Grilled portabella mushrooms with smoked paprika stuffing

      Exceptionally flavorful and filling, these grilled stuffed mushrooms are sure to satisfy even the picky meat-lovers who cringe at the word "vegan" (luckily, I have none of those in my family). The recipe below is for 3 large portabella mushrooms which would serve about 2 people. The stuffing is enough for 5-6 portabellas though so, feel free to reduce the quantities accordingly but, I have to tell you, this stuffing is sooo delicious, I ate the extra with a spoon! 

   Ingredients 

- 3 portabella mushrooms

- 1 onion, minced

- 2 garlic cloves,smashed and finely minced

- 2 bell peppers (different colors if available)/ 6-7 small peppers, diced

- 1 handful walnuts, chopped

- 4 Tablespoons panko breadcrumbs, toasted

- nutritional yeast

- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

- a few sprigs parsley, finely chopped

- extra virgin olive oil

- salt and pepper

   Wipe the portabella mushrooms clean, do not wash them as they absorb water and will be soggy. Remove stems and keep for the stuffing. With a spoon, scoop out the gills and discard. Prepare the stuffing as follows: in a non stick pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of evoo and sauté the onions with the garlic until golden. Add the diced peppers and sauté a few minutes more until the peppers have softened. Add the diced stems of the portabellas, the chopped walnuts, and cook a few minutes more. When all the veggies are cooked, add the smoked paprika and, stirring constantly, cook about a minute longer. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper, the toasted panko bread crumbs, the chopped parsley and stir to combine. 

    Heat the grill (I used a grill pan) on medium-high. Brush the portabellas with evoo and place on the grill gill-side down. Grill for about 5 minutes or until slightly charred, flip, add the stuffing and grill about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and serve immediately accompanied by a green salad. Enjoy!