½cupvegan parmesanplus more for serving, if desired. Sub seeds like pepita or sunflower if you have a nut allergy. See notes.
½cupparsley leavesfinely chopped
Instructions
If you don't have cooked quinoa and vegan Parmesan prepared, do this first. (See notes.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
To Make the Filling
Place the onion, garlic, celery and reserved mushroom stems in a food processor, and process into a fine dice.
In a large saute pan, over medium heat, saute the processed onion, garlic, celery and mushroom steps with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add a little water if things begin to stick.
Add the spices (fennel seed, Italian seasonings, smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes), tomato paste and Worcsetershire sauce to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook for another minute or so until heated through and fragrant. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if the filling seems dry. (It should be slightly moist.)
Add the cooked quinoa and stir thoroughly to combine and heat through, about 1-2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the vegan Parmesan and chopped parsley, and stir to combine.
To Assemble the Stuffed Mushrooms
Use a teaspoon to carefully stuff each mushroom cap with the filling mixture until heaping full. Place each stuffed cap on the baking sheets as you go, being sure to spread them out evenly.
When each baking sheet has 12 stuffed mushrooms (24 total-see notes), place them in the center rack of the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are fully cooked and tender.
When cooked, remove from the oven. (I like to let them rest a couple of minutes before serving; I think it improves the flavor/moistness.)
Recommended: top with more vegan Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for serving.
Notes
To clean the mushrooms, DON'T use water. They can get waterlogged and soggy, which can effect cooking time and the final result.To stem the mushrooms, I like to use a teaspoon and twirl it around the stem to loosen it from the cap, then use the spoon to carefully dig out any leftover stem. To avoid breaking the cap, hold the mushroom firmly but gently in the palm of one hand while stemming with the spoon in the other hand.Making the quinoa takes about 20 minutes. It's fine to start the quinoa and then proceed to the rest of the recipe. I like to start my quinoa before I start cleaning/stemming my mushrooms, so it's ready when I need it. I used tri-colored quinoa, but you can use any kind you like. I prefer tri-colored or red in recipes where I want a dark/'meatier' look or when combined with tomato/tomato paste (as it is here), which can turn white quinoa pink. The vegan Parmesan takes about 5 minutes.This recipe should make about 24 stuffed mushrooms. However, depending on the size of your mushrooms, you may get a few more or less. If you have more than 24 caps and enough filling, go ahead and bake them. I've done 15 on each try with good results. Just watch the cooking time if your mushrooms are small as they'll likely cook faster. Quinoa/Parmesan ratio. This recipe is delicious and healthy as written. But if you're a big fan of vegan Parmesan, you can double it and cut the quinoa in half. (1 cup vegan Parmesan + ½ cup cooked quinoa.)Make ahead tips: Clean and stem the mushrooms, and make the filling, then store them separately in covered containers until ready to cook. Stuff them just before cooking. (This helps preserve the texture and flavor.) I like to warm the stuffing a little just before stuffing, as ice cold stuffing (from the refrigerator) will throw off the cooking time.