New Recipe – Roasted and Stuffed Champignons Pope Clemens VII*

I have been thinking for a while to create a new stuffing for roasted vegetables. Today the inspiration came directly from the “pantry” – fresh Brussels sprouts and champignons were in the fridge (we had the day before the most delicious warm salad using pearl barley, Brussels sprouts, walnuts and blue onions – I should share the recipe, but it is even less photogenic than the stuffed champignons) and green beans in the freezer. Every member of the kale family tastes delicious when being roasted, I had never tried it with green beans. Big surprise: it didn´t only work very well but the whole stuffing was even raw so delicious that I took two spoons full before stuffing the champignons.

• Ingredients (serve 2 as a main, 4 as a primer)

• 8 champignons (or any other vegetable)
• 2 cups green beans
• 1 cup Brussels sprouts (don´t use outer leaves when they are dark or spotted)
• ½ cup walnuts
• salt, pepper, chili (optional)
• 2 Tbsp oil for the filling

Clean champignons, put the stems away (keep them for a soup) and place every piece upside down onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Grind almonds in a food processor or in a coffee mill, put into a bowl.

Winter in Austria deserves a good cuisine … and warm meals

Quarter the Brussels sprouts, put them with the green beans into a food processer. Pulse 5, 6 times. Put out, mix with the almonds, add oil, salt, pepper and mix everything with a hand blender until it becomes creamy. Taste! It is really worth to do it. Not only to find out if there is something to add.

Spoon out and stuff the champignons with this mixture. I sculptured it as the champignons are unbalanced when doing this. Don´t worry: when they are roasted the champignons have lost water, are on the underside flat and balanced.

Roast in the oven for about 10 – 12 minutes at 180 ° (until the stuffing is brown).

Serve with a green leafy salad. I hope this will become one of your favorite dishes. It is the absolute perfect meal for the cold season.

*Pope Clemens VII = Giulio Medici, he was one of many family members to become pope. The reason why I named the roasted champignons after him is that they reminded me of his bonnet (I almost dare not say this as I fear being excommunicated …).