Vegetarian Protein-Packed Smokey Stuffed Mushrooms

We love mushrooms.

There, we said it. And we’re proud of it. In fact, they’re one of our top 5 favorite vegetables.

Now, anyone who knows us from childhood would probably be falling over laughing at our professed love of these funny fungi. You see, we were both picky eaters as children and were terrified of vegetables. Mushrooms were by far the scariest in all the vegetable kingdom. We mean, look at them – they’re pretty ugly creatures! It took us more than two decades to get over our fear of mushrooms, and we’re so glad that we did!

Mushrooms belong to a special category of foods. Along with Parmesan cheese, tomato paste, and soy sauce (to name a few), mushrooms have umami. Umami is considered the fifth sense, after sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. It loosely translates into “earthy”, although we prefer to describe umami as that thing that makes you say “mmmm” after you take a bite.

We’ve cooked with all kinds of mushrooms. We’re a big fan of shiitakes, oyster, portabello, and chanterelles. Yes, we have an expensive palate, but you don’t have to buy only the pricey ones – you can use crimini mushrooms (baby portabello mushrooms) if you are on a budget.

What we’ve created for you today is packed full of umami in a bite (really two-bites) – our smoky stuffed mushrooms!

Oh yes, the smoked paprika, marinara sauce, and parmesan cheese come together to pack a flavorful punch. It reminds us of the flavors of pizza… but better. We think it’s because of the umami. YUM. This recipe is so cute; the mini portabella mushrooms provide the perfect serving size. Enjoy!!