This week I have been thinking about some creative dinner recipes that I could publish on my blog. Maybe it comes from not having so much to do because of being isolated and 6 feet apart from everyone in my world haha. The struggle is real folks! I hope all of you are doing well and filling your time with the people you love (virtually and real life) and some things that you have time to now do.

Today I am bringing you an original and with this recipe you can get creative yourself and use a different bean other than garbanzo, such as pinto beans (try my instant pot pinto bean recipe) and give it a Mexican twist.

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms (an itsapegslife original 🙂

Serves 3-4 people

• 6 portabella mushrooms, washed, gills and stems removed
• 1 sweet potato, baked, sprinkle with a little cumin and chili powder and smashed
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of green onions, sliced thin
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup raw quinoa, cooked in veg. broth (1/2 c quinoa to 1 c veg broth, bring to boil, cover, and cook on med. low for 20 min.)
• 2 cans any type of bean. I did a garbanzo bean mixture with sauted onion and garlic, salt, pepper and tumeric and slightly mashed them.
• 1 can vegan refried beans
• 1 sliced avocado

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and once it is up to temperature, put mushrooms gill side up on a baking sheet lined with a splat mat or parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 min while you get the remaining ingredient together.

While mushrooms are cooking saute garlic, onion, red pepper and green pepper on medium high. To do this, first add a little veg broth to the pan and let it get hot, then add garlic and onion. Saute for 2 minutes and then add peppers. I like to add a few shakes of cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste (1/2 tea. each approx.) at this point. Saute until peppers are cooked through (about 10 min).

Add whatever bean you want to this mixture.

After mushrooms are done cooking, remove from oven and let sit while you get your ingredients in order for the “stuffing.” This is also a great way to use up some of the leftover stuff in the fridge. For example, the sweet potato, garbanzo mix and refried beans were leftover from other meals that I had prepared last week.

First blot dry the inside of each mushroom with a paper towel to absorb the moisture. Now for the assembly–

• Refried beans
• Sweet potatoes
• Bean, pepper, onion mixture
• Quinoa
• Green onion

Put back in the oven and bake for 10 min on 425. Remove from oven and enjoy. I like to serve this with some greens. So delicious. Please let me know if you make these and tag me at itsapegslife.