Chicken Stuffed Mushrooms.

Healthy eating doesn’t need to be boring – let’s get stuffing.

Do you have a weeknight food ritual? For me personally sticking to a food routine is not easy, I would love to say I am more disciplined than I am, but as a foodie through and through, the thought of eating the same thing Monday to Friday bores me to tears. Food is meant to be fun, creative and adventurous.

“You need to find a healthy mid-week plan that suits your lifestyle and it doesn’t necessarily need to mean eating salads every night. If you have read my article ‘Getting Thin’ you’ll know I learned this the hard way.”

During the week at home we keep things as simple as possible to ensure there is little preparation required when the key goes in the door at the end of the day. In saying that, I have always struggled with the ‘weekly shopping’ as who knows what we will feel like come Wednesday, on Sunday. For me, having a weekly shopping day is all about the staples, your olive oil, fruit, cheese, some charcuterie perhaps and the standard household items.

I have tried to plan and purchase an entire weeks’ worth of food on Sunday’s but I seem have a lot left over at the end of each week. The problem is that most days my taste buds take me on a different journey as I crave alternative flavours and the need to create something new, and being in my early 40’s now it needs to be healthy. Gone are the days I could eat whatever I wanted without consequences, but I think that is a good problem to have.

I enjoy using ground meat in recipes, and if you follow my stories on Instagram or Facebook, you would be well across my weekend ‘burger-prep’ ritual – bun-less ground beef burgers topped with freshly sliced and grilled pineapple, smoked bacon, beetroot and Saint Agur blue cheese from the French village of Beauzac. It is always a reward to be slightly naughty on the weekend if you’re sticking to a healthy plan during the week.

“Last night I was craving what I would consider to be food that is a little bit of fun, but good for you, and if you are on a Paleo diet, this Stuffed Mushroom recipe could just well be your new best friend. I don’t follow any prescribed diet by the way, I could never limit myself to food possibilities, I have however learned to eat smarter and control portion sizes”

This recipe takes very little time to prepare, and I served it simply with rocket and baby spinach leaves that were gently tossed in fresh lemon, pepper and a little XV olive oil. It serves 2 adults with a few mushrooms left over for your work lunch the following day, and as we all know, the next day always tastes better.

What you’ll need:

1 leek – finely chop the white part of the leek

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

50 grams of pine nuts

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

500 grams of chicken breast mince

2 tablespoons of finely chopped oregano

1 teaspoon of dried chilli

*Mushroom stems (see note below)

Salt and pepper

Optional – 2 teaspoons of minced ginger

*Mushrooms – you want around 12 medium sized mushrooms, remove the stalks, chop them up and set aside. Using Balsamic Vinegar, brush each mushroom cup with ½ teaspoon of the vinegar. You can use a caramelised balsamic, or another glaze you might already have at home. Message me or comment below if you’re unsure and I can help you out.

How to:

“The ‘how to’ is super easy and perfect for something a little different mid-week that is very kind of the hips, and delicious on the lips.”

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Place your sautéing pan on a medium heat and add the coconut oil, then add the leek, pine nuts, garlic, ginger (optional), mushroom stems, oregano and chilli flakes to the pan. Turn down the heat to low and allow the leek to sweat a little until cooked. Turn the heat off and let the mixture to cool for 5 – 10 minutes
In a bowl, add the ground chicken breast (mince), and season with salt and pepper, then combine the ingredients from the pan and mix well
Place the mushrooms on a baking tray on top of grease-proof paper. Using a tablespoon, fill the mushrooms with one spoon full of the mixture. Once the 12 mushrooms have been filled, repeat with the remaining mixture to top-up each mushroom
Place the stuffed mushrooms in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until slightly golden
Serve on their own, or with a green salad.

I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below and feel free to ask me any questions.

As always, Bon Appétit, Mike X