smaller wedges after baking, as an appetizer offering.

Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Boursin Mushrooms

Source: From the kitchen of Jean-Michel Cousteau. My changes and additions in brown.

JMC says the most important part of the recipe is to peel the skin off of the mushrooms. If you leave the skin on, he says the mushrooms will have a bitter taste.

• 4 large Portobello mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced paper thin
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions (I used 1/2 cup, which is about 1 small onion)
• 1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs  (I used fresh breadcrumbs)
• 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin (garlic and herb cream cheese)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley  (I used 2 tablespoons)
• Sea salt  (ha ha! That’s funny…sea salt from a Cousteau!)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan (optional)  (I used 4 tablespoons—1 for each mushroom)
• A pinch of Ocean Conservation & Awareness
• Garnish: Toasted pine nuts (my addition)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Gently peel the skin off of the mushroom caps. Remove stems and then use a small spoon to scrape out and discard gills.

In a small skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and cook garlic and onion, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until tender.

Add breadcrumbs to a medium bowl. Pour garlic and onion mixture over breadcrumbs. Stir in Boursin, parsley, salt and pepper. Evenly spoon mixture into mushroom caps and spread to the edge (a small offset spatula makes quick work of this). Line a baking sheet with parchment and arrange mushroom caps on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and golden and filling is hot. Sprinkle each cap with parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts (optional, but the pine nuts give a nice little crunch).

Serves 4 as a main dish, or serves more if you cut them into quarters as an appetizer.

There are many reasons people choose to become vegetarians. Lately, two of the more popular reasons for eating vegetarian (at least some of the time) are money and health. Cutting meat from the diet is undoubtedly easier on the pocketbook, and many scientific studies show that eating little or no meat leads to better health. So whether you’re a full time or a part time vegetarian, here are some tips for great vegetarian recipes and cooking.

Balance

A good balance of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates is vital to good health. Protein can easily fall by the wayside if you cut meat from your diet, so be sure to include beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, and eggs in your diet. Carbohydrates should be complex, meaning they don’t come from processed foods like white flour. Beans and whole grain breads and pasta are a good source of carbs. Fats are important, too – just make sure they come from healthy foods like avocado, olive oil, flax, and nuts.

Better Nutrition and Taste

Experiment with oils. Not only can the right cooking oil add better nutrition to your diet, but it can make a recipe taste considerably better. In particular, experiment with flax seed oil, peanut oil, walnut oil, and different types of olive oil.

Pump Up Flavor

When recipes call for beef or poultry broth, stock, or bullion, vegetable stock is a fine substitute, but it may taste bland. Adding fresh minced garlic can pump up the flavor – or use red wine instead.

Take Your Time

Rice is a vegetarian staple, but because it can take a little while to cook, it’s tempting to choose instant rice. However, instant rice is low in nutrients. If you don’t want to stand in front of the stove and cook rice, invest in a rice cooker. It will still take the rice a bit to cook, but you won’t have to babysit it.

The Classic Substitute

If you have meat or poultry dishes you really enjoy, try substituting beans. This works particularly well for soups, stews, and casseroles. For variety, experiment with different types of beans.

Recommended Vegetarian Recipes:

Dirty Dish from Susan’s Garden: This quick and easy dish is made with corn, artichokes, carrots, green beans, and truffles.

Truffle Omelet: In just 15 minutes, you can serve this truffle or mushroom omelet for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Ravioli with Cepe Mushrooms: Replace the duck grease and stock in this recipe with vegetable stock or wine, and you’ve got a hearty, delicious vegetarian meal.

Eggs with Fresh Mushrooms: It doesn’t get much easier than this! This dish takes just 10 minutes to cook and combines egg protein with the nutrients of a variety of vegetables.

Many medical studies show that people who eat little to no meat are generally healthier and weigh less than those who consume meat daily. So whether you’ve decided to cut down on the amount of meat you’re eating, wish to go entirely vegetarian, or simply have dinner guests who are vegetarian, here are some quick and easy tips to get you started:

#1: The fresher the ingredients, the less bland the meals will taste. Buy produce that’s in season, ideally at a local farmer’s market. Try vegetables and fruits you’ve never used before. Fruits are great for cooking with, as well as eating plain. Try foods you once disliked, too. When you buy produce that’s in season, you may be surprised how flavorful and different it tastes than out-of-season produce or fruits or vegetables that are canned or frozen.

#2: Even though you’re not including meat, still prepare a balanced meal. Choose a nice balance of protein, complex carbohydrates and fat. Good examples of protein in the vegetarian diet include eggs, soybeans, tofu, beans, nuts, and seeds. Carbohydrates should be high in fiber, as is found in wheat bread and beans. Fats are vital to a good diet, but according to The American Heart Association, you should get less than 30% of your total calories from fat. Look for foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, like avocados, nuts, olive oil, and flax.

#3: Choose a great recipe. There are many on- and offline sources for vegetarian recipes, but one of my favorites is Gourmandia.com, where you’ll find vegetarian recipes on videos.

#4: Use healthy oils for sautéing. Although many vegetarian sources suggest using vegetable oil, there are healthier choices, including flax seed oil, peanut oil and olive oil.

#5: Use wine or vegetable broth in place of chicken or beef broth or bullion. If vegetable broth seems to bland, chop up or mice some fresh garlic and add it to the broth.

#6: Steam or blanche your vegetables for excellent flavor. To blanche, drop vegetables into a pot of boiling water. Seven to 8 quarts of water should be used for every 2 to 3 pounds of vegetables. Use too little water, and it will take the liquid too long to return to a boil after you place the vegetables in the pot, resulting in poorly cooked food. The faster the water re-boils, the fresher and tastier the vegetables are going to be. When done, the vegetables should be tender but still crisp.

#7: If you have a favorite casserole recipe containing meat or poultry, use beans instead. This trick also works well in stews and soups.

#8: To make vegetable soups more hearty, add dumplings. For simple dumplings, combine two cups of flour, two teaspoons of baking powder, and one teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Cut in four tablespoons of softened butter. Stir in about one cup of milk. The mixture should be thoroughly moist; if it’s not, add a little more milk. Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture into simmering liquid (such as a soup or stew). Cover the pot. After ten minutes, check the dumplings, cutting one in half. When the dumplings are thoroughly cooked, they’ll no longer be gooey inside.

#9: Seasonings are your friends. Get comfortable using fresh herbs and quality seasonings; they can add flavor to otherwise bland dishes like rice. Natural soy sauce, Indian curry paste, hot sauces salsas, mustards and herbs like cilantro, basil, thyme and more should be staples in your kitchen.

#10: Rice is a vegetarian staple, but…It can take forever to cook. Instant rices aren’t a good substitute because they have poor nutritional value. Therefore, if you’re going vegetarian, it makes sense to buy a rice cooker. Rice cookers don’t usually cook rice any faster than stove top methods, but you don’t have to stand around and watch them, which frees up your time.