Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushroom served with Saffron Sunchoke Puree, Roasted Baby Carrots, and drizzled with Balsamic reduction and Basil Oil
Ingredients
- 4 Large Portobello mushroom caps, stem removed
- 6 oz Baby spinach
- 1 cup diced sweet onion
- 1 Tbsp fresh chopped garlic
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for cooking
- For Sunchokes:
- 1 Lb Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes)
- 1/2 Lb Gold or white potatoes
- 6 or 7 strands Saffron (If you don't have saffron, substitute turmeric)
- 1/4 cup Coconut oil Or vegan butter spread
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For Basil oil
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup fresh green onion (chives or scallions)
- 3 each garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 to 20 each Baby Carrots Depending on size and desired presentation
- Aged or thickened balsamic (available at specialty stores or make from scratch)
Instructions
- Make the Basil Oil: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Dip Basil and scallions in to make more pliable and make the color more vibrant. Cool under cold water or ice. Strain as much water as possible out.
- Chop the basil and scallion. Place in blender with garlic, oil, salt, and pepper. Blend on high speed until the mixture is a vibrant green. You could strain out the herbs after for a clean look. But, I like leaving the herbs in for this dish to give it body and texture. Put the oil in a squeeze bottle or something you can drizzle it with later.
- For the Sunchokes: Peel and cut the sunchokes and potatoes. Put in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil. Boil until soft enough to break apart (about 10 to 15 minutes). Strain. Put in a food processor while hot. Puree. Scrape down the sides. Add in saffron, coconut oil, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Add in the Thyme, and adjust seasoning. Set aside to reheat at service time.
- For Portobellos: Toss mushrooms in Oil, salt, and pepper. Allow them to absorb oil. Then, either on a grille or in a large saute pan, sear the mushrooms, about 2 minutes on either side. They should be pliable, but not super soft.
- Make the quinoa: Heat oil over high heat in a sauce pot. Add in the onion and garlic, cook to translucent. Add in the quinoa, and stir to coat with oil. Add the cumin, then the water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then taper back to a simmer. Cook down 5 to 10 minutes until the quinoa grains are soft, but not breaking apart.
- Wilt the spinach: heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Toss in the spinach. Sprinkle in salt and pepper, and begin stirring the spinach. It will begin to wilt. When all the spinach is wet and wilty, remove from heat and strain out extra liquid.
- Fold the spinach and quinoa together, and stuff into the Mushrooms. Pt in a sheet pan to heat in the oven for service.
- Cook the carrots: Toss the baby carrots in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in a sheet pan and roast in a 400 degree preheated oven about 15 to 20 minutes until soft.
- Heat the stuffed portobellos about 8 to 10 minutes until hot. Reheat the sunchokes. When all items are hot, Plate the meal: make a base of the sunchoke puree. Balance the portobello on top or put it to the side. Prop the carrots against the mushroom. Then drizzle basil oil and balsamic over and around the plate. Serve immediately.
Notes
This may look like a lot to do. But, this is a case where multi/serial tasking comes in handy. You can boil the artichokes while assembling the stuffed mushrooms and roasting the carrots, so everything finishes around the same time.
The basil oil can be made ahead of time. It will hold, refrigerated for a couple weeks. Make extra to have on hand for other dinners or salads. You could also buy a quality basil oil. For this recipe, I wanted to make my own, because I want the herbs still in the oil for texture and flavor.
If you want to make your own balsamic reduction, it requires a lot of balsamic and a little sugar. I used to reduce a gallon of balsamic to get 1 pint of drizzle. It is more cost effective and time saving to buy a quality reduction. Most specialty stores have vinegars that are already thick.