Stuffed Mushrooms -- VeganMOFO # 26

 I'm not gonna lie...these vegan stuffed mushrooms are KILLER. I could eat mushrooms pretty much every single day and never complain, so when I stumbled upon Vegan Piggy's recipe, I instantly became obsessed. Right after checking out the recipe, I went straight to the grocery store to get some more mushrooms. I've been trying to get back into cooking more healthy stuff again, and this recipe sure fits the bill. I've only had stuffed mushrooms with butter and cheese before, so this one is perfect for me.  Not only did I have pretty much all the ingredients on-hand, but I got to use some of my delicious fresh basil that I've been growing.

You can use white button mushrooms if you want, but I used the creminis (aka- Baby Bellas). Look for the biggest ones you can get your hands on so they are easier to fill. Mine were primarily 2-inches in diameter. Just gently wiggle the stems to free them from the caps.  I also just found some mushrooms at the grocery store that specifically say "Stuffing Mushrooms" and are about 3-4 inches in diameter, although I didn't buy those.
Here's the recipe with my adjustments/changes:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mushrooms, stems removed (set about 1/3 to 1/2 of the stems aside and dice them, throw the rest away)
• 3 Slices of your favorite wheat or multigrain bread, lightly toasted
• 1/2 of a medium red onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 TB extra virgin olive oil
• about 10-15 fresh basil leaves, minced
• any other fresh herbs of your choice
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to your taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush 1 TB of oil onto the bottom of a glass 9x13-inch baking dish. Put the empty mushroom caps smooth side down onto the baking dish.

2. Put your cooled, toasted bread slices into your food processor and whir until they become fresh bread crumbs.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the garlic, chopped mushroom stems, and onion and saute for about 6-7 minutes until the onion is transparent. Stir occasionally so that nothing sticks to the pan.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and fresh bread crumbs until the breadcrumbs absorb the oil and moisture from the onions. Mix in your salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps with a spoon, and press down gently into the caps so none spills out.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Don't let the mushrooms get too brown or they will burn. You will want your breadcrumb mixture to get slightly crisp on the tops. I topped mine with a bit of sea salt and served nice and hot. ENJOY!!