We have a chef who often comes into the supermarket where I work and demos delicious vegetarian cuisine for the customers. I sometimes get to be a part of the demos, but other times I just enjoy watching and learning (and eating of course). Last month Chef Bryan (see below) came in to make a dish that I just had to try. I knew it was far from FODMAPs-friendly, but I was hoping it could be a new recipe for me to share with my portobello-loving husband, Nick.
I only snapped two photos, since, well….it was a demo and I wasn’t a part of it (I didn’t want to be rude, seeing as though it was a demo and all).
Not the best photo, but trust me, they were tasty and blog-worthy!
At the end of the demo there happened to be one more mushroom leftover. I asked Bryan what on Earth he was going to do with it. He saw that twinkle in my eye and he knew I wanted to bring it home. So he let me. When I got home I zapped it in the microwave and gave it to Nick for dinner. I was slightly timid and nervous as I handed him the plate…..
“What is this?”, He asked
“Oh it’s a delicious portobello mushroom with rice and beans and your favorite, cashews!!”; I said, with an emphasize on the two ingredients I was hoping would win him over; portobello and cashews.
“Oh, ok”, he replied, with a nervous look on his face.
After the first bite….
Take note: the dish was not so pretty after carrying it home and zapping it in the microwave, so….I could see why he was slightly uninterested. Plus, Nick knows I like to feed him “unique” foods
“It’s TASTY!”, He said.
Oh, thank goodness. I will have to make this again.
Cashew, Lentil and Brown Rice-Stuffed Portobellos
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, chopped into small chunks**
1 cup cashews, cut in half **
1.5 Tbsp EVOO**
6 cloves garlic**
1 cup brown rice, cooked
~ 1.5 cups cooked lentils (or 1 can)
4 Tbsp. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. basil
1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
6 portobello mushroom caps, washed and stems removed **
1 large, fresh red tomato, sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (if needed)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet saute the onion and the cashews with 1.5 Tbsp. EVOO until onions are soft and slightly brown. You can add a dash of sea salt and pepper if you’d like.
- Stir in garlic and allow to cook for a few more minutes
- In a large bowl mix together onion mixture, brown rice, lentils, vegetable broth, bread crumbs, thyme and basil. Stir well to combine, and season with salt and pepper if you’d like (this step can be done a couple days in advance if you are planning a party! Be sure to store it covered in a refrigerator.)
- Brush both sides of each portobello cap and place top side down on a greased baking sheet.
- Stuff the caps with the rice mixture and top each cap with a slice of the tomato.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the stuffing is browned and the caps begin releasing some juices.
- Serve warm.
**NOTE: This is not alow FODMAPs recipe. However, if you are like me and you can handle a small amount of beans (with a Beano enzyme tablet of course) and one portobello mushroom cap, then I would modify this recipe by omitting the garlic and using garlic-infused EVOO instead (for the flavor!). Also, cut the onion into large chunks so they can easily be avoided (although they still might cause problems if you are really sensitive).Oh yeah, and cashews aren’t low FODMAPs either. Darn those oligosaccharides!
Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1 serving, without added salt
Nutrition Highlights: Under 500 calories, low sodium (if you don’t add extra salt to taste), excellent source of fiber (beyond excellent!), and excellent source of protein and iron, good source of vitamin C.
