Kath is one of the most featured recipe contributors to the Mushroom Channel for two simple reasons. She takes healthy basic ingredients (like mushrooms) and turns them into delicious meals.  She also happens to photograph them so beautifully that I’ve found myself reaching for a fork while seated before my laptop.

As we’ve been preparing for October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Channel has been extra-sensitive to what it means to put the breaks on a disease that impacts millions of families a year. A lot of that has to do with research, which the Mushroom Council is happy to support, but there are considerations in our daily lives that can help us along.

Some of them even happen taste incredible, as Kath demonstrates below. The three main ingredients in this salad all have positive nutritional qualities. Kale and beans rank highly on this Antioxidant Fact Sheet from the National Cancer Institute and there’s exciting findings on mushrooms based on preliminary findings by City of Hope, a premiere cancer research hospital.

Chilled Mushroom, Kale + Bean Salad

Salad:

• 1 pint white button mushrooms, sliced (MC Editor’s note: the ones in pink boxes help support City of Hope’s breast cancer research)
• 1 cup of beans, any kind you like, preferably great northern or navy beans. I used some I made from scratch and had already chilled, or you could use canned. Just be sure to rinse first.
• 1 bunch lacinate kale leaves, torn and washed, or any other kind of greens such as spinach or chard
• ¼ cup slivered, toasted almonds

Dressing:

• Juice of half a lime
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp agave or honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated, or 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 small clove garlic, pressed, or pinch garlic powder

Instructions

1.       Steam kale until tender

2.       Cook mushrooms in a skillet with a little cooking spray or butter until brown and tender

3.       Toast almonds in a dry skillet or microwave (if untoasted).

4.       Mix salad ingredients together in a bowl.

5.       Mix dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.

6.       Toss dressing over salad – you may not need to use it all.

7.       Chill for at least an hour and will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge for mid-week busy meals.

Simple Mushroom Fajitas This quick and easy recipe is brought to us by Nick from Macheesmo, who claims he doesn’t always have time to cook elaborate 3 hour meals. Well Nick, we hear you. Check out this dish full of color, flavor and a little Tex-Mex kick.

5 Ways to Prevent Cold and Flu GirlGetStrong is ready for the approaching flu season. Rebecca shares the Top 5 Foods that boost the immune system to help protect your body from bacterial and viral infection.  Crimini mushrooms made the list since they have over 50% of the selenium your body needs each day.

The “Clean” Dirt on Mushrooms Ever get a little worried about the specs of dirt on your mushrooms? Most of us wash them off or use a special brush to clean our mushrooms. News Canada shares important information about how “clean” those particles of dirt actually are. A must read if you’re worried about cooking and it includes tips for washing them.

Think Pink! Lifestyle Expert Lynn Becker joins San Diego Living to feature items that promote healthy living. With October being National Breast Cancer Awareness month, Becker featured some items benefiting the research toward finding a cure for breast cancer. The segment includes food and beauty items you can purchase almost anywhere. Our very special pink tilled mushroom packages are shown, so make sure to pick some up for yourself.

Pita Pockets Are Ideal for Lunchboxes: Fill With Mushroom Salad Mix Looking for a low-fat sandwich alternative? These mushroom pita pockets are full of fresh herbs, veggies and are a great no-meat option. The best part of them is that pitas equal a no mess meal.

Eat and Drink Pink! Foods That Help Prevent Breast Cancer and Give Back to the Cause Julie Upton, of Health.com discusses how supermarkets are swamped with corporate promotions and tie-ins for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. With a disease that affects so many people each year, Upton set out to find foods that do more than just support the cause but can really help thwart the disease itself. Although research connecting diet and cancer is still in its infancy, Upton included diet tips and button mushrooms (full of selenium and vitamin D) as ways to prevent the disease.

The Pink Till is a segment we’ll be doing weekly throughout the month of October to build on Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the importance of research in eradicating a disease that effects so many families.

You’ve probably noticed a change in the packaging for the mushrooms you buy at the store this month and that’s where the name of our segment comes from.  We’ve gone pink. Because mushrooms are a produce superfood, the Mushroom Council is proudly supporting the fight against cancer by providing $50,000 to City of Hope’s research on breast cancer and mushrooms. To find out more about the promising research on mushrooms as an aromatase inhibitor to date, click here.

Our first story comes from a Mushroom Channel Featured Contributor, Rachel from A Southern Fairytale. She’s taken her family and food-focused blog pink for the full month and is featuring several great recipes with antioxidant rich ingredients, starting today with Mushroom Quesadillas.  Here is her story:

Back in 2003, I was a manger for a restaurant that supports the Susan G Komen Race for The Cure.  I ran our “table” at the race and I hosted a dine out for Breast Cancer night at our restaurant, too.  That was the first time that I came face to face with the survivors, the families, the reality of Breast Cancer.   I was 25 years old.  I remember standing there with my hand on my 7 month pregnant stomach and watching t-shirts go by on women, girls, children that said: “walking in memory of my mother”.

The moment that struck deep to my core, the 7 month old being held by her Daddy. His shirt, “I walk in Memory of my Wife”  her onesie” “In Memory of Mommy”.

I sat down, hugged my stomach and cried.

About 4 years ago, the woman who is now my Mother in Law told us she had breast cancer.  I remember watching her take her treatments, lose her hair, get wigs and fight.  I remember her finishing her treatments and I remember the relief that seemed to settle over everyone.  Then, she lost her husband to brain cancer.  Not long after that, she was diagnosed with breast cancer again, in her other breast.

So many people would have given up, not her.  She had her surgeries, took her radiation and chemotherapy, she wore her wig, she fought and she smiled.  She also, found love in her long time friend, my Father in Law.  He hugged her when she felt ill and he told her how beautiful she was.

On December 28, 2008 she finished her last treatment.  In January of 2009, she stood in front of friends and family, healthy, strong and without her wig and became my Mother in Law.

This summer, my friend’s mom was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.  3 weeks later, she had a double mastectomy, she is currently going through chemotherapy treatments and responding well.

On October 24^th my friend, her family, me and a large group of our friends are participating in a Breast Cancer Walk here in Texas.  We’re walking in celebration of her mom, in celebration of my Mother in Law and as a tribute to all who currently battle Breast Cancer and in memory of all who lost the battle.

I have seen the ravages of the disease and I am determined to find out all that I can, to do all that I can to help find the cure that I know is out there.

Rachel, A Southern Fairytale

Recipe from Top Chef Judge Tom Colicchio: celebrate National Mushroom Month Though National Mushroom Month ended this week, we got a tasty treat the Santa Cruz Restaurant Examiner. Tara shares a recipe from Top Chef Judge Tom Colicchio, who said, “Mushrooms’ unique taste gives a new level of flavor and enjoyment to almost any meal.” We totally agree Tom!

Certain Foods Can Increase Vitamin D Intake We’ve been hearing a lot about Vitamin D deficiency and how harmful it can be. Lynda Murray explains why mushrooms, which produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, are a food that can help humans increase their intake. With fall here and winter approaching, why not try out these turkey and mushroom kebabs for a little boost?

Food Fighters: Recipes for breast cancer patients It’s officially National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While many know that nutrition is a “mighty sword” in the fight against cancer, the side effects of cancer can certainly diminish one’s appetite. Joan Westlake brings us a delicious mushroom goulash dish  part of what she calls, “the ideal, anti-cancer diet.”

What to Do with the Extra Mushrooms (and Other Tips for a Thrifty Kitchen) Frugal mushroom tips coming from Oprah Magazine?! We’ll take it. The “O” shares creative and easy ways to cook for one. In the land of plenty where we typically have an abundance of ingredients to work with, Oprah shows us how to save every scrap and freeze for later.

7 Marvelous Mushroom Dishes Because we could all use a little inspiration or new dish to try, LifeScript brings us seven recipes that highlight mushrooms’ rich and earthy flavors. The list has it all. If you’re in the mood for a salad, a meaty burger, soup or stuffed mushrooms, you’ll find something to tickle your tastebuds.

Cream of Mushroom Soup City Mama, who attended our dinner at RN74, was so inspired by her weekend at BlogHer Food that she created this soup with a little help from the swag she was given at the conference. The soup is easy to make with a little help from Campbell’s and although it may not seem fancy, City Mama assures us, that it “tastes really fancy.” Check it out and let us know what you think.