Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I've never met a mushroom I didn't like. Wild, dried or regular white mushrooms are always a welcome addition to my kitchen. I don't tend to last a week without serving a dish focused on these meaty delights. The possibilities are as endless as the creativity of the cook.

For this week's fix, I was tempted to make my stuffed mushrooms with goat cheese again, but I also had a craving for marinated portobellos. I finally decided to combine the idea of stuffed mushrooms and marinated portobellos and came up with this recipe for stuffed marinated portobello mushrooms with quinoa. The additional bonus here is yet another idea for one of the world's most perfect grains.

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on March 13, 2008 Marinated Portobello mushrooms stuffed with seasoned quinoa and baked with a cheese topping Preparation: 40 minutes Cooking time: 35 to 50 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa 2 cups water 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 2 heaping teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced 1 teaspoon dried rosemary sea salt and fresh ground black pepper 8 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed 4 sun-dried tomatoes 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 small onion or 1 large shallot, diced 1 fresh green chili, seeded and minced 2/3 cup corn, fresh or frozen Fontina cheese cut into thin strips (or Gruyère or mozzarella) Instructions: Rinse the quinoa under cold running water and soak in 2 cups of water overnight. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, rosemary, a bit of salt and pepper, and half of the garlic. Coat each portobello mushroom with the marinade and leave to sit for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl of hot water for 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid and cut into tiny pieces. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the remaining garlic, shallots and green chili to the pan. Stir and fry for a few minutes. Add the quinoa along with its soaking liquid, corn, and a bit of salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes, add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan, and fluff with a fork. Stuff each mushroom with some of the quinoa and place on a baking sheet. Top each stuffed mushroom with strips of cheese. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the mushrooms under the broiler for another few minutes to brown the cheese. Makes 4 to 8 servings