Most doctors don’t make house calls, but lucky for us, Dr. Oz does! This week he invited one of our favorite dietitians, Liz Ward, onto the show to talk about the mighty mushroom. Watch the video to learn more about three different kinds of mushrooms – white buttons, creminis, and maitakes – and fun ways to cook with them to get more nutrients onto your plate!

Tasting is believing! Try one of the recipes mentioned on the show with your family today:

• Mushroom Tacos with Salsa Verde
• Mushroom Chips and Dip

Like what you see?

Check out the Facebook page for Liz’s new book, MyPlate for Moms, for more nutrition and cooking tips.

Food Day is a grassroots campaign organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) that encourages people to “eat real” by focusing on healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.

As you might imagine, everyone at the Mushroom Channel is quite on board with the concept of Food Day. Mushrooms offer a versatile and tasty solution for unprocessed, low-calorie entrees, side dishes and snacks. Their flexibility and friendliness toward virtually any kind of diet makes them an easy addition to any “real” shopping list. We’re proud to bring them to your stores, markets and tables and excited about what lies ahead.

How are you celebrating? Attend a Food Day event near you or get festive at home tonight by make this recipe for Oven Roasted Mushroom and Vegetable Salad.

October means it’s time to go Pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and mushrooms have a brand new outfit for just such an occasion.

Breast cancer research is a cause near and dear to the Mushroom Council. Since 2002, we’ve invested more than $750,000 in grants to City of Hope for research on mushrooms and cancer. This fall, the Council will provide an additional $50,000 to continue funding these important studies. To help raise knowledge of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and recognition of breast cancer research, mushrooms will be sold in pink containers September 15^th – November 15^th.  Check your local grocery store to find them in the produce aisles.

In addition, we’re thrilled to be featured in City of Hope’s Super Foods for Super Health recipe program. This program uncovers how “natural substances in super foods may help prevent cancer.” Click here to see Super Foods for Super Health recipes that include mushrooms.

Another note: Your friendly Mushroom Channel editor tried this recipe with scrambled eggs incorporated this weekend and it was a hit- consider breakfast tacos!

While I could, of course, happily add mushrooms to most any dish you could imagine (except maybe ice cream… But maybe? Mushroom ice cream? Why not? I’m game), I’m fully aware that they’re consistently ignored in some major food groups. I consider Mexican food a major food group of mine and have recently realized that I rarely ever incorporate mushrooms into Mexican cuisine. Perhaps I’ll add them in a veggie quesadilla, but otherwise, I’m always leaving them out. How rude. So, I’m making a concerted effort to change that. Call it a movement, if you will.

I was inspired by Rick Bayless and his recipe for chorizo, mushroom, and potato tacos. The idea of mushrooms in tacos is basically a dream come true, especially when you mix them up with lots of spicy flavor-packed chorizo. You’ll never want a “typical” taco again. The other awesome thing about these tacos is that they’re super quick and easy. Just a tad bit of chopping, throwing everything in a pan, and serving it on a tortilla. And adding lots of delicious toppings, too, obviously. The addition of potatoes make it almost like a Mexican hash. With mushrooms. In a tortilla. Heaven has been found.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. Mexican chorizo, casings removed and crumbled
• 1/2 C onion, chopped
• 6 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 medium potato, cut into small cubes
• 1 habanero pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 t cumin
• Whole wheat tortillas, lightly toasted
• 1/4 C cilantro, finely chopped (for topping)
• 2 oz. cotija cheese (for topping)
• 1 avocado, diced (for topping)

Instructions:

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add crumbled chorizo. Cook until mostly heated through (or mostly cooked through if chorizo was uncooked) and then add chopped onion, mushrooms, potatoes, and habanero. Cook, while stirring, for about 4-5 minutes, until ingredients begin to soften and brown up a bit. Mix cumin in.

Serve chorizo mushroom mixture on a lightly toasted whole wheat tortilla. Top with cilantro, cotija, avocado, or absolutely anything you want.

We’re in the throes of it now, mushroom friends. And by “it,” I mean summer. It is truly hard for us to believe that by Monday August will be upon us.  Of course, it only takes a quick step outside before all makes sense again.  It’s hot out there and neither an open flame in the kitchen nor the overstuffed feeling that comes from heavy eating sounds particularly appealing.

If you are entering the weekend in a similar mindset, we have a fresh summer dinner idea for you, straight from the patio of a humble Mushroom Channel team member!

Grilled Portabellas Stuffed with Spinach, Pesto and Goat Cheese

1/2 cup prepared pesto (I defrosted some from last summer but a favorite jarred variety would work just fine)
1 cup spinach leaves
1 cup basil leaves
4 portabella mushroom caps, excess dirt brushed off and stem removed
Cooking spray
4 oz  goat cheese

Fresh pepper to taste

I actually found that the easiest way to start was to give each mushroom cap a light coating of olive oil or cooking spray all the way around, then season it generously with fresh pepper.

Spread an even amount of pesto at the base of each mushroom.  From there, start alternating layers of basil and spinach leaves. Three of each is more than enough but it will wilt down. From there, press your goat cheese into the the top leaves to secure all the filling.

These are on the grill 8-10 minutes total (with lid closed) and are ready when the cap turns dark brown and the goat cheese is getting golden on the top. I served with undressed fresh salad and some chilled carrots leftover from a previous roasting session. If you want to replicate the face I made, I don’t see anything wrong with playing with your food- these are fun-gi, right?

We’ve made it through winter, and it’s time to grill!

Too often vegetarians get neglected when it comes to summer cookouts, relegated to the cold salad table. But cooking for multiple palates and dietary needs is sometimes hard when factoring in our already busy lives.

These stuffed mushrooms come together in a snap and can stand in for a main dish, side, or even a pre-party nibble. I like to top them with panko, Japanese bread crumbs, to add crunch, but they are just as delicious without for a gluten-free meal.

Stuffed Mushrooms

• 1 pound button or baby portabella mushrooms
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 small avocado
• 1/8 cup chopped jalapeno
• Lemon juice
• Panko bread crumbs

If grilling, prepare wooden skewers by soaking in a dish of water as you assemble the mushrooms. This will prevent the wood from scorching on the fire.

Gently dust any dirt off your mushrooms with a clean cloth or a mushroom brush. Remove stem by slightly twisting. Discard stems or save for another recipe.

Halve avocado, remove pit, and mash in a bowl. Add cream cheese, jalapeno, and a dash of lemon juice, and stir until well blended. Pour panko into a bowl or rimmed plate.

Fill mushroom tops with the avocado mixture and level off. Dip each mushroom in the panko and continue with the rest of the mushrooms.

Once all are assembled, carefully slide the mushrooms onto the skewers. If baking in the oven, arrange in a casserole dish.

Grill for 10-15 minutes or bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

One of the lovely mushroom’s greatest traits is its meaty texture.  For vegetarians & vegans, it’s a nice alternative to the standard meat substitutes; for meat eaters, it offers a great meatless option without losing that meaty mouth feel.

Because of this, mushrooms lend themselves to being prepared with many of the flavorings normally used in cooking meats.  A recent obsession of mine is throwing Chinese five-spice powder into almost everything I’m cooking – from chicken to seitan to pork belly – so it seemed only logical that my next five-spice victim would be the almighty mushroom.

It worked like a charm.  The aromatic qualities of the anise, cinnamon, ginger, fennel and cloves that make up traditional Chinese five-spice enhanced the umami of even basic white mushrooms, and the first fresh asparagus of the season complemented them beautifully.  Tossed together with big, chewy udon noodles and topped off with a sweet & spicy five-spice sauce, this dish is easy to prepare, packed with nutrients, and extremely satisfying.

Serve it warm as an entrée or side dish to some grilled meats, or serve it cold over mixed greens for a simple, satisfying lunch.  Either way, it’s sure to become part of any mushroom-lover’s repertoire!

Five Spice Mushrooms & Asparagus with Udon Noodles (makes 4 servings)

• 1 8 oz. package white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 8 oz. package dried udon noodles
• 5 cups of water
• 2 T cooking oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ t five-spice powder
• Pinch of salt

• 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¾ tsp five spice powder

Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.  Cook the udon noodles according to package instructions, drain and set aside (you might want to drizzle a small amount of oil on the noodles to prevent them from sticking).

While the noodles are cooking, bring the 5 cups of water to a rolling boil and add the asparagus.  Blanche them for no more than 45 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a small bowl.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until golden brown and fragrant.  Next add the mushrooms, five-spice powder and salt, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.  Add the blanched asparagus and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Finally, add the noodles & prepared sauce to the vegetables and mix well.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

You can win a free copy of some of the hottest nutrition books on the market! Re-tweet our hash-tagged #NNM mushroom fact each day, and you’ll be entered to win the daily drawing for one of the following books:

• 101 Optimal Life Foods
• Big Green Cookbook
• Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches
• The Flexitarian Diet
• The O2 Diet

Stay tuned to the Mushroom Channel on Twitter, and in the meantime check out the following roundup of some of our fave nutrition stories from this year – some easy reads that tout the benefits of nature’s hidden treasure:

March Is National Nutrition Month!: Self.com announces the American Dietetic Association’s theme for NNM this year: Eat Right with Color. Fill your plates with all the colors of the rainbow! It’s not always bright colored veggies that pack a nutritious punch – those that are light in color (or WHITE) do too, like mushrooms!

Knowing how many calories you need is what counts: To stop weight gain, remember one thing: energy in must equal energy out. In other words, the calories you consume must be equivalent to those you burn and if you want to lose weight, the scale must be tipped toward energy out. USA Today suggests cutting calories by using one of our favorite tricks – substituting mushrooms for meat.

ARE YOU “D”-PRESSED?: Dr. Keith Ayoob blogged about mushrooms as a unique source of vitamin D. That’s right, all mushrooms contain D – they’re the only source in the produce section – and like our skin, they can produce vitamin D when exposed to light.

Finally! Burgers and fries that are good for you: Martha Stewart highlights the benefits of mushrooms in this “TODAY Show” power food cooking segment. Give Stewart’s portabella burger recipe a shot for a guilt-free twist on one of America’s favorite foods.

We’re starting this wintry week off with a gorgeous, hearty Hungarian Mushroom Soup from For the Love of Cooking. Two kinds of mushrooms, paprika and a bright lemon finish? These are a few of our favorite things…hop on over to the original post to check out the recipe!

Turkey Veggie Barley Chili from Anne of Fannetastic Food

Mushroom Barley from Catherine of Weelicious

Healthy Mushroom Barley Soup from Christine of Once a Month Mom