Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms

These large stuffed portobella mushroom caps made a lovely presentation at our dinner last night. In addition,.they were very tasty, easy to make, nutritious and filling, not to mention gluten free and vegan.

 I adapted the recipe from a recipe I found on a blog called Adventures in All Things Food, 

                                                           

I could have used gluten free breadcrumbs instead of the bread crumbs that are called for in the recipe, but I preferr to use a whole grains. Honestly, the quinoa was perfect!

                                        

 These stuffed mushroom caps are a great recipe to have on file for those times when you have vegetarian/vegan/gluten free company and are not sure what to make. It is hearty and filling.  

Quinoa is actually a berry that is high in protein as well..Coupled with soup ( Like Egyptian Red Lentil Soup)   or salad ( like Arugula and Cashew Salad ),   it's a filling meal. You might want to add sunflower seeds, to the stuffing mixture if eating it as an entree. Otherwise, it is a perfect side dish for any meal.

I grated a little carrot and red onion on top for decoration

Interesting Fact:   Did you know that Portobella mushrooms start out as cremini mushrooms, but they  develop into portobella  when  they are  left to grow for an additional week after the other cremini mushrooms are harvested. Portobellas usually grow to over 6 inches wide and tastier. Low in calories, but rich in flavor these meaty portobella mushrooms are great stuffed or grilled as burgers for vegetarians.

Nutritionally, they are thought to provide powerful antioxidants that help protect the body against cancer. In addition, portiobella mushrooms are a good source of selenium ( which is needed for a healthy immune system, but hard to find in most foods) , copper, and potassium, and other minerals. Dr. Fuhrman of the book Eat to Live encourages his readers to eat lots of mushrooms because of their high nutritional and antioxidant value.

Ingredients:

• 2 large Portobella mushroom caps
• 2 Tbsp. butter      I used olive oil spray
• 1/4 c. eggplant diced
• 2 white button mushrooms, diced
• 1 leek, sliced thin and cleaned
• 1 celery stalk, diced thin
• 1 clove of garlic, minced 
• 1/4 c. vegetable stock
• 1/2 c. bread crumbs   I used 1 cup cooked quinoa for two caps
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil ( optional) 

Directions: 

Start by cleaning your Portobella mushrooms with a dry paper towel. Gently knock off any dirt or debris. Remove the stem, chop and reserve. With a spoon gently scrape out the gills inside the caps. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan, heat the butter olive oil spray and soften the eggplant, button mushrooms, reserved mushroom stems, leeks, celery and garlic over medium-low heat. When soft add the stock and simmer for a minute or two. Taste and salt and pepper as necessary.

Take off the heat and add the bread crumbs    cooked quinoa. ( I sauteed the quinoa in the mixture for a few minutes. ) Put mushrooms caps into a baking dish lined with parchment paper and fill the caps with the filling mixture. Drizzle with olive oil ( I didin't)  and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cap is softened and the filling is golden brown. 

What do you do with Portobella Mushroom Caps? I love your comments, so please leave one. How do you spell Portobella/ portabella ?  It seems to be acceptable either way..


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