Cheesy Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms

Protein-packed quinoa meets a bounty of veggies in these munchable stuffed mushrooms. Top it all of with a sprinkling of low-fat or dairy-free cheese for a burst of different flavors in every bite. This recipe comes to us from Produce for Kids and was developed by Recipe by Christine Pittman of Cook the Story.

Food for Thought: Quinoa (pronounced keen-wha) is a small whole grain that is native to South America. Its cooked kind of like rice, but it’s higher in protein and has a stronger flavor, making it a great addition to any meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup part-skim mozzarella or dairy-free cheese, shredded
• 8 Portabella mushroom caps, stems removed
• 3 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

Adult: Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Adult: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat.

Together: Add onions, peppers and celery, and cook 4 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and tomato, and cook 2 minutes, or until spinach wilts.

Together: Add quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes, or until quinoa has softened. If quinoa is soft but all liquid has not been absorbed, strain. Gently stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

Kid: Place mushrooms on 13×9-inch rimmed baking sheet; brush with vinaigrette. Spoon quinoa into mushrooms. Sprinkle each mushroom with 1 tbsp. cheese.

Adult: Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mushrooms are heated through.