Ready in 35  minutes

Serves 8 people

Difficulty Level: medium

Looking to get your entertaining game on? It’s all about the rice this season  as this key ingredient takes the win for a double time. Not only can it be prepared ahead of time to help save you time and stress , it’s delicious flavour makes it versatile so that it can be used in so many different  ways.

Why Choose Rice?

Rice is a gluten-, cholesterol- and sodium- free, slow burning complex carb that is great for  before or after workouts because it provides long lasting energy. Just one cup of brown rice provides 3 servings of the recommended grain intake for one day. These health benefits, along with many more, can be found at www.riceinfo.com along with videos and other information.

Make Ahead, Don’t Worry About it Later

What about this for a meal prep tip for busy families? Rice can be cooked ahead of time, either the night before or on the weekend, and kept in the fridge for 3-5 days until ready to use.  I keep it on hand for weeknight meals or even special dinners with guests as it’s great taste can easily be combined with a number of veggies and proteins to make a complete meal.

On a side note, my kids will only eat veggies if they are combined with a carb like rice. Sometimes, if I want to get them to eat a variety of different vegetables, such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and yes you read it, eggplants, I just chop them, sprinkle with cheese and add rice. They love the taste so much that they forget to ask me “mom, what’s in here?” Do I hear victory music playing in the the background as the kids say “mom, can I have more?”

Both your  family and guests will love this stuffed mushroom recipe because they are the perfect bite sized appetizer.  They can also be used as a side for an entree or as a main course altogether, they are that filling and delicious. I stuff the mushrooms and put them in the fridge the night before.  Then, 2 hours before guests arrive or when I get home from a busy day at work, I can put the tray of mushrooms into the oven to finish cooking and amalgamate all the delicious flavours.  They can then be served warm or at room temperature.

Versatility and Options

This rice stuffing can be used for other veggies too.  I have used it to stuff mini red peppers or zucchini boats and it even can be used in rolled eggplant slices then covered in tomato sauce.

If there is any stuffing left over, (which conveniently happens often in our household,) I either stuff other veggies or put them in silicone muffin tin liners or moulds and bake them in the oven. Careful, you may want to purposely make extra after your family tries this recipe.

For a vegetarian option, you can omit the turkey altogether.  For vegans, substitute the grated mozzarella for dairy-free cheese and omit the egg. Substitute the turkey for 2 cups spinach or finely chopped kale. Sautee in the pan with tomatoes and other veggies before adding to the rice. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the rice mixture if needed.

Check out the USA Rice website for many other creative ways to use rice in your meals. www.riceinfo.com.  On Instagram, go and give @USARICECAN a follow for so many cool ideas and stunning pics.

Ingredients

• I cup uncooked  brown rice
• 250 g ground turkey
• 1 cup strained tomato sauce (you can also use 1 tbsp tomato paste and ½ cup water)
• ½ small onion, chopped finely
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2  tbsp chopped parsley, divided
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
• 6 tbsp grated parmiggiano reggiano
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp olive oil, divided
• ½ cup white wine
• 600 g  small mushrooms such as cremini or mini bellas (about 2 packages or 30 mushrooms)
• ¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Preparation

1. Cook the brown rice as per package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Add the  ground turkey, tomato sauce, onion, garlic and parsley to a nonstick saute or frying pan and cook over medium to high heat for 5 min or until the meat browns.  Use a fork or spatula to break up the turkey. Set aside to cool.When the turkey  mixture has cooled, combine with the rice, egg, mozzarella (set aside 2 tbsp for garnish later), parmiggiano, half of the chopped parsley and salt in a stainless steel bowl. Mix all ingredients together using a mixing spoon or fork.

   

3. Add ½ cup water and white wine to the bottom of a rectangular glass baking dish or aluminum tray. Drizzle the bottom of the dish with half of the olive oil. Wash mushrooms and remove the stems.  Set them on the dish so that they are touching each other and there is minimal space between each of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the tops of the mushrooms with a fine layer of salt.

   

4. Take one mushroom out of the dish and place a tablespoon full of the rice stuffing in it  until it is heaping over the mushroom. Pack it tightly and return it to the dish. Repeat this step for all of the mushrooms in the tray. Drizzle the entire tray with a thin layer of olive oil.
5. Bake at 350F for 15-20 min or until mushrooms are tender and cheese has melted.  Remove from oven and let cool.
6. Right before serving, place mushrooms on a tray or board and garnish with a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella, chopped parsley and pomegranate seeds.

Tips

Depending on the size of the mushrooms and personal preference, the mushrooms may need to be cooked for a longer amount of time.  I usually use a visual guide and wait until they begin to shrivel and lose moisture before removing from the oven.