French Mushroom Soup
Preparation Time: 10 mins. Cooking Time: 30 mins.
Subtle herbs compliment the rich mushroom flavour in this decadent soup. It makes a perfect starter to a luncheon or dinner party.
1/4 cup butter 50 mL
1 lb. fresh Mushrooms, thinly sliced 500 g
1/3 cup flour 75 mL
6 cups chicken broth 1.5 L
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves 2 mL
1 bay leaf 1
1/4 cup chopped green onions 50 mL
2 large egg yolks 2
1/2 cup whipping cream 125 mL
White pepper to taste
2 tbsp minced parsley 25 mL
In large heavy soup pot, melt butter over medium heat; sauté mushrooms for 5-6 minutes or until mixture from mushrooms has evaporated; sprinkle flour over mushrooms and cook 1 minute. Gradually stir in broth; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add thyme, bay leaf and green onions; reduce heat and cover. Simmer 15- 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. In small bowl whisk egg yolks with cream; stir 1cup (250 mL) hot broth into cream mixture and then return all to saucepan. Heat over low heat until hot about 5 minutes; add pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
Makes 8 servings
NOTE: If table cream is substituted and allowed to boil it will curdle.
Variation: Add ¼ cup(50 mL) medium sherry.
Source: Mushrooms Canada
Monday, December 17, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Mushrooms Gain Fans
"MADE IN ONTARIO
TheStar.com Food Jennifer Bain
Mushrooms gain fans
Local foods are all the rage this year. But how many can claim 24/7/365 status?
Mushrooms can.
They're grown indoors, year-round and around the clock, and harvested daily.
If you want to get all 100-mile diet about it, you can stick to Ontario mushrooms because our province grows half of Canada's 250-million pound, $325 million mushroom crop.
Whites (button) and browns (cremini, portobellos and baby bellas) are now standard. Specialty growers are stepping up production of oyster, enoki and shiitake mushrooms. Exotic varieties – like hon shimeji and maitake – are popping up in grocery stores and markets.
Mushroom lovers need never settle for imports.
That's the message Mushrooms Canada is spreading this year with two catchy ad campaigns.
The first shows a white mushroom emblazoned with a red maple leaf alongside the message: "Locally grown."
The second shows a white mushroom with a red scarf wrapped around it to drive home the "Fresh even in winter" point.
"Local just seemed to be a hot topic," explains Mushrooms Canada marketing manager Brittany Stager.
"We'd also taken part in Foodland Ontario's `Pick Ontario Freshness' campaign this year and want to refocus people on Ontario products."
Mushrooms Canada launched in 1955 as the Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association.
It rebranded in May 2006 with a new emphasis on promoting fresh mushrooms to consumers.
Since then, the group (whose members produce 90 cent of the mushrooms grown in Canada) has been active, cooking at public events such as the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, enticing media to tour mushroom farms, driving consumers to the website mushrooms.ca to view recipes and background information.
And yet, mycophobia persists.
"Mycophobia, or fear of mushrooms, is mainly in the Anglo-Saxon community," notes Bill Wylie, of Wylie Mycologicals in Wiarton. "The white button mushroom became accepted, but there is still a fear of going out into the wild and picking wild mushrooms and getting poisoned and dying."
You're welcome to join the Mycological Society of Toronto and learn how to safely forage. But a trip to the supermarket or farmers' market should suffice for most of us.
I grew up loathing (not fearing) mushrooms – but that was when they came canned (slimy/rubbery) or white (homogenous and dull).
Now I adore meaty portobellos/creminis and woodsy shiitakes, and am delving into the exotics, too.
That's right on trend with changing consumer tastes, according to Hank Vander Pol, president/CEO of Rol-land Farms.
Overall, mushroom consumption is holding steady, but browns "are growing at significantly higher rates" of about 10 to 15 per cent in the last three to five years.
"The brown mushroom tends to have a little bit more flavour than whites do," Vander Pol concedes.
His Campbellville-based business (likely Canada's largest with 1,200 employees and five farms) expanded into growing browns six months ago. (It sells under the Essex Kent brand.) And it rarely sends anything to the cannery.
The health benefits of mushrooms are also being touted.
We're all supposed to be eating more vegetables, and a half cup of cooked, sliced fresh mushrooms (1 cup raw or about 4 ounces/113 grams) is considered one serving.
Mushrooms Canada reports that this sized serving of white button mushrooms offers 14 calories and no cholesterol, is virtually fat-free and low in sodium, and has 1 gram of fibre. It's also high in riboflavin, niacin, copper and an antioxidant called selenium.
Another thing the industry is trying to alter is the mistaken image that mushrooms are grown in the dark in stinky manure.
During a tour of Rol-land, Vander Pol and farm manager Harjit Bamrah take pains to point out how their compost (horse manure mixed with wheat straw from race tracks) is pasteurized and deodorized during a multi-step outdoor process before being taken indoors to help grow mushrooms.
"For a mushroom farm, we smell pretty good," says Vander Pol – and he's right.
Large farms like Rol-land grow mushrooms in trays. Each of its 26 growing rooms is filled with stacks of these hemlock trays.
Mushroom spawn is mixed with pasteurized compost, topped with peat moss and given about 14 days and some water to grow. True, mushrooms don't need light, but the staff who monitor/harvest the rooms do, so they're kept lit.
Gloved workers harvest the mushrooms by hand, deftly trimming the ends with a knife and packing them into containers for supermarkets.
Three things are key from this point on. Mushrooms must be kept cold (in supermarkets and in your fridge), they're as delicate as eggs and bruise easily, and they keep best when stored in paper bags.
"Quality is always a problem at the supermarket," laments Wylie. "As for brown paper bags, Canadian mushroom growers have been pushing this directive but supermarkets haven't seemed to adopt it.
"Most things are consumer driven," he adds.
Meaning, I think, it's up to mushroom lovers to take a stand.
Portobellos With Roasted Garlic and Asiago Couscous
A Conestoga College team (Laura Kallay, Bridget Dignard and Nathan Lavoie plus course director Philippe Savaria) won Mushroom Canada's recent "Make it With Mushrooms" competition with this dish.
2 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 large portobello mushooms (each about 5 inches wide), cleaned, stems (if any) diced, caps cut in thick slices
1/2 vidalia/Spanish onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup finely grated asiago cheese
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt + freshly ground pepper
Trim root end of garlic, leaving skin intact. Place on square of foil. Drizzle with oil. Fold and seal to form package. Roast in preheated 350F 15 minutes to soften. Open foil to cool slightly.
Discard skin. Mince or mash flesh.
In small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add onions. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes or until translucent. Add carrots, celery and mushroom stems (if any). Cover. Cook 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add couscous. Stir in boiling water. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand at least 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and garlic.
Meanwhile, mix remaining 1 tablespoon oil with vinegar. Brush all over portobello slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In medium skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat, cook 1 to 2 minutes per side or until mushrooms release liquid, liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are tender at surface but firm in centre.
To serve, divide couscous mixture over 2 plates. Arrange equal portions portabella slices over each.
Makes 2 servings."
Courtesy of the Toronto Star
TheStar.com Food Jennifer Bain
Mushrooms gain fans
Local foods are all the rage this year. But how many can claim 24/7/365 status?
Mushrooms can.
They're grown indoors, year-round and around the clock, and harvested daily.
If you want to get all 100-mile diet about it, you can stick to Ontario mushrooms because our province grows half of Canada's 250-million pound, $325 million mushroom crop.
Whites (button) and browns (cremini, portobellos and baby bellas) are now standard. Specialty growers are stepping up production of oyster, enoki and shiitake mushrooms. Exotic varieties – like hon shimeji and maitake – are popping up in grocery stores and markets.
Mushroom lovers need never settle for imports.
That's the message Mushrooms Canada is spreading this year with two catchy ad campaigns.
The first shows a white mushroom emblazoned with a red maple leaf alongside the message: "Locally grown."
The second shows a white mushroom with a red scarf wrapped around it to drive home the "Fresh even in winter" point.
"Local just seemed to be a hot topic," explains Mushrooms Canada marketing manager Brittany Stager.
"We'd also taken part in Foodland Ontario's `Pick Ontario Freshness' campaign this year and want to refocus people on Ontario products."
Mushrooms Canada launched in 1955 as the Canadian Mushroom Growers' Association.
It rebranded in May 2006 with a new emphasis on promoting fresh mushrooms to consumers.
Since then, the group (whose members produce 90 cent of the mushrooms grown in Canada) has been active, cooking at public events such as the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, enticing media to tour mushroom farms, driving consumers to the website mushrooms.ca to view recipes and background information.
And yet, mycophobia persists.
"Mycophobia, or fear of mushrooms, is mainly in the Anglo-Saxon community," notes Bill Wylie, of Wylie Mycologicals in Wiarton. "The white button mushroom became accepted, but there is still a fear of going out into the wild and picking wild mushrooms and getting poisoned and dying."
You're welcome to join the Mycological Society of Toronto and learn how to safely forage. But a trip to the supermarket or farmers' market should suffice for most of us.
I grew up loathing (not fearing) mushrooms – but that was when they came canned (slimy/rubbery) or white (homogenous and dull).
Now I adore meaty portobellos/creminis and woodsy shiitakes, and am delving into the exotics, too.
That's right on trend with changing consumer tastes, according to Hank Vander Pol, president/CEO of Rol-land Farms.
Overall, mushroom consumption is holding steady, but browns "are growing at significantly higher rates" of about 10 to 15 per cent in the last three to five years.
"The brown mushroom tends to have a little bit more flavour than whites do," Vander Pol concedes.
His Campbellville-based business (likely Canada's largest with 1,200 employees and five farms) expanded into growing browns six months ago. (It sells under the Essex Kent brand.) And it rarely sends anything to the cannery.
The health benefits of mushrooms are also being touted.
We're all supposed to be eating more vegetables, and a half cup of cooked, sliced fresh mushrooms (1 cup raw or about 4 ounces/113 grams) is considered one serving.
Mushrooms Canada reports that this sized serving of white button mushrooms offers 14 calories and no cholesterol, is virtually fat-free and low in sodium, and has 1 gram of fibre. It's also high in riboflavin, niacin, copper and an antioxidant called selenium.
Another thing the industry is trying to alter is the mistaken image that mushrooms are grown in the dark in stinky manure.
During a tour of Rol-land, Vander Pol and farm manager Harjit Bamrah take pains to point out how their compost (horse manure mixed with wheat straw from race tracks) is pasteurized and deodorized during a multi-step outdoor process before being taken indoors to help grow mushrooms.
"For a mushroom farm, we smell pretty good," says Vander Pol – and he's right.
Large farms like Rol-land grow mushrooms in trays. Each of its 26 growing rooms is filled with stacks of these hemlock trays.
Mushroom spawn is mixed with pasteurized compost, topped with peat moss and given about 14 days and some water to grow. True, mushrooms don't need light, but the staff who monitor/harvest the rooms do, so they're kept lit.
Gloved workers harvest the mushrooms by hand, deftly trimming the ends with a knife and packing them into containers for supermarkets.
Three things are key from this point on. Mushrooms must be kept cold (in supermarkets and in your fridge), they're as delicate as eggs and bruise easily, and they keep best when stored in paper bags.
"Quality is always a problem at the supermarket," laments Wylie. "As for brown paper bags, Canadian mushroom growers have been pushing this directive but supermarkets haven't seemed to adopt it.
"Most things are consumer driven," he adds.
Meaning, I think, it's up to mushroom lovers to take a stand.
Portobellos With Roasted Garlic and Asiago Couscous
A Conestoga College team (Laura Kallay, Bridget Dignard and Nathan Lavoie plus course director Philippe Savaria) won Mushroom Canada's recent "Make it With Mushrooms" competition with this dish.
2 large cloves garlic
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 large portobello mushooms (each about 5 inches wide), cleaned, stems (if any) diced, caps cut in thick slices
1/2 vidalia/Spanish onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup finely grated asiago cheese
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt + freshly ground pepper
Trim root end of garlic, leaving skin intact. Place on square of foil. Drizzle with oil. Fold and seal to form package. Roast in preheated 350F 15 minutes to soften. Open foil to cool slightly.
Discard skin. Mince or mash flesh.
In small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add onions. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes or until translucent. Add carrots, celery and mushroom stems (if any). Cover. Cook 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add couscous. Stir in boiling water. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand at least 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and garlic.
Meanwhile, mix remaining 1 tablespoon oil with vinegar. Brush all over portobello slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In medium skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat, cook 1 to 2 minutes per side or until mushrooms release liquid, liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are tender at surface but firm in centre.
To serve, divide couscous mixture over 2 plates. Arrange equal portions portabella slices over each.
Makes 2 servings."
Courtesy of the Toronto Star
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Mushrooms. Saving the world one diesel spill at a time.
"Fungi that can clean up fossil fuel spills? It can happen! Paul Stamets, a mycologist dedicated to the preservation of ancient mushroom species, grew a mound of giant oyster mushrooms on a pile of diesel-contaminated soil.
This was an experiment with fungi that break down hydrocarbons such as oil and gasoline. The fungus spores produce an enzyme that denatures hydrocarbon chains, so not only did the mushrooms grow on contaminated soil— they thrived.
Six to eight weeks later, the mushrooms decomposed and flies laid eggs there. Birds came to feed on the fly larvae, and in the process dropped seeds. Grass grew, other insects moved in, and soon what had been a toxic pile of contaminated soil— one which led to a lawsuit and a fine, in fact— was integrated back into a thriving ecosystem."
Source: About My Planet
This was an experiment with fungi that break down hydrocarbons such as oil and gasoline. The fungus spores produce an enzyme that denatures hydrocarbon chains, so not only did the mushrooms grow on contaminated soil— they thrived.
Six to eight weeks later, the mushrooms decomposed and flies laid eggs there. Birds came to feed on the fly larvae, and in the process dropped seeds. Grass grew, other insects moved in, and soon what had been a toxic pile of contaminated soil— one which led to a lawsuit and a fine, in fact— was integrated back into a thriving ecosystem."
Source: About My Planet
Monday, October 1, 2007
The Best Life Diet Recipe
MUSHROOM-BARLEY RISOTTO
4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided use)
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup pearl barley, sorted and rinsed
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces portobello or white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
In saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Cover pan and turn off heat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Reduce heat to low. Add barley and stir to coat with oil. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed. Add hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and adding 1/2 cup more of broth each time the previous addition is almost absorbed. This should take about 30 minutes. (You might have a little leftover broth.) If barley is not yet tender and all the broth is gone, add a little water and cook until tender.
In skillet over medium-high heat, place remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. (If mixture begins to stick, remove skillet from heat and spray mushrooms with nonstick cooking spray. Return skillet to heat and cook until mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft).
Stir mushroom mixture and basil into barley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Yields 4 servings.
- "The Best Life Diet"
(Simon & Schuster, $26)
by Bob Greene.
4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth2 tablespoons olive oil (divided use)
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup pearl barley, sorted and rinsed
1/3 cup dry white wine
8 ounces portobello or white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
In saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Cover pan and turn off heat.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Reduce heat to low. Add barley and stir to coat with oil. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine is absorbed. Add hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and adding 1/2 cup more of broth each time the previous addition is almost absorbed. This should take about 30 minutes. (You might have a little leftover broth.) If barley is not yet tender and all the broth is gone, add a little water and cook until tender.
In skillet over medium-high heat, place remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. (If mixture begins to stick, remove skillet from heat and spray mushrooms with nonstick cooking spray. Return skillet to heat and cook until mushrooms are golden and shallots are soft).
Stir mushroom mixture and basil into barley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Yields 4 servings.
- "The Best Life Diet"(Simon & Schuster, $26)
by Bob Greene.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Preserving your Fresh Mushrooms
Pickling Your Mushrooms
How to Pickle Mushrooms
Pickling is a preservation process for mushrooms. Lactic acid or vinegar is added directly the mushrooms you wish to preserve. A good method is bringing a couple of cups of white vinegar, a tablespoon of salt, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves to a boil and then add whole petite mushrooms or quartered mushrooms. Gently boil the mixture for about 8-10 minutes. Spoon the mushrooms into hot sterilized jars. Pour in a few tablespoons of good quality olive oil, put the cap on the jar, and gently shake to make sure that everything is covered in oil. Keep refrigerated.
Uses
Are great as appetizers or side dishes. Put them out at parties, events, and get togethers.
Pros
- You can use any variety of mushroom, but whites, browns, shiitake and oysters response the best and produce a great flavour.
- Very easy process to do at home.
Cons
- You have to be very careful when planning on keeping pickled mushrooms for a long period of time. Improper techniques and acid balance could lead to Botulism or other serious food poisoning.
- Should use the pickled mushrooms within a week.
How to Pickle Mushrooms
Pickling is a preservation process for mushrooms. Lactic acid or vinegar is added directly the mushrooms you wish to preserve. A good method is bringing a couple of cups of white vinegar, a tablespoon of salt, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves to a boil and then add whole petite mushrooms or quartered mushrooms. Gently boil the mixture for about 8-10 minutes. Spoon the mushrooms into hot sterilized jars. Pour in a few tablespoons of good quality olive oil, put the cap on the jar, and gently shake to make sure that everything is covered in oil. Keep refrigerated.
Uses
Are great as appetizers or side dishes. Put them out at parties, events, and get togethers.
Pros
- You can use any variety of mushroom, but whites, browns, shiitake and oysters response the best and produce a great flavour.
- Very easy process to do at home.
Cons
- You have to be very careful when planning on keeping pickled mushrooms for a long period of time. Improper techniques and acid balance could lead to Botulism or other serious food poisoning.
- Should use the pickled mushrooms within a week.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Add more mushrooms to everyday meals
Add more mushrooms to everyday meals
(Jul 11, 2007)
(CP) - Tasty and versatile, mushrooms add vitamins and nutrients to your favourite dishes -- with almost no calories, fat or sodium
Including fresh mushrooms in everyday meals is a great way to boost vitamin intake while adding virtually no calories, fat or sodium. Tossing some sliced mushrooms into green salads, soups, stews, stir-fries and omelettes as well as pasta and rice dishes is easy and quick.
Grilling a whole portobello mushroom makes a tasty low-fat "burger'' and sautéed fresh mushrooms lend a savoury depth of flavour to chicken, beef and fish.
Here are two grilling recipes from Mushrooms Canada that can be ready in minutes -- all with mushrooms in their ingredient list.
BARBECUED MUSHROOM PITA PIZZAS
45 ml (3 tbsp.) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 large fresh portobello mushroom caps
4 whole-wheat pita breads (each 15 to 18 cm/6 to 7 inch)
75 ml (1/3 cup) sun-dried tomato pesto
1 l (4 cups) baby spinach or arugula leaves
125 ml (1/2 cup) shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1. In a small bowl, whisk together oil and garlic; lightly brush mushrooms on both sides with garlic oil. Grill mushrooms on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until mushrooms are slightly softened.
2. Meanwhile, place pitas on barbecue grill over high heat and cook for 2 minutes on one side or until warmed through. Remove to a tray or cutting board and spread softer side with tomato pesto. Top with spinach, and then warm mushrooms, stem side up. Return to barbecue and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until slightly crisp. Garnish with Parmesan. Cut in halves or quarters and serve immediately. Add pepper to taste.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 370 calories, 16 g protein, 18 g fat, 41 g carbohydrates, 7 g fibre.
Note: If mushrooms are too large for the pita, thickly slice mushrooms on a cutting board and place on top of spinach. Thinner pitas will crisp better than thicker ones.
Wine match: Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc.
MUSHROOM, CHEESE AND SPINACH PANINI
15 ml (1 tbsp.) olive oil
250 g (8 oz) fresh mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, crushed
5 ml (1 tsp.) dried basil leaves
500 ml (2 cups) grated old cheddar cheese
125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
4 oval panini rolls (about 10 cm/4 inches), halved
250 ml (1 cup) baby spinach leaves
1. In a medium frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until just until starting to brown. Stir in garlic and basil; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix cheese and tomatoes; spread evenly on bottom half of each roll. Arrange mushrooms, then spinach, evenly on top of cheese. Top with the other half of the roll and press firmly.
3. Place in a preheated sandwich grill (according to manufacturer's directions) and cook for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and cheese has melted. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 484 calories, 22 g protein, 27 g fat, 40 g carbohydrates, 3.4 g fibre.
Note: If sandwich grill is not available, heat a well-seasoned ridged grill pan or a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in pan and place another heatproof pan or skillet on top of sandwiches; weight down with canned goods and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn panini over and repeat on other side. Lower heat after sandwich is browned to melt cheese.
Tip: Substitute other crusty rolls or kaiser buns for panini rolls or use 8 slices French, Italian or sourdough bread cut 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick .
Variation: Substitute 125 ml (1/2 cup) softened goat cheese (about 125 g/4 oz) for cheddar and baby arugula leaves for spinach.
Wine match: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
MUSHROOMS CONTAIN POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS
Recent research has found that mushrooms contain a powerful antioxidant called l-ergothioneine. Here are some facts on this antioxidant:
- Ergothioneine has shown antioxidant properties as a scavenger of strong oxidants.
Antioxidant activity is enhanced by the presence of selenium, which helps to prevent cell damage caused by free radicals within the body.
- A 125-ml (1/2-cup) serving of cooked sliced white mushrooms provides 13 per cent of the daily needs for selenium.
- Portobello and cremini mushrooms have substantial amounts of ergothioneine, followed closely by white mushrooms.
- Exotic mushrooms such as maitake, oyster and shiitake have the highest amounts of ergothioneine.
CANADIAN PRESS
(Jul 11, 2007)
(CP) - Tasty and versatile, mushrooms add vitamins and nutrients to your favourite dishes -- with almost no calories, fat or sodium
Including fresh mushrooms in everyday meals is a great way to boost vitamin intake while adding virtually no calories, fat or sodium. Tossing some sliced mushrooms into green salads, soups, stews, stir-fries and omelettes as well as pasta and rice dishes is easy and quick.
Grilling a whole portobello mushroom makes a tasty low-fat "burger'' and sautéed fresh mushrooms lend a savoury depth of flavour to chicken, beef and fish.
Here are two grilling recipes from Mushrooms Canada that can be ready in minutes -- all with mushrooms in their ingredient list.
BARBECUED MUSHROOM PITA PIZZAS
45 ml (3 tbsp.) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 large fresh portobello mushroom caps
4 whole-wheat pita breads (each 15 to 18 cm/6 to 7 inch)
75 ml (1/3 cup) sun-dried tomato pesto
1 l (4 cups) baby spinach or arugula leaves
125 ml (1/2 cup) shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1. In a small bowl, whisk together oil and garlic; lightly brush mushrooms on both sides with garlic oil. Grill mushrooms on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until mushrooms are slightly softened.
2. Meanwhile, place pitas on barbecue grill over high heat and cook for 2 minutes on one side or until warmed through. Remove to a tray or cutting board and spread softer side with tomato pesto. Top with spinach, and then warm mushrooms, stem side up. Return to barbecue and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until slightly crisp. Garnish with Parmesan. Cut in halves or quarters and serve immediately. Add pepper to taste.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 370 calories, 16 g protein, 18 g fat, 41 g carbohydrates, 7 g fibre.
Note: If mushrooms are too large for the pita, thickly slice mushrooms on a cutting board and place on top of spinach. Thinner pitas will crisp better than thicker ones.
Wine match: Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc.
MUSHROOM, CHEESE AND SPINACH PANINI
15 ml (1 tbsp.) olive oil
250 g (8 oz) fresh mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, crushed
5 ml (1 tsp.) dried basil leaves
500 ml (2 cups) grated old cheddar cheese
125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
4 oval panini rolls (about 10 cm/4 inches), halved
250 ml (1 cup) baby spinach leaves
1. In a medium frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until just until starting to brown. Stir in garlic and basil; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix cheese and tomatoes; spread evenly on bottom half of each roll. Arrange mushrooms, then spinach, evenly on top of cheese. Top with the other half of the roll and press firmly.
3. Place in a preheated sandwich grill (according to manufacturer's directions) and cook for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and cheese has melted. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 484 calories, 22 g protein, 27 g fat, 40 g carbohydrates, 3.4 g fibre.
Note: If sandwich grill is not available, heat a well-seasoned ridged grill pan or a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place sandwiches in pan and place another heatproof pan or skillet on top of sandwiches; weight down with canned goods and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn panini over and repeat on other side. Lower heat after sandwich is browned to melt cheese.
Tip: Substitute other crusty rolls or kaiser buns for panini rolls or use 8 slices French, Italian or sourdough bread cut 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick .
Variation: Substitute 125 ml (1/2 cup) softened goat cheese (about 125 g/4 oz) for cheddar and baby arugula leaves for spinach.
Wine match: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
MUSHROOMS CONTAIN POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS
Recent research has found that mushrooms contain a powerful antioxidant called l-ergothioneine. Here are some facts on this antioxidant:
- Ergothioneine has shown antioxidant properties as a scavenger of strong oxidants.
Antioxidant activity is enhanced by the presence of selenium, which helps to prevent cell damage caused by free radicals within the body.
- A 125-ml (1/2-cup) serving of cooked sliced white mushrooms provides 13 per cent of the daily needs for selenium.
- Portobello and cremini mushrooms have substantial amounts of ergothioneine, followed closely by white mushrooms.
- Exotic mushrooms such as maitake, oyster and shiitake have the highest amounts of ergothioneine.
CANADIAN PRESS
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