Quinoa Stuff Portobello Mushrooms

By kikilu — October 04, 2013

Love is in the air…or at least it was a few weeks ago when I attended a wedding. Today when you RSVP, you place your order for dinner ahead but by the time you arrive at the wedding who has any idea what you actually ordered. I vagualy remembered giving Prince Charming a hard time for checking the vegetarian dish but genuinely had no clue what I marked. Did it really matter? What ever they were serving…I was eating.

Turns out, Prince Charming did get the vegetarian dish. It was a stuffed portobello mushroom. I think rice, cheese-that basics. So, I started thinking, what if I switched this for that…and that for this and used a lovely citrus. Basically, I wrote a new recipe in my head as we sat there at the wedding. When I tested it at home, Prince Charming remarked, "This is much better then the one at the wedding." Exactly why I married him.

I would recommend serving this with an arugula salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice or mixed greens. This would also make a lovely side dish in smaller mushrooms or as an appetizer. Make sure to adjust the baking time if using smaller mushrooms.

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

By kikilu Published: October 4, 2013

Yield: 6

by Kiki Luthringshausen of Beauty and Her Feast

Ingredients

6 large portobello mushrooms stems removed
1 cup quinoa rinsed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
2 cups mushroom broth or vegetable broth
1 shallot chopped
1 red pepper chopped
2 cups fresh spinach
5 fresh basil leaves chopped
1/2 lemon zest + juice
1/2 cup chopped feta cheese
salt/pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°.
With a damp cloth, wipe the mushrooms clean. Brush them with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet.
Bake the mushrooms for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
In a small pot, heat the oil, sauté the shallot and red pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and the mushroom broth, season with salt. Cook until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Add the spinach, lemon zest and juice, basil and feta cheese. Stir the quinoa mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mixture into the mushrooms. There may be some quinoa leftover. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve with mixed greens or arugula dressed with olive oil.