Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms

Whenever I go to a party that I’m not hosting, I make sure to bring something on the healthier side with me. This doubles as a 1) a nice gesture, and 2) a backup option for when there aren’t a lot of foods being served that I want to eat. Successful moderation and healthy eating is all about being prepared, and I find that being ready with a healthy dish in social situations helps me balance out the not so great for me snacks and indulgences that I know I’ll have too.

So while everyone else is posting recipes for nachos and chicken wings this week, I want to post a different kind of recipe for you. These Mediterranean stuffed mushrooms are the perfect healthier appetizer to make for whatever Super Bowl party you are going to this weekend. I think stuffed mushrooms are a crowd pleaser too. Don’t people always seem to get weirdly excited about them? Just make sure to call them Mediterranean stuffed mushrooms instead of quinoa stuffed mushrooms, and you’ll be all set. Nobody will judge you for not bringing along a ranch dip or 4 bags of Doritos.

Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes a dozen stuffed mushrooms

Ingredients

• 12 large cremini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and with stems removed
• 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked per package directions
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup walnuts, cut or crushed into small pieces
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp dill
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 extra virgin olive oil
• Zest of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking spray of choice

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, then arrange the mushrooms with the holes facing down. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the mushrooms, and season with salt and paper. Bake for 15 minutes.
• While the mushrooms are baking, mix the cooked quinoa, the diced red onion, walnuts, white wine, parsley, dill, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled feta, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• When the mushrooms finish cooking and have cooled, stuff them by scooping a spoonful of the quinoa mixture into each cap. Top with extra feta if desired.
• Bake again in an oven preheated to 350 for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.

Although stuffed mushrooms are made with a veggie base, a lot of the time they use a creamy filling to bind the stuffing ingredients together. I like that this recipe is light and doesn’t need that. The lemon zest brings out a nice flavor among all the other Mediterranean based ingredients, and the quinoa is a healthier protein-packed substitution for bread crumbs. Plus, you can never go wrong with feta! I made these for Friendsgiving at Slesh and Will’s apartment last year, and everyone gobbled them right up.

This recipe yields 12 stuffed mushrooms, but just a warning, it definitely makes more stuffing than necessary. I ate the leftover stuffing up for lunch the next day as a Mediterranean quinoa salad, and it was delicious! You could also double the amount of mushroom caps if you want to use up the rest of the stuffing and bring a larger quantity of stuffed shrooms along.

Enjoy!

Readers, let’s chat! What are you doing for the Super Bowl this weekend? What’s a must have Super Bowl food or snack in your home?

If you’re looking for more Super Bowl food ideas, check out our Super Bowl party menu from when we hosted two years ago.

Roasted Chickpeas with Dijon Mustard

I recently had a reader request to post more recipes for healthy snacking, so that’s what I’m here to share with you today!

Roasted Chickpeas with Dijon Mustard

Ingredients

• Coconut oil cooking spray
• 1 pound of dried chickpeas (not canned)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar + a little extra
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tsp dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the chickpeas in a bowl, cover with two inches of water, and soak overnight.
2. When ready to cook, heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Drain the chickpeas, pat dry, and then return them to your mixing bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and about 1 tsp of salt. Mix well.
5. Pour the dressing mixture over the chickpeas, and some salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine.
6. Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet sprayed with coconut oil cooking spray, and roast until the chickpeas are a dark golden brown and crunchy. Make sure to toss every 20 minutes for about 1 hour.
7. When done, remove the chickpeas from the oven and return them to the mixing bowl. Add a little more vinegar and more salt and pepper as desired.
8. Enjoy!

This is a new favorite in our house! They are a great choice for when I’m craving something crunchy or salty, don’t necessarily feel like eating fruit or veggies, but don’t want to turn to crackers, pretzels, or chips. I portion them out by filling little snack baggies about half to three-quarters of the way full, and I find that it’s a good amount to satisfy any cravings. Hope you guys like them!

–Let’s chat–
What are some of your go to healthy snacks to curb crunch or salt cravings? Ever made roasted chickpeas before?

P.S. Today I’m hosting a flash giveaway for all my local readers on my F&F Facebook page. It’s for a free one week trial of Just Add Cooking, which is perfect to help you save time during the busy holiday season. Head here to check it out and enter to win!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

I have something that’s going to look good on your Thanksgiving table.

Let’s just talk about canned cranberry sauce for a second. First of all, it’s boring. It has high fructose corn syrup. And there’s really no good way to make the slabs of cranberry look pretty on a plate. This Thanksgiving, try switching up your cranberry sauce and go homemade!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 small or 1 large bag of organic cranberries
• 1 orange, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 3 pieces of the orange peel
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp raisins

Directions

Pour all ingredients into a pot on the stove. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until the cranberries break down and create a jelly or relish like substance. Let cool before removing the orange peel. Pour mixture into a bowl, and serve!

I got the idea for this recipe from my friend Dawn who makes this every Thanksgiving. Tim and I adapted it for our Friendsgiving get together at Slesh and Will’s apartment on Sunday. I liked making a homemade cranberry sauce because I could control the sugar sources that went into it. Plus, it’s a little more impressive than your regular old canned jellied version (fresh is best) while still being really simple to make. The tartness of the cranberries paired well with the hints of orange and honey, and having a tart dish on Thanksgiving helps clear out some of the heavier dishes/flavors like gravy and stuffing.

Hope you’ll try it!

–Let’s chat–
Cranberry sauce: Homemade or canned? Any variations of homemade you want to share?