Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This is a really easy dish that is sure to satisfy the pickiest foodie. I used leftover white basmati rice for these to make them really easy, but you could use any kind of rice or even quinoa. I recommend making the rice ahead of time so this dish can come together in about half an hour. You can also make them ahead of time and keep them warming in the oven until you're ready to serve. Add the cheese sauce and the garnishes right before serving.

I love the warm flavours of our Aged Cumin cheese in this recipe, but if you're not a cumin fan this will work equally well with Zengarry's Creamy Swiss cheese.

You'll want to make sure you have large portobello mushrooms that are nice and fresh. I love to serve this dish with a side of steamed rapini since I find the bitterness of the greens and the colour a great compliment to the sweet/salty flavour profile of the stuffed mushrooms. If you happen to have truffled salt on hand, it adds a richness that makes the dish a little bit extra.

These make great leftovers too so feel free to double the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned with stems removed

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups of Basmati rice, cooked

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1/2 tsp salt (or Truffle salt if you happen to have some)

Freshly ground pepper

4 strips of vegan bacon ( I used Lightlife)

1/2 cup Fauxmagerie Zengarry Aged Cumin cashew cheese

3 Tbsp. plant-based milk of choice.

Chopped chives for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the portobello mushroom caps gill side down on the cookie sheet and brush with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan and sauté the onion over medium high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. (You can also add in the chopped mushroom stems with the onions.) Add the minced garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Then add the cooked rice, vegetable broth and peas and heat until warmed. Season with salt and pepper and set this aside.

Cook the vegan bacon according to the package directions. Remove it from the heat and chop or crumble it into bite size pieces.

Once the portobello caps have partially cooked, flip them over so the gill side is up and top each mushroom with 1/4 of the rice mixture. Place it back in the oven for 10 minutes.

In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, whisk together the Fauxmagerie Zengarry Aged Cumin cheese and the plant-based milk until it's warm and creamy and there are no lumps.

Remove the Portobello mushroom caps from the oven, drizzle each one with the cheese sauce, top with crumbled bacon and chopped chives and serve immediately.

Serve the stuffed portobello mushroom caps with a side of greens (I love the bitterness of rapini with this dish) and a dry Chardonnay (in summer) or Merlot (in winter).

You can find Zengarry's Aged Cumin cheese at Metro Plus and Tau in Quebec. In Ontario, at Whole Foods Market, Healthy Planet, and Nature's Emporium. If you don't find it there, ask the store for it or you can order from our online boutique.