Quinoa Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Quinoa Stuffed Mushroom Caps

 It doesn’t take much to turn classic stuffed mushrooms vegan. The secret ingredient is nutritional yeast. Affectionately called “nooch” by the plant-based set, it is deactivated yeast that has a nutty, cheesy, savoury flavor similar to Parmesan cheese. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (60 mL) white quinoa
24 cremini mushrooms, about 2 inches (5 cm) diameter
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for
   brushing
2 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
   seperated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) chopped fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp (30 mL) nutritional yeast
2 tbsp (30 mL) panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Sprouts or microgreens to garnish

Directions:

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Cook quinoa until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a baking pan to cool.

Remove stems from mushrooms and finely chop; set mushroom caps aside. Heat oil in medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushroom stems and white parts of green onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add green parts of green onions, garlic and thyme. Cook for 1 minute. Transfer to baking pan with quinoa to cool.

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

Place mushroom caps on a parchment paper- lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange evenly, gill side up. Bake on bottom rack for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine quinoa, mushroom mixture, nutritional yeast, panko and parsley in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

After 10 minutes, remove mushrooms from oven. Using tongs, tip any juices inside caps into a small bowl. Stir 2 tbsp (30 mL) of mushroom juice into quinoa mixture to moisten, saving rest for another use. Spoon quinoa mixture into caps. Bake until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes.

Let cool, 5 to 10 minutes, and serve sprinkled with sprouts or microgreens.

Makes 24 caps