Creamy Lemon Herb Stuffed Mushrooms

20140523-DSC_6793Throughout my elimination diet, people have consistently asked “if you’ve cut out gluten, processed sugar and dairy – what the heck are you eating!?” My response has been that I’ve never eaten better. Seriously…so much delicious food! Not only do I feel better having eliminated certain foods,  I am also a lot more creative in the kitchen. I’ve discovered so many ways to use plant-based ingredients to make incredibly delicious food such as these creamy, flavourful stuffed mushrooms! They are seriously the perfect appetizer. Mushrooms are filled with a cashew cream loaded with fresh flavours such as lemon, parsley and chives. Then, the mushrooms are baked until the filling is bubbly hot. Let me tell you – these little guys are incredibly addictive! They are rich, yet filled with bright flavours. They bake up nicely with the mushroom developing a light crust. They are an ideal finger food perfect for parties, BBQs, or even as a tasty side dish.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Happy Memorial Day weekend to my American readers :) This weekend, I am hoping to do a lot of cooking and baking. Lots of recipes up my sleeve! Since the weather is FINALLY nice, I also hope to go for a few long walks, a bike ride and maybe some sangria out on a patio!

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Creamy Lemon Herb Stuffed Mushrooms

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 24 mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 24 large cremini mushrooms, washed and stems removed
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of unsalted cashews, soaked in water for a minimum of 4 hours
  • 1/4 cup of almond milk
  • 2 cloves of garlic, grated on microplane
  • juice of one small lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped chives
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400'F.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place mushrooms hollow-face down on the baking sheet. Brush with oil or lightly spray with an oil mister. Bake for 8 minutes the remove from oven. Reduce heat to 375'F. Allow the mushrooms to cool then transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture. Line rimmed baking sheet with a new sheet of aluminum foil.
  3. Drain cashews. In a blender, purée cashews with the almond milk until creamy. Depending on the power of your blender, this may take a few minutes. You want the texture to resemble a creamy ricotta. Add more almond milk as required. Pour cashew cream into a medium mixing bowl.
  4. To the cashew cream, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
  5. Place mushrooms hollow side up on the foil-lined baking sheet. Using a decorating bag, pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into each mushroom cap. If you don't have a piping bag, you can spoon the filling into the mushrooms.
  6. Bake mushrooms for 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Source: The Fig Tree – inspired by Canadian Living Appetizers cookbook

Comments

  1. says

    I’m not sure if you came across this article last week, but non-celiac gluten allergies may not exist after all. The ironic thing is that the study was done by the very researcher who initially thought that it DID exist:

    http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/05/gluten_sensitivity_may_not_exist.html

    While I’ve not been eliminating gluten from my diet, I’ve definitely been considering whether I should try decreasing my exposure to FODMAPs, which is what might be present in high-gluten foods. I wrote a bit about this and linked it to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation:

    http://stumblingthirties.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/fodmaps/

    • thefigtree says

      It’s funny you mention this article, as I just watched a segment on the news about it. Very interesting! I have found (so far) that gluten does not bother me, but diary and processed sugars definitely do. I’ve been looking more and more into FOODMAP too, as even though I feel a ton better without diary and processed sugars in my diet, I’m still not 100%. I am wondering if there might be other issues with fruits or veggies. Thanks for sharing your link too! :)

    • thefigtree says

      They are so yummy! I definitely think you are right. Good food is good food regardless of vegan, gluten-free etc. :)

    • thefigtree says

      Perfect for popping into your mouth only to realize you’ve eaten 3/4 of the batch in one sitting! *hehe*

    • thefigtree says

      Thanks Caitlin! :) I am so glad to be feeling better! I really wish I had listened to you sooner! I just was scared to give up so many foods I loved. But in the end, I’ve discovered so many more new foods that don’t make me sick :)

Comments are closed