Marvellous Mushrooms

Mushrooms, apart from being very tasty in your meals, are excellent for your health. They are neither a vegetable nor a fruit but a fungus which was revered by the Ancients tas far back as 6000 years ago.

Nutritionally mushrooms are a good source of thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyrodoxine (B6), vitamin D and vitamin C. They also contain good amounts of protein, folate, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. An all round excellent food item.

Mushrooms, being a main source of selenium, are important to vegetarians and Vegans who cannot obtain it from animal sources. They not only contain this important anti-oxidant but also the anti-oxidant ergothioneine, and together they protect cells from attacks by free radicals and lower the risk of prostate and other cancers. Mushrooms are also one of the few natural sources of vitamin D, essential for healthy bones and teeth, and research shows that by exposing them to sunlight for a short while will increase these levels.

It has been found that the common white and brown mushrooms carry as many health producing properties as their exotic cousins. Therefore it mainly depends on their flavor and your budget on what variety you purchase. The main thing is to add them regularly to your diet and being extremely low in calories you never need to worry about your waist line.

When purchasing fresh mushrooms see that they are firm and not slimy. The best way to store them is in a paper bag in the vegetable section of your fridge. There are many varieties of dried mushrooms available and they are popular as drying intensifies their flavor.

They are truly a wonder food.

*******************

Spinach and Radicchio Salad with Mushrooms and Cashews
From Epicurious Printed in Bon Appétit Oct 2001

2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
2 tsps country-style Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 6oz bag / bunch fresh baby spinach
1 head radicchio, torn into bite-size pieces
8 ozs / 3 cups button mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, minced
1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews

Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Combine spinach and all remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add dressing to taste; toss to coat. Divide salad among 6 plates. 6 servings.


Shiitake Mushroom Gravy
From the Vegetarian Times
Serve this luscious, low-fat mushroom gravy over cornmeal cakes or mashed potatoes.

8 small to medium dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed well
2 1/4 cups boiling water
2 cups mushroom soaking liquid
2 1/2 tbsps soy sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cups / 6 1/2ozs thickly sliced button mushrooms
3 tbsps all-purpose flour
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Place shiitake mushrooms in medium bowl, and add boiling water. Cover with small plate. Set aside 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Remove and discard stems from shiitake mushrooms. Slice mushrooms into strips, and set aside. Place mushroom soaking liquid into measuring cup, adding water if necessary, to make 2 cups. Add soy sauce to mushroom liquid. Set aside until ready to use. In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 9 minutes. Add sugar, thyme, button mushrooms and reserved shiitakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until button mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in reserved mushroom liquid, and cook, stirring continuously, until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve hot.


Ginger-Sesame-Glazed Portobello Steaks
From the VegetarianTimes
An aromatic marinade adds complexity to these mushrooms, which resemble flank steak when sliced at an angle.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsps minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp tahini
1/2 cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1 tbsps light brown sugar
3 tbsps white wine
4 large portobello caps
1 tbsp peanut oil

In small bowl, combine garlic, ginger and tahini. Stir in tamari, sesame oil, sugar and wine until well blended. Put mushroom caps in shallow bowl. Add tamari mixture, turning to coat mushrooms and let stand 15 to 30 minutes, turning once. In large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms (reserve marinade) and cook, turning once, until browned and slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Cut each mushroom on a slight angle into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In small saucepan, heat reserved marinade. To serve, spoon hot mashed potatoes on serving plates. Fan out mushroom slices over potatoes and lightly drizzle with marinade. 4 Servings

Technorati: mushrooms vegan+recipes mushroom+recipes