Saturday Stuffed Mushrooms

Baby Portobello Mushrooms

Mmmmm Mushrooms...

there's nothing tastier than a well-seasoned, well-stuffed, and well-baked mushroom cap. A delightful appetizer, or an exciting Saturday afternoon snack, these marinaded mushrooms are simple to make for an informal family gathering, yet elegant enough for holiday entertaining.

A friend dropped in for an afternoon visit, and these lovely, juicy mushroom-stuffed mushroom caps had definite snack appeal.  They were served warm alongside squares of lightly toasted and buttered dark bread, caramelized whole roasted cloves of garlic, and small stuffed savory baked potatoes.

You'll need:  Baby portobello mushrooms, small zucchini, sunflower seeds, garlic, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, summer savory, sage, olive oil, lemon juice,coconut butter, agave or maple syrup, tamari or soy sauce, salt

The Marinade:  Whisk 1/4 C olive oil with 1/2 t agave syrup and the juice of a fresh lemon.  Add 1 each of dried thyme, oregano, summer savory, a pinch of sage, cayenne pepper to taste, and a light sprinkle of salt.  Mix well.


The Mushrooms:  Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, and separate stems from caps.  Place caps and stems in marinade for at least 1 hour.

Mushrooms in Italian-Blend Herb Marinade

The Stuffing:  Remove the stems from the marinade, and chop into small pieces. Mince 1 clove garlic. Dice the zucchini, and lightly chop sunflower seeds.  Mix all ingredients together with 1 T coconut butter and 1 t tamari. Using a small spoon, scoop generous amounts of filling into each mushroom cap. 

Place generous scoops of stuffing in marinaded caps

To Bake:

Baby Portobello Caps Stuffed and Ready for Baking

Drizzle each cap with a bit of olive oil, or any marinade which has not been soaked up by mushrooms.  Place on a baking sheet, and put in a moderate oven for 10 - 12 minutes or until done.

Gorgeous garlic ready to be caramelized in the convection oven

The Garlic: Separate garlic bulb into individual cloves. Remove excess papery skin but do not peel. Place on in a hot oven until garlic softens and caramelized a golden brown.

Stuffed Baby Portobello Mushroom and Curried Baked Potatoes

 
To Serve:  Place caramelized roasted garlic in a heap in the center of a serving plate. Place stuffed mushroom caps on the platter with wedges or squares of lightly toasted dark bread, spread with a little coconut butter. 

To Eat:  Squeeze soft roasted garlic out of skin and on to bread, top with a stuffed mushroom cap.  These appetizers can be eaten with a small plate, knife and fork, or for the more adventurous, popped into the mouth as a delicious finger food.  Be careful, they are very juicy, and highly addictive.