Don’t be put off by the quinoa in the title because it has a bit of a reputation as a health food. High in protein, it was a staple of the Incas and has become very trendy in the West in recent years. Being fairly tasteless but with texture that has bite, it’s useful to substitute for breadcrumbs if you are on a gluten free diet or can’t eat bread for any other reason (usually a diet). When I made these quinoa stuffed mushrooms, I cooked up half the bag and refrigerated the rest to use for salad and possibly to experiment because thats what I like to do.
Just in case you thought it was going to be all about the healthy, I’ve added onions, garlic, smoked bacon and parmesan cheese for flavour. This served two.
Ingredients
Mushrooms – 6 each of small field type mushrooms. Or 2 big ones
Cooked quinoa – 1 cup
Small onion or half a big one
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil spray
2 back rashers of smoked bacon
Grated Parmesan cheese – 1 tablespoon
Method
Finely dice the onion and add to a small preheated frying pan with a spray of olive oil and a splash of water. Cook gently for a couple of minutes. Crush the garlic and add to the onions. Cook gently for a few more minutes then transfer to a mixing bowl.
Snip the bacon with a pair of scissors into small pieces, add to the frying pan and cook through. You can can go crispy if you like. Add to the mixing bowl with the quinoa and parmesan cheese and combine well. Add a grind of black pepper to taste.
Put the mushrooms on a baking tray and heat the oven to 180c. Spoon the mix onto the mushrooms dividing it evenly among them adjusting for size. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked and the cheese in the stuffing is starting to brown.
Serve on a bed of lettuce or greens for a super healthy and delicious lunch or starter.
If you liked these quinoa stuffed mushrooms, you might like baked sweet potatoes with home made coleslaw: https://cookingwithfi.com/baked-sweet-potatoes-and-home-made-coleslaw/