Via Ffffound

 

Mmm, shrooms. The following is a modified version of this sweet ass recipe from Gluten Free Goddess.

I cook the quinoa in vegetable stock to amp up the flavour and switch up a couple of ingredients (because even though garlic and onions are great, you don’t have to put ’em in everything). The lemon flavours and fresh basil shine through juuuust right!

Juicy, balsamic-spiked portobellos are the perfect vessel for the flavour-packed quinoa mixture. Tonight we served these with my new favourite salad: diced mango, cos lettuce and rocket with a mouthwateringly rad raspberry vinaigrette (recipe tomorrow here!).

 

Quinoa-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:

4-6 large portobello mushrooms
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
sea salt and fresh black pepper

For the stuffing:
1/2 cup quinoa, rinse thoroughly
1 cup vege stock
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 tsp lemon zest
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp raisins (optional)*
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped just before using

What to do:

Add quinoa and vege stock to a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked to taste. You might want to stand over it for the final few minutes, stirring frequently, to make sure you hit the sweet spot of perfect liquid absorption (this is the easiest way to not fuck up cooking quinoa). Set aside when done.

Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish.

Slice off the portobello stems and carefully scrape out the gills using a teaspoon. Place the mushrooms in the baking dish. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and a little balsamic. Season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Pre-bake the shrooms for 10 minutes to soften them a little. Remove from oven and set aside; if they are too super-juicy, soak up the excess with a paper towel.

In a frying pan, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add quinoa, tomatoes, pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice and raisins. Stir well to combine. When mixture is heated through, remove from heat and add basil. Mix well. Season to taste with sea salt and fresh black pepper.**

Stuff each mushroom cap with an even portion of quinoa mixture. Bake for 15 minutes, until the portobello is very tender.

(These can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated. When needed, bake at 180 C for 20-25 minutes.)

Serves 4-6 as as a side dish or snack.

 

* Try it if you’re skeptical! The raisins add a satisfying hint of sweetness to the overall flavour.
** If you’re not using raisins and think that the quinoa mix needs a little somethin’ somethin’, try adding a teaspoon or two of pure maple syrup.