Mushrooms are a great ingredient to work with as a cook. They are rich and full of umami. Umami is the flavor of savoriness. When mushrooms cook, something magical happens. Their dense spongy material softens and releases so much flavor! Mushrooms are good so many ways, sauted for pasta like this Ravioli Bake with Spinach and Mushrooms, or in veggie burgers like this Black Bean and Mushroom Burger. In this clam and millet stuffed mushrooms recipe, I stuff a large mushroom cap with diced clams and cooked millet. So rich and flavorful!
Millet is a gluten free grain, similar to quinoa, but a fraction of the cost. The grains are slightly chewy, and pair well with the diced clams in this dish. I love cooking with clams because they are a great source of iron. A 6 ounce can of clams is also inexpensive in comparison to other seafood, so we can enjoy it more often!
In my kitchen, I try to practice a waste-not, want-not attitude. In the clam and millet stuffed mushrooms recipe, try dicing the mushroom stems and adding them to the stuffing. I also use the liquid from the can of clams, it adds so much flavor! Finally, there is no need to drain the millet. The cooking water will hold many of the nutrients from the grain. By letting any extra water evaporate in the skillet, we can keep those nutrients on our plates. Enjoy!
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- Splash olive oil
- ⅓ cup millet
- 1 cup water
- 2 large portabella caps
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 6 oz can diced clams
- 2 TBS fresh parsley, minced
- 3 TBS Parmesan, grated
- ¼ cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- Side salad, for serving
- In a large heavy bottomed skillet, saute onion in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine millet and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until the millet is cooked and chewy.
- Remove stems from the mushroom caps and dice. Set aside the caps for later.
- Add the diced stems, garlic and black pepper to the skillet. Saute until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Pour the millet, with any remaining water, into the skillet. Add the diced clams with their juice.
- Stir in fresh minced parsley and let simmer until the mixture is thick and water is absorbed. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Place mushroom caps on a parchment lined baking sheet. Divide the filling into 2 portions and stuff the mushrooms. Top mushrooms with 2 TBS cheese each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and the mushroom is softened.
- Serve with a side salad.
Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times.
