Recipe: Savory Mushroom Cheesecake

SAVORY MUSHROOM CHEESECAKE

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quartered domestic mushrooms*
1/2 cup sliced fresh shitaki mushrooms*
10 spinach leaves, stems trimmed
roasted garlic (removed from 1 head roasted garlic)
3 shallots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese
3 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan.

MUSHROOM MIXTURE:
Heat oil in a large saute pan until very hot. Add mushrooms and saute until just beginning to soften. Add spinach, garlic, shallots, tomatoes, and saute just until spinach wilts. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE:
Cut cream cheese into small cubes and place, along with eggs and lemon zest, in a food processor. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides every so often.

Pour the mixture into a medium-size bowl and fold in the cooled mushroom mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a greased 9-inch cake pan.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert pan onto a serving plate and remove.

*Any combination of mushrooms will work. Unflavored dental floss may be used to cust this cheesecake.

Serve warm.

Servings: 12