Spinach, Mushroom, And Sunflower Seed Sandwiches

If your New Years resolutions include an effort to eat better in 1999, youre going to enjoy the month of January at Recipe-a-Day. The Cook & Kitchen Staff are offering you 31 days of Recipe-a-Day~Light. Todays recipe is for an interesting open-face sandwich thats perfect for a light lunch. Each serving contains about 245 calories with only 3.1 grams of saturated fat. Pre-heat oven to 400-F degrees. Wipe mushrooms clean with a paper towel. Remove stems at the base and reserve for another recipe. Cut the mushroom caps in quarters and remove any gills from the caps with a small paring knife. Thinly slice the quartered mushroom caps. Warm a large, dry skillet over medium heat. Add sunflower seeds (or pine nuts) and toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and golden. Remove the seeds or nuts from the skillet and set aside. Warm half of the olive oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add the prepared mushrooms, scallions, and parsley and saute, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet and saute the minced garlic for about a minute. Add the spinach and toss until wilted (two to four minutes). Remove the spinach from the heat and toss with the mushroom mixture to combine. Stir in the reserved sunflower seeds and adjust the seasonings. Meanwhile, toast the bread in a toaster or the oven until lightly browned. Place toast on a dry baking sheet. Divide the spinach and mushroom mixture evenly over the toast and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is just melted. Serve immediately. Posted to dailyrecipe@recipe-a-day.com by Recipe-a-Day <recipe-a-day@bignetwork.com> on Jan 11, 1999, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.