Vegan stuffed mushrooms, or should I say vegan menstrual stuffed mushrooms… 😂 No, there’s no menstrual blood in these vegan stuffed mushrooms…💉💉 BUT they do have 5 ingredients that are great for the menstrual phase of your cycle!! According to Alisa Vitti from Flo Living, author of Womancode and In The Flo, mushrooms, wild rice, black beans, tamari and kale contain vital nutrients that support your body during your period.

If you haven’t yet seen my Instagram stories or heard me blab on about it, I’m obsessed with her books Womancode and In The Flo. In the books she talks about how, as women, we can best support ourselves through each of the four phases of our menstrual cycle.

• Menstrual (the 3 to 7 days of your period, ‘menses’)
• Follicular (the 7 to 10 days after your period)
• Ovulatory (the to 4 days in the middle of your cycle, ovulation typically occurs in the 24hrs in the middle of these 4 days)
• Luteal (the 10 to 14 days between ovulation and your next period)

To nourish our body optimally, ideally in each of the four phases of our cycles, we would be exercising in different ways, eating different types of foods and preparing them in different ways (raw vs cooked), and engaging in different social and work-related activities. These vegan stuffed mushrooms are great to support our bodies during the menstrual phase!

During the menstrual phase – when we’re bleeding – our bodies require nourishment, support and rest. Foods that have a low glycemic index, are rich in water and are high in nutrients, especially iron and zinc, are great for this phase. And nurturing/comforting preparations of foods, like soups, stews and cooked foods, as opposed to raw salads, best support our bodies at this time. These vegan stuffed mushrooms are super comforting, high in nutrients, and have a very low glycemic index. Rest and recovery is what our bodies crave, so in terms of exercise, just light stretching and yin yoga, and rejuvenating walks are great.

The differing levels of hormones running through our bodies during the four phases also changes the way our brain functions and fires and changes our behaviour! For example, when our oestrogen levels are highest (right before ovulation) the amygdala and hippocampus regions in our brain actually get larger, improving our imagination, perception, memory and social abilities! Whereas during the menstrual phase (our period), our sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) are at their lowest, and our spatial awareness is at its highest! SO INTERESTING!

I love this little infographic from a BBC article ‘How the menstrual cycle changes women’s brains – for better’ that explains how our moods and psychological states are affected by our sex hormones at different times of the month.

I also LOVE this little cycle syncing cheat sheet by Thyme is Honey that quickly and easily shows the best ways to nourish ourselves in terms of social and work-related activities, food, and exercise in each of the four phases.

Anywaaaay, these vegan stuffed mushrooms are perfect for when you’re bleeding, so save the recipe and give it a go next time you have your period! x

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

Doing stuff: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Effort level: 2/5
Serves: two

Ingredients

Mushrooms

• 4 large flat or Portobello mushrooms, stems removed (but kept for the filling)
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp each dried mixed herbs & dried sage
• Sprinkle of salt & pepper

Filling

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed thoroughly in cold water (and preferably soaked in water overnight)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ zucchini, diced
• 2-3 rounds of eggplant, diced
• ½ tsp each dried mixed herbs & dried sage
• Stems from the mushrooms
• ½ can coconut cream
• 1 cup cooked black beans (I like to cook big batches of dried legumes all together then just freeze them in smaller lots and use as needed!)
• 1 Tbs tamari
• An extra ½ – 1½ tsp salt
• 5 kale leaves, washed & torn

Method

Rice

1. Firstly, place the 1 cup of wild rice in a pot with 3 cups of water and ½ tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 45-60 minutes, until cooked to your liking (wild rice still remains a little chewy and nutty after cooking).
2. In the meantime you can start preparing the mushrooms and the filling.

Mushrooms

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them up to add to the filling ingredients.
3. Place the mushrooms on an oven tray and coat with the herbs, salt & pepper.
4. Bake or grill until slightly browned and just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Turn the oven off when the mushrooms are done.

Filling

1. In a large pan or wok over medium heat, fry the mushroom stems, zucchini and eggplant with the herbs until they start to brown. A couple of minutes is enough.
2. Add the coconut cream, black beans and salt, and the rice when its ready. Stir through and let cook for a few minutes.
3. If you’re still waiting for the rice to cook, take the wok off the heat so the filling doesn’t overcook.
4. When the rice is ready, add the remaining ingredients and cook through until the liquid has evaporated. Taste test and adjust flavours as necessary.
5. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and serve on a beautiful plate with the filling inside!
6. YUM!! Happy tummies and happy ovaries!!