Having a BBQ with vegans doesn’t have to be stuffy with these stuffed tomatoes and mushrooms (ha!). Because as much as I love veggie skewers, on a permanent basis these will be quite boring, don’t you think? Especially when there’s so much more you could grill just as you’d cook it in the oven. For instance there’s my recipe for the best veggie burger or one for the simple yet so delicious baked potato, which can be grilled just as well. These Mediterranean stuffed tomatoes and portobello mushrooms complement the other BBQ recipes so far. And yes, it’s a super easy recipe: just prepare the quinoa- or millet stuffing, then stuff tomatoes and mushrooms and grill on a veggie pan or broil on a baking dish in the oven.
This time I used quinoa as a stuffing, simply because it’s what I had on hand anyway. If you want to reduce your ecological footprint, just use millet instead (depending on where in the world you live obviously). The regional sister is in no way inferior to quinoa. You could also substitute all the other ingredients to your liking or to whatever it is that you have at home anyway. This Mediterranean stuffing just happens to be my favorite. I really fell for the combination of zucchini, dried tomatoes, pine nuts and basil, as you may have noticed by my pizza recipe already. Oh well, I might just have been Italian in a previous life 😉
These Mediterranean stuffed tomatoes and portobello mushrooms belong to every good BBQ. You could also grill the quinoa stuffed vegetables in the oven, though.
- 1 cup quinoa (or millet)
- 3 tbsp pine nuts (20 g)
- 5-6 medium beef tomatoes
- 3-4 portobello mushrooms (or clustered mushrooms)
- 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 zucchini (= courgette)
- 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
- 1 handful dried tomatoes, chopped up in small pieces
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp oregano/ Italian herbs (optional)
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Rinse quinoa to remove bitterness and cook according to instructions on package. (I usually add 1.5 parts water to 1 part quinoa to get nice fluffy quinoa.)
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Roast pine nuts in a pan without any oil until golden brown.
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Slice off stem ends of the tomatoes and scoop out pulp. Finely chop the pulp. Break off stems of mushrooms.
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Preheat the oven to 180 °C ( 360 °F).
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Heat some oil in pan. Add garlic and shallots and cook until translucent. Then add zucchini and roast gently from all sides. Finally add chopped tomato pulp and let simmer for a few minutes on medium heat.
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Remove pan from stove. Add quinoa, pine nuts, dried tomatoes and basil and mix to combine.
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Season with lemon juice, herbs, salt & pepper to taste.
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Fill tomatoes and mushrooms with the stuffing and place in a baking dish (or a veggie pan, if grilling) and spread out any stuffing leftovers around the vegetables.
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If making in the oven, broil for 5-10 minutes on the upper rack.
If grilling, make sure it's under indirect heat and grill for 5-10 minutes.
I hope you love the recipe – please let me know in the comment section below! Share your remakes on my Facebook page or on Instagram, using the hashtag #minamadefood and be sure to tag me (@thisisminamade) so that I can see your creations!
