A quick appetizer: Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms
by Aimee
I have a love/hate relationship with appetizers preceding a holiday meal.
Ideally they should tantalize the tongue, awaken the palate, and leave the guest eager for dinner, but we can all probably agree that they are often carb-heavy or cheese-laden. This type of fare can leave us feeling bloated as we gather around the table, with Gougères being the light and fluffy exception to the rule.
That said, I don’t think we should do away with the appetizer. The cocktail hour is a wonderful time to socialize, and I arrive starving, that plate of nibbles can be a lifeline and prevent me from crashing while awaiting the meal. If I’m being absolutely honest!
Instead, let’s serve more pre-dinner snacks that are gluten-free and vegetarian, leaving room for turkey or roast lamb with dinner. Today’s recipe for Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms are kind of what I have in mind.
These mushroom caps are stuffed with a simple slice of artichoke heart, topped with feta and drizzled with a olive-oil and herb mixture, punched up with a generous zesting of lemon.
They are roasted, served hot, warm or cold, and hit all the marks of a perfect appetizer. The stuffed mushrooms burst with flavour, the salty feta and earthy mushroom playing nicely off of each other. The lemon adds a brightness to awaken the taste buds and the blend of herbs tie the ingredients together in a marriage of Mediterranean flavours.
You can serve these stuffed mushrooms to your gluten-free and vegetarian guests, and if you leave off the feta, the vegans can get in on the fun, too. Just be sure to add a generous pinch of sea salt if you do remove the feta cheese.
| Mediterranean Stuffed Mushroom Appetizer |
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- 12 button mushroom caps
- 1 can whole artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/4 cup feta
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 dried Mediterranean herbs or Herbes de Provence (see Notes)
- Preheat oven to 375F. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil in a medium baking dish and place the mushroom caps side-by-side into the dish.
- Slice the leaves off of the artichoke hearts and tuck the hearts into the mushrooms. You may need to trim them to size, or divide one heart between two mushrooms.
- Crumble feta onto the artichokes.
- Mix together remaining olive oil, lemon zest, fresh pepper and dried herb blend. Drizzle overtop of the stuffed mushrooms and place the baking dish in the oven.
- Roast mushrooms for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve with sturdy toothpicks.
Stuffed Mushrooms continued:
- Ultimate Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms :: Pea Soup
- Brie Stuffed Mushrooms :: What’s Gaby Cooking
- Mushrooms Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes :: Smitten Kitchen
- French Onion Soup Stuffed Mushrooms :: The Pioneer Woman
- Kale-Stuffed Mushrooms with Hazelnut Gremolata :: Fine Cooking
- Caprese Quinoa Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms with Balsamic Glaze :: Half Baked Harvest
How do you feel about appetizers? Do you have a favourite?
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