Need some new additions to your monthly dinner menu? Mama’s Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms or Zucchini is sure to delight the taste buds of everyone in the family. Quinoa is a gluten free grain typically grown in South America. You want to be sure to soak the grain in water and rinse it off before use to prevent it from being bitter. It is a healthy grain that I often use in all sorts of salads, as fillings in peppers, mushrooms and zucchini or my favorite Tabbouleh Salad. Typically, recipes call for it to be boiled/cooked with water. To add more flavor to this dish and others, I like to cook it with chicken or vegetable broth. If you are vegan, then of course use vegetable broth. You can make these dairy free by omitting the cheese or using Daiya cheese or your favorite soy cheese. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Mama’s Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms or Zucchini ~ Gluten Free
Ingredients
1 6-8 portabella mushrooms or 1 medium to large zucchini
1 cup quinoa, uncooked (soak and rinse in water for about 15 minutes)
1 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
¼ tsp. salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
½ cup onion, diced
¾ cup red or orange peppers, diced
¾ cup carrot, thin sliced
¾ cup mushrooms, sliced and diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
½ -1 cup Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare Quinoa Add chicken broth or veggie stock to medium saucepan. Pour in rinsed quinoa. Add salt, minced garlic and olive oil. Stir to combine. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for a minute or two. Fluff with fork. Add to veggie mix as directed.
Zucchini Instructions Par boil zucchini until it just begins to be soft to touch. If the zucchini is bigger than your pot, boil on one side till soft then flip to put the other side in boiling water. When soft to touch, (not mushy), remove from water, slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and center. Fill with veggie mix as directed.
Portabella Mushroom Instructions Gently wash mushroom with wet paper towel. Remove stem. Place ¼- ½ cup chicken broth or veggie stock in bottom of baking dish. Just enough to have a thin layer on the bottom of baking dish. Fill with veggie mix as directed.
Veggie Mix While quinoa is cooking, sauté onion, peppers, carrots and mushrooms in oil until onions become soft and slightly translucent. Remove from heat. Season with fresh pepper to taste. Stir in fresh parsley. Add cooked quinoa to the frying pan. Stir to combine. Taste to see if you need extra salt or pepper. Scoop the mixture evenly into prepared zucchini or mushrooms. It is good to use a spoon to pack the mixture in put enough in to have small mounds. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender. Mushrooms only need to bake for 30 minutes.
If mixture looks dry, just before taking out of oven drizzle 1-2 Tbsp. extra broth or stock to moisten.
Serve warm.
I don’t have the best picture for the zucchini, but this is what it looks like. 
Find more delicious recipes in Mama’s Cookbook In the Kitchen with Gluten Free Mama. Click Here
Gluten Free Mama’s Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms or Zucchini
Gluten Free Mama’s Veggie Quinoa mix is delicious baked in stuffed portabella mushrooms or baked in large zucchini’s, or try it just as a side dish with your next dinner.
- 1 6-8 portabella mushrooms or 1 medium to large zucchini
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked (soak and rinse in water for about 15 minutes)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ¾ cup red or orange peppers, diced
- ¾ cup carrot, thin sliced
- ¾ cup mushrooms, sliced and diced
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
- ½ -1 cup Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Prepare Quinoa – Add chicken broth or veggie stock to medium saucepan. Pour in rinsed quinoa. Add salt, minced garlic and olive oil. Stir to combine. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for a minute or two. Fluff with fork. Add to veggie mix as directed.
- Zucchini Instructions – Par boil zucchini until it just begins to be soft to touch. If the zucchini is bigger than your pot, boil on one side till soft then flip to put the other side in boiling water. When soft to touch, (not mushy), remove from water, slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and center. Fill with veggie mix as directed.
- Portabella Mushroom Instructions – Gently wash mushroom with wet paper towel. Remove stem. Place ¼- ½ cup chicken broth or veggie stock in bottom of baking dish. Just enough to have a thin layer on the bottom of baking dish. Fill with veggie mix as directed.
- Veggie Mix – While quinoa is cooking, sauté onion, peppers, carrots and mushrooms in oil until onions become soft and slightly translucent. Remove from heat. Season with fresh pepper to taste. Stir in fresh parsley. Add cooked quinoa to the frying pan. Stir to combine. Taste to see if you need extra salt or pepper. Scoop the mixture evenly into prepared zucchini or mushrooms. It is good to use a spoon to pack the mixture in put enough in to have small mounds. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender.
- Mushrooms only need to bake for 30 minutes.
- If mixture looks dry, just before taking out of oven drizzle 1-2 Tbsp. extra broth or stock to moisten.
- Serve warm