Planet Veggie

I love mushrooms. I don’t very often make stuffed mushrooms because a) I think it’s going to be a bit of a faff and I try to make my life pretty much as faffless as I can; and b) I’m never sure what to serve them with and although I’d be happy to have them on their own, The Meat Eater would probably look at his plate and ask where the potatoes are.

But, while going through the Easy Vegan cookbook, I came across this recipe for baked stuffed mushrooms and thought I’d give them a go. I didn’t quite stick to the recipe as I didn’t read the recipe properly and have a spare mushroom for stuffing with and I didn’t use any celery as I’m not a huge fan of it. Also, I used a red chili (fresh from the greenhouse) and used white breadcrumbs (fresh from the packet of Kingsmill white sliced from the freezer).

And in case you’re wondering if The Meat Eater was left asking where the potatoes were, don’t worry. I served them with mashed potato and baked beans.

Well nice.

Baked stuffed mushrooms (serves 4)

5 very large portabello mushrooms or 10 large cremini/chestnut mushrooms
2-4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 rib/stick celery, finely chopped
1-2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 fresh green chili, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup/50g fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons freshly snipped chives plus extra to garnish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas 4

Select 4 portobello mushrooms or 8 cremini mushrooms for stuffing. Remove the stalks from the mushrooms. Put the caps stem-side up in an ovenproof dish. Finely chop the remaining mushrooms and all the stalks. Heat a non-stick skillet/frying pan and add 2 teaspoons of the oil. Add the chopped mushrooms, celery, garlic, and chili and saute, stirring frequently, until soft. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a bowl.

Add the breadcrumbs, tomato, and chives to the bowl, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, adding a little oil to moisten, if necessary. Fill the mushrooms with the breadcrumb mixture. Pour about 4 tablespoons of water into the dish, then cook in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the topping is crisp. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Credits:
Baked stuffed mushrooms
Recipe by Rachael Anne Hill, Easy Vegan, Ryland Peters & Small