warning:  this dish is NOT dairy free!  i’m trying to reduce my dairy intake, but this one was worth it.

these are pretty enough for a dinner party, but perfect for a boring tuesday night as well.

these mushrooms are a meal all by themselves.  i served them with a g-free pesto pasta because i needed to get rid of it before it went bad.  but the best pairing, in my opinion, would be steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus, or a green salad.

they took just a few minutes to prepare because i had some already-cooked sprouted wild rice in the freezer that i thawed overnight. i find that if you have rice already prepped and sitting in the fridge, you can do so many things with it.  it really helps keep the gluten away, if you’re trying to go gluten-free.

and i am.

i was gluten-free for a few years, then i fell off the wagon.  this wheat belly is ready to get back on!

RICE-STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

• in a small bowl, prepare the marinade (this is for 2-4 mushrooms): 1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari (soy sauce), 2 tablespoons lea and perrins worcestershire sauce (the gluten free brand), 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  i added a little balsamic vinegar as well, but i don’t think it needs it.  whisk together. and pour into a large ziplock bag.
• clean and de-stem one large portobello mushroom per person (to clean, just wet a paper towel and lightly scrub any dirt off the outside of the mushroom).
• drop the mushrooms into the ziplock and gently massage the mushrooms around with the marinade until all is coated.  allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 10 minutes.
• while your mushrooms are marinating, make your stuffing.  these aren’t exact measurements because you really cannot do this wrong.  my advice is to make as much stuffing as you want, and use the rest for other dishes throughout the week. in a large bowl, add 2-3 cups cooked rice (i love sprouted wild rice), 3-5 ounces goat cheese, and a few slices of vidalia onion, finely chopped or grated.  mix together with your hands, so that the cheese really mixes well.
• take the mushrooms out of the fridge and pour some of that yummy marinade into the stuffing.  stir and stuff the mushrooms with the mixture.
• top with grated parmesan cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.
• after they come out of the oven, sprinkle with chopped herbs: chives, basil, dill ~ whatever you have.  i had chives.

like most of my recipes, you really don’t need to follow this one to the letter.  you can change this up to your liking in so many ways ~ use balsamic vinegar instead of worcestershire, add veggies to the stuffing, take out the onion, use hummus instead of cheese, etc.

you could add meat if you want to, but it really doesn’t need it.  it already tastes like there’s bacon in there ~ no kidding!

i hope you try this ~ it’s a great vegetarian, whole grain solution!