The other day, while perusing the fungal area of our grocery store’s produce section, we noticed that they had a lot of fresh Portobello mushrooms. Immediately, we thought we would make Stuffed Mushrooms, as it’s a concept we rather enjoy. Wanting a vegetarian meal after the Meat-Fest of the prior night, we settled upon quinoa due to its fairly complete protein structure. From there, we mixed in some sauteed onion and zucchini, and a meal was born! As a side note, you may notice with a keen eye that not all of the portobellos we cooked were stuffed thusly…one was stuffed with macaroni and cheese (if you’re looking for a different idea while playing with the stuffed mushroom concept).
We served our mushrooms with a side of Roasted Brussels Sprouts! However, this would pair nicely with any number of roasted, sauteed, or steamed veggies as a side as well. It’s hard to go wrong.
Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients (Makes 2):
- 2 Portobello Caps
- 2 Cups Vegetable Stock
- A little less than a half cup of Quinoa (Red, white, or tricolour)
- 1 Small Zucchini
- 1 Small Onion
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Dice your zucchini and onion, and sautee them in butter until they caramelize.
- As your zucchini and onion cook, bring your vegetable stock to a boil, and then add in your quinoa. Allow to cook until most of the water has been absorbed.
- As your quinoa and zucchini cook, clean your mushroom caps, and then remove the stem, and scoop out the gills with a spoon.
- Melt some butter in a large oven safe (we suggest cast iron) pan, and place your mushrooms in with the gill side facing downward. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, and then flip, and continue to cook.
- When your quinoa has absorbed most of the water, and your zucchini and onion have caramelized, pour the veggies into your quinoa pot, and stir to combine. Allow to finish cooking.
- When your quinoa is ready, scoop it into your portobello caps.
- Transfer your cast iron pan to your oven, and bake for another 10-15 minutes to finish cooking your mushroom and to allow the flavours to get to know each other.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
