Cheesy Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 18 medium chestnut mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, 2 diced finely + 1 whole, crushed
- 3 medium potatoes, steamed and peeled
- a pinch of dry rosemary (optional)
- 2 medium shallots, very finely diced
- 5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 6-8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ cup gluten-free cauliflower crumbs or chickpea breadcrumbs (GF breadcrumbs for GF version)
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts or chopped walnuts
- ½ cup Miyoko’s Mozzarella Cheese, grated
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200° C / 390° F
- Clean the mushrooms with a damp brush or cloth (do not wash them) and de-stem the mushrooms. Do not throw away the stems as you will use them for the stuffing.
- Place the mushroom caps on a baking tray covered in parchment paper and place them on a baking tray with the caps up and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
- Mash the potatoes until there are no lumps.
- Crush the whole garlic clove with a pinch of coarse salt and dry rosemary in a pestle and mortar. Pound the garlic into a smooth paste and then add approximately 2 tbsp of grated mozzarella cheese so it becomes pasty.
- Dice the mushroom stems really finely.
- Start to sauté the mushrooms and diced shallots in vegetable broth until translucent, stirring often. Keep adding vegetable broth to prevent sticking.
- If you do not have vegetable broth you can sauté with water.
- Next add in diced garlic, chopped fresh herbs, black pepper and ¼ tsp of salt.
- Continue sautéeing until the garlic is fragrant. Next stir in diced mushroom stems and sauté until the mushrooms are cooked through. Keep adding vegetable broth or water to prevent sticking.
- Once mushroom caps are done baking, lower the oven temperature to 170° C / 340° F.
- Mix the baking juices from the mushroom caps into the stuffing mixture before adding in lemon zest and juice. Add in the rest of the mozzarella cheese and mashed potatoes.
- Stir in gluten-free breadcrumbs and pine nuts, making sure they are evenly distributed.
- Adjust the seasoning and check that the mixture is moist but not overly soggy.
- Brush the insides of the caps with the garlic cheese paste you made earlier before stuffing them with the mixture.
- Bake the stuffed mushrooms for about 15-20 minutes until the tops are browned.
Notes:
- For this recipe, you can opt for the Miyokos’ kitchen liquid mozzarella cheese as well, in which case you just swap out the liquid for the grated cheese.
- Also, this recipe works great with portobello mushrooms too!
- If you would like a fat-free version, you can leave out the cheese, and it still tastes so good with lots of flavor.
Cooking Tips & FAQ's:
- Can I use different mushrooms? White button mushrooms will work in a pinch, but I prefer cremini for more flavor. This recipe works better with smaller mushrooms for an appetizer, though I suppose you could also use large mushrooms like portobello mushrooms for more of a main course!
- What do I do with the mushroom stems? I find that the stems can be a bit tough, so I prefer not to use them in my recipe. Personally, I like to save them and make some yummy homemade vegetable broth!
My cheesy vegan stuffed mushrooms are one of the more decadent meals I make. While they are a bit more labor intensive, the end result is well worth it. When I make these for entertaining, they go like hotcakes!
The best part is that people don’t even realize they are getting so many healing foods when eating this delicious appetizer.
Mushrooms
Crimini (or baby portobello) mushrooms are packed with nutrients. They are an excellent source of vitamins E, B12, and D as well as minerals like zinc, selenium, iron, and calcium. They also contain a compound called conjugated-linoleic acid (CLA) which is well inown for its preventative properties and ability to prevent high levels of estrogen from circulating in the body.
Mushrooms are very beneficial for those who suffer with arthritis, heart disease, asthma, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease as they have strong anti-inflammatory properties and have been shown to regulate inflammation in the heart, joints, organs, and tissues. Furthermore, mushrooms contain L-ergothioneine which is important for cognitive function, eye health, reproductive health, and lung health.
They have also ben shown to significantly strengthen the immune system, making them a preventative powerhouse against colds, flu, chronic infections, etc. Additionally, they contain tryptophan which plays an integral role in serotonin levels helping to stabilize mood swings and balance sleep patterns.
Potatoes
Yes, the potato, despite the bad rap it has gotten throughout the years, is actually an incredibly healing food!
The truth is, what people add to the potato has made them so bad for us. Most people add toxic oils, cheese, butter, milk, and cream to potatoes. This combination of fat plus glucose creates insulin resistance and feeds every type of cancer.
In fact, the entire potato, skin included, is beneficial for our health.
Potatoes are particularly high in Lysine in their bioactive form. Lysine fights cancers, liver disease, inflammation, and viruses such as Epstein-Barr (EBV) and shingles.
Furthermore, potatoes will help ward off liver disease, strengthen your kidneys, soothe your nerves and digestive tract, and reverse Crohn’s, colitis, IBS, and peptic ulcers – all of which result from viruses that the Lysine helps destroy.
In addition to the Lysine, potatoes are also rich in potassium, vitamin B6, and other amino acids. Not only are potatoes antiviral, but they are also antifungal and antibacterial and contain nutritional cofactors and enzymes as well as bioactive compounds which help prevent you from getting too stressed out. As brain food, they also help to keep you grounded and centered.
Garlic
The addition of garlic, onions, and cilantro to the avocado makes this dish an incredible powerhouse against pathogens. Not to mention, garlic contains impressive antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, and anti-viral properties.
“One raw crushed clove of garlic contains the antibiotic equivalent of 100,000 units of penicillin and has been proven to be more effective than both penicillin and tetracycline in suppressing certain types of disease-carrying agents.”
Anthony William, Life-Changing Foods
Onions
Onions contain sulfur compounds that strengthen the immune system, brain, and nervous system. These compounds also help to detoxify heavy metals from the body such as mercury, cadmium, and lead.
Furthermore, onions are the highest food source of quercetin, a potent antioxidant that can help prevent blood clots, asthma, sinus infections, bronchitis, atherosclerosis, and diabetes.
Sage
Sage is one of the top antioxidant herbs and can provide protection against degenerative diseases. It has also been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory that helps reduce swelling and inflammation. Additionally, this incredible herb has anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties that help fight fungus, viral, and bacterial infections.
“Sage is known as the “thinker’s herb” as has an outstanding ability to enhance attention span, support concentration, and improve the senses as well as provide support when dealing with grief and depression.”
-Anthony William, Sage Blog
This incredible herb has also been shown to help regulate the menstrual cycle. Furthermore, sage can neutralize free radicals, giving it significant ant-aging and longevity benefits.
Thyme
Thyme is a powerful herb for fighting off colds and flus as it has the ability to kill off bacteria and viruses and contains antiseptic properties as well. It is high in vitamins A, E, C, K, B-complex, and folate. Additionally, thyme is an excellent source of calcium, iron, manganese, selenium, and potassium.
This medicinal herb can also help stimulate memory, prevent nightmares, relieve headaches and muscle aches, soothe coughs, reduce fevers, and fight infections. Thyme has extremely high antioxidant levels and bioflavonoids, which have been shown to help eliminate free radicals in the body.
These cheesy vegan stuffed mushrooms are packed with powerful nutrients. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor, make this recipe, and let me know how it turns out. I would love your feedback; please leave me a comment below.
To your health & happiness,
Muneeza
