Stuffed portobello mushrooms

Serve these stuffed mushrooms either as an appetizer using smaller portobellas, or use 2-4 full-size portobella mushrooms for entree portions. Either way, it’s a hearty, tasty dish with a nutty, savory filling. Read on for the surprise grain I used.

I’ve done stuffed squash with quinoa and wild rice stuffing for the holidays, so I was trying to think of something different. Steel cut oats! You have to get certified gluten-free oats (like oats from Bob’s Red Mill). The oats are soaked and partially cooked, so they retain their nutty, crunchy texture, and their sticky quality is perfect for a stuffing.

Did you know that portobellos are just huge cremini mushrooms?

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
4-12 servings, depending on whether these are appetizers or main dishes

2 full-size or 10-12 medium portobello mushrooms
1/4 C. (42 g) steel-cut GF oats
1/4 C. (30 g) orange bell pepper
1/4 C. (32 g) celery
1 shallot
1 T. (15 ml) olive oil
2 T. (30 ml) marsala wine
1/4 C. (34 g) pine nuts
3 slices tempeh bacon (turkey bacon, Canadian bacon)
2 T. (30 g) smoky almond sauce
2 T. (15 g) almond meal

Soak the oats in 3/4 C. (180 ml) filtered water for one hour or overnight. Microwave for 5 minutes. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 350F/160C/gas mark 4.

Clean the mushrooms by carefully snapping off the stem at the base. Remove any gills that are attached to the stem. Clean the mushroom caps by scraping out the gills with a grapefruit spoon. (Compost the gills.) Reserve the stems. Wipe off the mushrooms with a damp paper or clean, damp kitchen towel.

Clean and finely mince the pepper and celery, shallot, and mushroom stems.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and saute the vegetables until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Pour in the marsala wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits. Cook until the wine has evaporated (you just “deglazed the pan.” Woohoo!)

In a medium bowl, mix the oats, cooked veggies, pine nuts, sauce, almond meal, and crumbled bacon. (If using turkey bacon, mince finely and add.) The stuffing should hold together. If it seems too dry, add a bit more of the almond sauce.

Spray a baking pan and place the mushrooms top side down. Fill each mushroom evenly (I use an ice cream scoop).

Bake for 25 minutes for appetizers, 35 minutes for entrees. Tops should be golden brown and just starting to get crispy. Serve immediately.

Tagged as: almond meal, celery, marsala wine, orange bell pepper, pine nuts, portobello mushrooms, shallot, steel-cut oats, tempeh bacon