Stuffed Mushrooms from Hippy Gourmet

I don't typically like trying to follow a recipe from a video, but when I was first searching for a vegan stuffed mushroom recipe, Hippy Gourmet's version on YouTube seemed like the easiest recipe with the simplest ingredients.

To clarify what our Hippy uses in the video, the recipe calls for the following ingredients:

• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 1 Red Onion
• Several cloves of garlic (around 5)
• Mushrooms (I used 3 10oz. packages of baby portabellas)
• Fresh Oregano (I used dried as the stuff at my supermarket looked terrible)
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• Italian Bread Crumbs
• Olive Oil (enough to saute the veggies in)

Because I like a little zing, I usually add some hot red pepper flakes. In addition, I find that about 1/4 teaspoon of salt really brings the flavor up to par (trust me on this one...I NEVER add salt, but it works here).

Because Hippy does not give us exact amounts on how many mushrooms to use, I came up a little short. The mixture could have easily filled another package of mushrooms. I therefore recommend that you buy at least 40 oz. of mushrooms, which should yield about 60 individual treats.

A note on the bread crumbs: most popular brands are not vegan. I found a gluten-free and vegan version by Gillian's Foods in the natural food section of the supermarket.

While this recipe is pretty simple, it is time fairly time consuming. From preparation through cleanup took me about an hour and 10 minutes. If you don't have a food processor, it will take longer.

Cleaning and de-stemming the mushrooms was the biggest time hog. My mother always taught me that mushrooms absorb water and therefore need to be cleaned with a wet cloth or paper towel rather than rinsed directly in water. What a pain! Make sure you have at least a half dozen paper towels available. As for the de-stemming, gently wiggle the stems to get them to pop neatly out of the mushroom caps.

Overall, Ryan and I love these mushrooms...but only with the added crushed red pepper flakes and salt. Otherwise, they are just plain bland. They are a bit of work for an everyday snack, but they make a great appetizer for a get-together with friends. We've made them several times now--they're a hit with both omnivores and veg-heads.

Enjoy!