Tempeh and Quinoa Stuffed Portabellas

It's been cold 'round these parts. Really cold. This morning, the pipe coming out of our well froze, and Jacob's diesel engine wouldn't run because it was around -12 at our house. Winter is not easy, but we still eat well despite the frigid temps. In fact, since it's dark so early, eating a nice dinner at home is one of the few things that is truly exciting during this time of year. That, and keeping up with the latest episodes of some of our favorite Netflix originals. Orange is the New Black? House of Cards? When are the second seasons coming out??

So, we're tired of the cold. But, this recipe helped us to cope, and maybe it will help you too.

Quinoa is one of those things that just adds texture and some awesome nutrients to just about anything. I like it by itself, as a pudding, in a soup, or made into burgers. This time around is served as the base for the stuffed mushrooms. I cooked 3/4 cup dry (yields around 1.5 cups cooked). I always rinse the quinoa (a flour sifter works well for this since the quinoa will most likely fall through the cracks of a normal strainer). It takes any bit of bitterness away.

Other stuffing ingredients ready to be prepped.

I like to get the pan/oil nice and hot before I add the tempeh to it. That way it gets crispy on the outside.

Tempeh takes on whatever flavor you season it with. A favorite of ours is soy sauce. It's easy and give the tempeh an awesome taste!

Post soy sauce and veggie additions. See that nice browning action going on there? That's what makes it tasty!

The portabellas were wiped with a damp paper towel to remove any dirt. Then, the stems were trimmed, they were seasoned with salt and pepper, and each got a couple of small pats of butter.

Feta and Cheddar. The feta for the filling, the cheddar to go on top of the mushrooms before they go in the oven.

 All the filling ingredients in a bowl! If you have any leftovers, this goes great by itself as a cold salad or on top of a big bed of greens. Yum!

Mushrooms have been over stuffed and topped with cheddar - ready for baking.

And the final product...

Along side some sweet potato chips (home made - coming soon to the blog!) and steamed broccoli. This meal was a big hit.

Tempeh and Quinoa Stuffed Portabellas Recipe:
Yields two large stuffed portabellas (two main courses or 4 side dishes when cut in half)
- Two large portabella caps, cleaned with a damp paper towel
- 3/4 cup dry quinoa cooked according to package directions (1.5 cups cooked)
- 1 package tempeh, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:
- Once the portabella caps are cleaned, cut off the stem so the inside of the cap has more room for stuffing.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the caps in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper and 1/2 tbsp butter (see picture for reference)
- Saute' the tempeh, onion, celery, and carrot in the olive oil over medium/high heat.
- Once the tempeh starts to brown (5 minutes), add soy sauce and cook an addition 2-3 minutes until veggies are tender.
- Mix the tempeh/veggie mixture with the cooked quinoa.
- Add diced tomatoes and feta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pile the stuffing into the portabella caps. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake the stuffed caps at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is golden and the caps are tender.