This is not a fancy kind of post. We can definitely dress it up around here (thanks to a phenomenal crew of contributors) but this is,essentially, the “favorite pair of sweatpants” sort of post. I’m talking about making breakfast for dinner. Any other fans out there?
As someone who has been on a personal quest for healthy menu planning in the last six months, I made a discovery this week that I think might make some of you pretty happy as well. I was looking in my fridge, totally perplexed, one weeknight after work and a workout and had a Eureka! moment.
I, as an adult and mistress of my own menu, can absolutely have scrambled eggs for dinner but in my mind, plain scrambled eggs would be a sacrilege. Eggs are vehicles for other great food in my book. I think you know where this is going.
I had an 8 oz (pink!) till of sliced mushrooms and I wanted all of them. I sauteed that entire package with half of a jalapeno and a little red onion. Once we were good and browned, I added two fresh eggs scrambled with about a tablespoon of water and I turned the heat way down to medium-low, stirring constantly from the bottom.
What I ended up with was a creamy pile of light yellow fluff, filled with an entire container of mushrooms and some heat from that jalapeno. As with anything I intend to eat more than the recommended serving size of, I checked the packaging. The results were significantly more fun to consider than say, an entire pint of Cookies n’ Cream (ahem, not that I have any experience with that…).
I got 3 grams of fiber and a nice selection of nutrients, including well over 100% of my daily vitamin D, for all of 50 calories in mushrooms. This could vary depending on which mushrooms you pick up but raw mushrooms are always a low calorie option. Topped with a pillow of shredded sharp cheddar, it was one of the best dinners of the week and is officially on a regular rotation.
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?
This celebratory post-Memorial Day recipe comes to us from Contributor Megan Myers of Stetted. Part of the Mushroom Channel team is on Megan’s home turf this week attending the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference in Austin, Texas so we’ve had the luxury of already being personally assured in person that these stuffed mushrooms are addictive. No surprise there!
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.
Shaina Olmanson is the food writer, home cook and photographer behind Food for My Family and Olmanson Photography. This is her first recipe for the Mushroom Channel and we’re willing to cosign it as the one that could turn the meat-lovers in your house meatless…at least for one night a week.
I spent several years as a vegetarian, and it’s a lifestyle that still sings to me, calls me even. Contrast that to my husband’s classic Midwestern meat-and-potatoes upbringing, sandwich them together and you’ll find us today where navigating the landscape of real food, and seeking to fuel our four children’s bodies with the best nutrition available, settled quite happily into omnivore status.
With an effort to change the way we think of food and the way we eat our food comes giving and taking, and sometimes it also means exploring those meatless meals for my husband, who loves vegetables but prefers to pair them with a side of meat (to help fill him up). His dislike for meat-like products is strong, and he declares good vegetarian burgers to be something of a myth that is talked about but does not exist. That is, he did until I changed the concept.
Rather than imitating meat, this meatless burger is a play on the whole sandwich with giant portabella mushroom caps as buns and a slice of grilled halloumi takes the place of the burger. These were not only accepted, but devoured and raved about after dinner. I may just turn the carnivore yet.
Portabella and Halloumi “Burgers”
4 portabella mushroom caps with stems removed
3 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 thin slices halloumi
2 thick slices tomato
Sea salt and pepper
1 handful basil leaves
Heat grill to medium-high heat (about 450 degrees). Wash mushroom caps and cry. In a shallow bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Place mushrooms gill side down in the mixture.
When the grill is hot, grill the mushrooms on the gill side first for about 5 minutes or until they start to sweat. Flip and grill 2-3 minutes more. Add halloumi to the grill and grill 2 minutes on each side over relatively high heat until grill marks form on the cheese and it becomes soft and pliable. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the tomato to taste.
Assemble the “burger” with the mushroom as the bun, the halloumi cheese as the burger, the lightly salted tomato and fresh basil leaves. Wrap and serve hot.
Makes 2 servings.
Of note:
:: For a true vegetarian meal, find a vegetarian halloumi made with non-animal rennet.
:: Be sure to wrap these sandwiches before serving or plan to eat them with a knife and fork, as they are a bit slippery.
This week’s recipe post comes to the Mushroom Channel from Paula of the positively bellissima blog bell’alimento. If your family is looking for tasty ways to cut down on meat during the week, this recipe would be an excellent choice for Meatless Monday (or Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday…you get the idea).
Vegetarian Mushroom Calzones are a quick and easy meal that you can pull together in about 30 minutes tops. It’s quick because we’ve taken a short cut and used refrigerated pizza dough. If you want to make your own pizza dough, you can find my pizza dough recipe HERE.
The filling is a classic mushroom mixture that starts by sautéing the mushrooms with butter, garlic, and parsley. A quick note: you’ll want to be sure your mushroom mixture is cool before adding it to the dough and topping with the cheese mixture. Then the assembly comes together in a snap: dough, cheeses, mushrooms, fold, seal and pop into the oven!
You can serve this with pizza sauce for dipping if desired. This recipe makes 2 very generous calzones, but can easily be doubled if necessary!
Vegetarian Mushroom Calzones
Ingredients: {Makes 2 large calzones}
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces mushrooms – sliced
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf Italian Parsley – roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic – minced
cornmeal
13.08 ounces of refrigerated classic pizza crust
1/2 cup ricotta cheese – divided
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese – divided
salt/pepper
extra virgin olive oil – enough to brush on calzones
Directions:
1. Place your pizza stone {or upside down rimmed baking sheet} into oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. WHILE the oven is preheating, into a sauté pan, add: butter and melt over medium heat. Add: mushrooms, garlic and parsley and sauté for approximately 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal onto your clean work surface {so pizza does not stick} Unroll the pizza dough and cut it in half.
4. To assemble: Place 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese about 1″ from the bottom of the dough in a straight line. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Top with 1/2 of the cooled mushroom mixture. Season with salt pepper. Using your finger, or pastry brush, LIGHTLY dab water onto the edges of the dough. CAREFULLY fold the dough over itself sealing the edges. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. Continue with other piece of dough.
5. Transfer your calzones to the oven {A pizza peel is recommended but if you don’t have a pizza peel, a large grill spatula will work in a pinch} and onto pizza stone {or upside down baking sheet}. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until golden.
6. Carefully remove calzones from oven. Lightly brush the tops with olive oil. Allow calzones to cool slightly prior to serving.
This post comes to us from the first of our 2011 Mushroom Channel contributors, Kimberly Morales of Poor Girl Eats Well.We love that Kimberly uses mushrooms to produce tasty and healthy meals on a budget- her first post accomplished just that and, for the record, we share her love of Chinese 5 Spice to bring the natural umami flavor out of mushroom dishes!
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!
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!
This simple side dish looks like the perfect way to add some flavor to a healthy winter meal- posted and beautifully photographed by Deseree and Ryan of Life’s Ambrosia.
In these first few weeks of the New Year, many of us are still detoxing from the last few weeks of the old year. The rich indulgence from every angle has the larger “us” craving simpler foods that just feel good, from start to finish and then maybe some tasty leftovers for lunch. Today’s post features three recipes that will do just that, all incorporating two tasty, satiating ingredients that should be on the all-star roster for your winter menu: barley and (you guessed it!) mushrooms.
This gorgeous tutorial for a healthy dinner comes to you from Sabrina- the blogger behind the healthy living (and eating!) blog RhodeyGirl Tests. Great cooking demo, Sabrina!
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