Throughout 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!
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
- Preheat oven to 400'F.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake mushrooms for 12 minutes. Serve hot.
Source: The Fig Tree – inspired by Canadian Living Appetizers cookbook
These sound delicious!
I’ll make you some soon :)
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/
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! :)
How elegant! I’m sure anyone would love these, gluten-free, vegan, or omnivore. :)
They are so yummy! I definitely think you are right. Good food is good food regardless of vegan, gluten-free etc. :)
What perfect little treats!
Perfect for popping into your mouth only to realize you’ve eaten 3/4 of the batch in one sitting! *hehe*
these look wonderful! i am so happy you are thriving on your new diet. xoxo
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 :)