Hearty Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I’m a huge fan of the large flat Portobello mushroom, especially when it is stuffed to the brim with a tasty filling and served, very impressively, just on it’s own. It’s meaty texture and earthy, woody flavour adds sustenance to the overall dish, resulting in a very satisfying and wholesome vegetarian treat! I’ve created a brown rice, parsley and feta stuffing that adds a lovely nuttiness and creaminess all at the same time.

Photo: freshcropmushrooms.com.au

Serves 6

Ingredients
Method

8 large Portobello mushrooms, stalks removed and surfaces gently wiped with a damp cloth

1 cup brown rice, rinsed and drained several times

2 cups of hot water

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces

1 white onion, finely diced

½ bunch flat leaf parsley

1 bunch dill

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbs oil

2 cups spinach finely chopped

½ tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp mixed spice

2 tbs lemon juice

4 tbs fresh cream

2 cups freshly grated parmigiano cheese

For Serving and Presentation

2 bags fresh rucola, juice of one lemon and salt and pepper for serving

First prepare the rice. Place a tbs of oil into a frying pan and heat until warmed. Tip in the drained rice, stirring around to ensure all the grains are coated.

Now add the hot water and a pinch of salt. Set the heat to low-medium and let this cook for 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Brown rice will have a more ‘al-dente’ texture than white so don’t worry if it doesn’t feel as soft. Set aside.

Place another frying pan on a medium heat, adding 1 tbs oil to heat until warm. Fry the minced garlic for a minute or two and add the onions until translucent, taking care not to brown them. Add the chopped spinach, salt, black pepper, mixed spice, Spanish paprika, chopped parsley, chopped dill, fresh cream and lemon juice – mixing it well so everything is distributed evenly. Now start to bring everything together.

In a large bowl, gently fold together the rice and the spinach mix. Now add the crumbled feta. Taste for seasoning.

Coat a baking pan with oil and place the mushrooms ‘cap’ side down so that the side for filling is facing up. Gently place around 2 tbs of filling into a mushroom, packing it in neatly. Fill all the mushrooms equally.

25 minutes before you want to serve this dish, preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Liberally sprinkle over some parmesan cheese over each mushroom and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until mushroom caps have softened and the cheese is golden brown.

To serve, place some rucola in a serving plate, squeeze some lemon over and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Place a mushroom on each plate, serving piping hot from the oven.