Savory Roasted Mushroom Poppers

Recipe Developed for Eat for the Earth Events by Beth Love © 2024

Wow your family and friends with this delectable appetizer! Don’t let the lengthy directions fool you; these gourmet poppers actually come together fairly easily.

Yield:

20–24 1-inch mushroom balls

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mushrooms, cut or torn
• 6–8 cloves garlic, root end trimmed
• 1 medium onion, chopped small
• vegetable stock, optional
• ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• ¾ cup cooked and well-drained adzuki beans
• 1 tablespoon golden flax seeds, ground fine

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Place trimmed garlic cloves in a small baking pan. Cover with lid or parchment paper and foil.
3. Place garlic in oven to roast. It will take about 20–30 minutes to get cloves that are soft and flavorful but not burned.
4. Lay mushrooms in a single layer in one or more baking pans. Add to oven and roast for 20 minutes or more, until mushrooms are cooked and have reduced moisture content.
5. Remove garlic and mushrooms from oven as they finish roasting and allow to cool.
6. Caramelize onions in a dry pan, stirring frequently. Use a little bit of water or veggie stock if needed to keep from sticking.
7. When onions are done, add black pepper and cook for a minute or so, stirring, and adding stock if needed to keep from sticking.
8. Mix thyme into onion mixture, then remove from heat and set aside.
9. Process roasted mushrooms in a food processor to chop them up fairly small. You can also chop by hand if you prefer. Put chopped mushrooms in the pan with the onion mixture.
10. Peel roasted garlic.
11. Process beans and garlic in food processor until well chopped, and add to mushrooms and onions in pan.
12. Mix ground flax with nutritional yeast to facilitate even distribution.
13. Add dry ingredients to mushroom and onion mixture and mix well to combine.
14. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
15. Form balls out of the mushroom mixture and place in the pan. Use about 1 tablespoon mixture per ball, and wet your hands before shaping to reduce sticking.
16. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn over and bake for 10–15 minutes more.
17. Serve.

Notes, Variations, and Substitutions:

• Use any single fresh mushroom or combination of mushrooms. Possibilities include crimini, shiitake, button, black pearl oyster, trumpets, and maitake.
• Ground chia seeds or brown flax seeds are fine substitutes for the golden flax.
• Choose a different fresh herb, such as sage or tarragon.