Until a few years ago at a holiday party, I thought I hated stuffed mushrooms. I'd never actually tried them before that but I wasn't a huge fan of mushrooms and it seemed to me like no matter what you stuffed them with, they could't possibly taste that great. I was very, very wrong. The older I get, the more I like mushrooms - they're still not my favorite on their own, but the earthy, rich, almost meaty flavor they lend to dishes is both impressive and delicious, as far as I'm concerned.
​Anyway, a friend brought some stuffed mushrooms to that holiday party a few years ago, I tried them, and before I knew it I was popping button mushrooms in my mouth like they were going out of style. I was hooked! But that was over two years ago, and this is the first time I've made a stuffed mushroom recipe since that is just so out of this world I had to share it with you guys. I know there are tons of recipes for this dish online, but I promise this one is really good. And pretty easy, too! It's packed with flavor, the filling has great texture, and the homemade parmesan cheese on top adds some fanciness and helps keep the filling moist. The whole things comes together in your mouth like WOAH. This is a recipe worthy of sharing at your next Holiday party - it's a serious crowd-pleaser! Let's get cookin'.

INGREDIENTS
Stuffed Mushrooms:
24 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, chopped
4 cups fresh spinach
​1 cup wild rice, cooked
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
​
Parmesan Cheeze:
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
​1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Gently wash the mushrooms and remove the stems. Place them cap down onto a lined baking sheet and set aside. 

In a large cast iron pan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and shallots until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, stirring continuously until it has wilted. 

Remove the pan from heat and pour the cooked veggies into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the wild rice, roasted red peppers, walnuts, bread crumbs, parsley, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss the mixture together and set it aside to cool for a few minutes. 

While the mixture cools, you can prepare the parmesan cheeze by placing all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulsing until the mixture becomes a fine meal. Save some (about 1/4-1/2 cup) to sprinkle over the mushrooms and save the rest in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 weeks. 

When the mixture has cooled enough to handle, use a spoon, ice cream scoop, or your fingers to scoop the mixture into the cap of each mushroom. The amount you use will vary depending on the size of the mushroom cap. Once all the caps are filled, sprinkle the reserved parmesan cheeze over the top.

Bake the stuffed mushrooms for 20-25 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve immediately! 

NOTES
It was hard to come up with just how many people this serves since it really depends on how big the shrooms are, how many people are around, and how many each person eats BUT this recipe gave me 1 packed baking sheet full of stuffed mushrooms.

Leftovers can be saved in the fridge up to 3 days. They are best reheated in a microwave or in an oven at about 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, though they may get slightly softer after reheating. 

Its been a great week for us. We spent the last week vacationing in Maine, where Amber originally grew up. While there we hiked to the top of Maine's tallest mountain, Mt. Katahdin (about 4,000+ft elevation), successfully rafted Class V rapids on the Penobscot river, and spent time catching up with friends and family. We'll have a post coming up all about that trip and the amazing food we ate, but for now, we're just happy to get back to our regular routine. Nothing like sleeping in your own bed after a week of air mattresses and futons! We were able to find plenty of fresh fruits and veggies in season and farmers markets being held in Maine, which means it if OFFICIALLY summer. To celebrate, and to get our bodies back on track after a week of travel and extreme workouts, we're munching this easy-to-whip-up summer salad with quick-pickled cukes, crunchy English peas, spicy shallots, and a bunch of fresh dill to kick it up a notch (you know, Emeril-style). It's a great recipe for eating up garden-grown goodies and for feeling a little reset after a week of treatin' yo'self, like we did. Let's eat!

INGREDIENTS
-2 large cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced (about 3 cups)
-1 large shallot, thinly sliced
-1½ tablespoons sea salt
-1½  tablespoons champagne vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon organic sugar
-2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
-1 cup uncooked english peas
-¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Wash and peel cucumbers. Remove ends and cut lengthwise, using a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the middle so you have two boat-like halves. Slice the halves thinly into little crescent moon shapes. Place into a medium sized colander. Thinly slice the shallot and add to colander. Toss shallots and cucumbers in the salt and let sit about 20 minutes. Once ready, squeeze the veggies to drain excess liquid and rinse the veggies well under cool water. Place drained + rinsed veggies into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar with sugar and stir well. Toss into cucumber + shallot mixture and stir in dill, peas, and pepper. Toss to combine, and serve immediately with an extra sprig of fresh dill. Leftover can be refrigerated up to 3 days. Enjoy!