Recipe: Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms

Enjoy the fungus among us, but don’t want to eat the stuffed variety because the mushroom dishes at restaurants are suffocated in dense butter and fattening cheese? Let me introduce you to the plant-based life where you don’t have to give up ANYTHING — you simply find a substitute.

These Mediterranean inspired mushrooms are a lovely appetizer or side dish to highlight and offset the carbohydrates being paired with a pasta dinner, a nice homemade pizza, or whatever veggies and legumes may trike yo’ fancy. I personally recommend a pesto & greens pizza (Recipe to come…).

In this version of stuffed mushrooms, you get a nice protein blend from the filling, and a fun pop of flavor from the olive jewels tucked in around the mushrooms for extra zing.

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Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms

All the flavor, and none of the fat.
325* for approximately 15-25 minutes.

1 package baby bella mushrooms (whole)
1 container garlic stuffed olives (about one cup)
3/4 cup red quinoa (cooked, cooled)
1 jar marinara ((you can sub any red pasta sauce of choice))
oregano ((to taste))
Himalayan salt
cracked black pepper ((fresh is best))
1 small sweet onion (* diced)
1 small shallot (* diced)
1/4 cup olive oil

Take an 8×8 square nonstick cake pan or something similar (i.e. 9-inch round cake pan would also work, or square glass casserole dishes), and coat with the olive oil, allowing settling for an even bottom coat.
In a mixing bowl, toss in your quinoa, diced shallots and onions, seasonings, and mix well.
I like extra oregano for a smoky pop, but you can use as much or little as you like.
Pop the stems out from your washed mushrooms.
If not easily taken out, I use a small teaspoon to help hollow out the center.

Use a teaspoon to take some of the marinara and line the inside of each mushroom— this helps lock in moisture and flavor.

After the marinara is in each mushroom, rinse spoon and use to repeat the process with the quinoa stuffing, and generously fill each mushroom before placing in the oiled cake pan.
Take the garlic stuffed olives and space them out around mushrooms so essentially each mushroom is surrounded by an olive on all sides. Use the marinara to draw a zig zag medium coating of sauce over top of both the olives and mushrooms.
Bake at 325* (ADJUST YOUR OVEN TEMP ACCORDINGLY, each oven is different) for 15-25 minutes, depending.

The tops of the mushrooms will wilt in slightly (resembling a stuffed pepper), so you may need to check yours in the cooking process to make sure they don’t overcook and dry out.