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5 Reasons Mushrooms are the Ultimate Spring Ingredient

Friday, April 5th, 2013

Meal planning is a process that starts long before you step into the kitchen. Figuring out what’s in season, what everyone in your family wants to eat, and what won’t go to waste sitting in the refrigerator are all questions to ask before you even begin preparing a meal. With spring weather finally melting the cold veil of winter, it’s time to keep meals fresh, simple and delicious.Mushrooms are a valued ingredient all year long, but when it comes to spring menu planning they’re the perfect resource to turn any meal into a gourmet treat. Take a look at our suggestions below or visit our featured recipe tab with six recipes that are sure to put a spring in your step this month.

They add a meaty and hearty texture to dishes, while keeping calories low. Allows you to get the flavors you love without ruining your healthy eating plans for summer.
They’re a natural addition to classic spring meals, from stir fry to salads, such as the Farmers Market Mushroom Salad featured above.
Stuffed mushrooms provide the perfect base for spring flavors, herbs and a variety of fillings, making them a delectable go-to for Sunday brunch.
April showers mean you might not be getting Vitamin D from the sun’s rays. Enjoy a healthy duo of mushrooms and eggs to get your natural dose of Vitamin D for the day.
Their umami benefits bring a burst of flavor to any meatless or blended meal.

How are you incorporating mushrooms into your meals this spring?

Tags: Meatless, Mushrooms, Spring
Posted in Editor Post, Fresh Mushrooms, Health, vegetarian | No Comments »

It’s a Trend to Blend

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

As spring break vacations quickly approach for families across the country, our favorite summer flavors suddenly don’t feel quite that far away. It’s hard not to envision summer without thinking of a juicy burger on the grill. It’s a traditional summer flavor that no one wants to sacrifice; however the upcoming swimsuit season turns the mind to more healthful recipes. Luckily, burger recipes featuring meat and mushroom blends are showing up across the web, providing fewer calories and extra veggies, with every bit of the flavor you love.

Take a look at a few of our favorite finds that will help get a jump start on your summer planning.

Chef Scott Samuel’s Roasted Mushroom Base and Mushroom Burgers

From: New York Times – “Cutting Down on the Meat – but Not the Taste”

If you don’t know where to start with blending veggies and meat, keep this mushroom base from Chef Scott Samuel, a chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Calif., in your recipe database all season long. From burgers to meatballs, it’s the perfect balance to get you started.

Spicy Chicken Burgers

From: Self.com

Even chicken burgers can get amplified with veggies from a hearty portabella boost. The Spicy Chicken Burger incorporates Greek yogurt, edamame, mushrooms, cucumbers, avocados and more to create a flavor explosion that will be raved about all summer long.

Big Mouth Turkey Burgers (pictured above)

From: Brooke McLay, Cheeky Kitchen (Mushroom Channel Ambassador)

Brooke understands the importance of getting veggies into meals. As the mother of four kids Brooke understands that dealing with picky eaters doesn’t mean you have to limit meal options, you just have to get creative. Her Big Mouth Turkey Burgers bring all of the flavors of a burger to life, with a healthful nod to veggies on the plate.

How do you like to blend meat and veggies in your recipes?

Posted in Cooking Tips, Dinner Tonight, Editor Post, Fresh Mushrooms, Health, swapability | No Comments »

Nutrition Inspiration Every Day, Your Way

Friday, March 1st, 2013

Mushroom Burger Wrap

Eating healthy is a daily commitment, but it’s an undertaking that does not have to be completed alone. This is why the Mushroom Council is dedicated to working with like-minded partners to tackle this challenge together and provide the inspiration we all need to lead a healthy life.

The Mushroom Channel recently partnered with three Academy subgroups including the Food and Culinary Professionals (FCP), NOBIDAN (National Organization of Blacks in Dietetics and Nutrition) and Weight Management to create tailored programs to arm members with tools and resources to take into their communities to educate people about healthier eating. The responses were nothing short of inspirational and provide great tips for every family to jumpstart their veggie routine.

Take a look at some of our winning responses below and start sharing the passion you have for nutrition with your own community.

Veggies Got Talent

Barbara Storper, MS, RD from Hatfield Massachusetts was passionate about getting her children excited about veggies so she focused on connecting what they already enjoy with the theme of nutritious ingredients. Through her “Veggies Got Talent!” script kit, she will bring kids, parents, teachers, foodservice directors and community members together to encourage healthy eating with kids leading the way with their own presentations about vegetables.

From Grocery Store to Kitchen

Meghan Windham, MPH, RD, LD from Texas A&M University is focusing in on the student audience. Rather than telling students how to eat healthy, she is showing them the process from the grocery store to the kitchen. She will lead guided grocery store tours; conduct one-on-one consultations; and host cooking demonstrations and a mushroom recipe contest to encourage vegetable usage.

Connecting Kids Locally

Stephanie Green, RD from Phoenix Arizona is connecting kids with a local focus by helping Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts earn their locavore/cooking badge. Through recipe demonstrations and education sessions, she will educate these groups about food origin and nutrition.

Mushroom Inspiration

If you need a kick start for your own house take a note from some of our featured mushroom tips and start sharing your passion today!

1. Bulk up Breakfast: Add mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, etc. to eggs for a veggie loaded start to the day.

2. Prep Work:Sauté a big batch of mushrooms ahead of time and add them to go-to recipes day by day.

3. Go halfsies: Up the moisture, flavor and veggies in home-cooked burgers by building a patty that uses mushrooms in place of some of the meat.

Happy Cooking!

Posted in Editor Post, Fresh Mushrooms, Health, Immune boost, National Nutrition Month, Nutrition | 3 Comments »

5 Facts You Probably Don’t Know About Mushrooms

Friday, February 22nd, 2013

“I didn’t know that!” A very common phrase that Council Representative, Bart Minor, hears on a regular basis when he exposes a little known fact about nature’s hidden treasure. Stick around to learn 5 facts about the mysterious mushroom.

In the past 14 years I have certainly learned a lot about mushrooms. Everything from the scientific measures it takes to grow a mushroom, to the underestimated nutrient value. It’s this knowledge that I love to share with all who will listen. To see someone’s eyes widen in happiness when I tell them mushrooms are low in fat and calories, or to see that jaw drop when I tell them mushrooms contain vitamin D – it all makes my day.

That said, I am here to share my knowledge, and potentially delight and surprise you with these 5 little known facts about mushrooms:

1. Mushroom Swapability Will Change the Way You Eat. Blending chopped mushrooms and meat in traditional recipes like meatloaf, burgers, taco filling and meatballs not only boost flavors, but brings another serving of vegetables to the plate. Even the kids will love the difference.

2. One Handful of Mushrooms Delivers Nutrition, Taste and Versatility. That’s right, mushrooms are in fact good for you! Fresh mushrooms are fat-free, low-calorie, nutrient-dense, low in sodium, contain natural antioxidants, and deliver important nutrients, including vitamin D, potassium, selenium, ergothionene and B vitamins. Another reason to add mushrooms to your everyday dishes.

3. Mushrooms are Full of Umami.Umami is the fifth basic taste after sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Derived from the Japanese word umami, meaning “delicious,” umami is described as a savory, brothy, rich or meaty taste sensation. It’s no wonder mushrooms have been called the “vegetarian’s meat.” All mushrooms are a rich source of umami and the darker the mushroom the more umami it contains.

4. Mushrooms naturally produce vitamin D. That’s right, following exposure to sunlight, mushrooms’ plant sterol – ergosterol – converts to vitamin D. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, but mushrooms are unique for being the only source in the produce aisle.

5. Give Your Immune System a Boost. Within the produce aisle, mushrooms are a leading source of the antioxidant selenium, which helps strengthen the immune system and protect body cells from damage that might lead to chronic diseases. Mushrooms are one of the best dietary sources of the antioxidant ergothioneine, which is known for its role in immunity.

Posted in Council Representative, Editor Post, Fresh Mushrooms, Health, Immune boost, Nutrition, swapability, vitamin d | 1 Comment »

10 Simple Mushroom Additions

Friday, February 15th, 2013

A recipe can sometimes seem perfect, and even when you follow the instructions to a science, you can be left thinking there’s a flavor, texture or spice that’s missing. Luckily, there is an easy and simple solution to this dilemma, which is always having mushrooms on hand. Whether it’s tossing them into a fajita mixture or dicing them into a meatball, mushrooms can be that flavorful, umami ingredient that truly makes a dish shine. Take a look at ten simple ways to take your recipes to the next level with mushrooms:

1) Sautéed mushrooms can last for a month in the freezer. Store in the freezer in small, proportioned storage bags, to keep on hand as an easy addition to pasta, burgers, pizza and more.

2) When you’re looking for a variety of flavors in one bite, stuffed mushrooms are the perfect go-to for an appetizer or light snack.

3) Mushrooms are a perfect pairing for an egg-based breakfast. From omelets, frittatas or breakfast burritos, they are a simple and easy addition to toss in at the spur of the moment.

4) If you want to add a hearty texture to your pasta sauce, diced mushrooms are the addition to your favorite recipe.

5) Risotto is a perfect comfort meal for any season, based on the variety of flavors you add from spring peas to fall squash. Luckily, mushrooms are a natural fit anytime of the year.

6) Prepare a vegetarian wrap for lunch with hummus, mushrooms and chickpeas and you’ll feel like you took a lunch break to the Mediterranean.

7) Mushrooms can put a savory twist on your baking routine as the filling for a Rustic Mushroom Tart.

8) Add a boost of flavor and nutrition to your quinoa with a handful of sautéed mushrooms.

9) Family favorites can get a dose of mushroom love, such as creamy and cheesy Baked Mushroom Mac and Cheese.

10) If you’re out of bread, portabella mushrooms can serve as a “meaty” and hearty replacement to a bun for your burger or sandwich, such as in this Portabella Halloumi Burger.

For more ideas, check out our full recipe database and discover mushrooms full potential in every meal.

Posted in Breakfast, Cooking Tips, Dinner Tonight, Editor Post, Fresh Mushrooms, Health, Lunch, Party Ideas, Portabella | No Comments »