If you’re looking for a simple and scrumptious meatless meal option, you can’t go wrong with this vegetarian mushroom, spinach and roasted red pepper wrap. In less than 10 minutes you can have this on your plate and on its way into your belly!

A secret weapon in my fridge is flour tortillas. You can add just about anything to them, roll them up and ,voila, you have a meal in ready minutes. They also double as an easy peasy appetizer! I’m a big fan of easy and effortless entertaining, so these are a staple when I’m playing host.

This vegetarian wrap is “meaty” without the meat. The mushrooms are gently kissed with butter, added to silky smooth roasted peppers and given a little texture with the fresh spinach leave.  They’re then enveloped by a soft, warm tortilla to complete the dish.

It’s refreshing, delicious and EASY.

Sauteed Mushroom, Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Wrap (Serves 4)

What you’ll need:
6 ounces button mushrooms – sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt/pepper
1 loosely packed cup fresh spinach
1 roasted red bell pepper – sliced
4 flour tortillas – warmed

What to do:
1. Into a medium sauté pan over medium  heat add butter. Melt. Add mushroom and sauté for approximately 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Season with salt/ pepper. Turn off heat.

2. To assemble:  Equally distribute spinach, bell pepper and mushrooms between each tortilla.

3. Wrap each like you would a burrito (or you could also simply fold in half and enjoy soft taco style).

I’ll admit it. I’m risotto obsessed. I’m perfectly convinced that I could create a variation of risotto every single night and be perfectly happy with my dinner choice… for the rest of my life. Not to mention risotto makes the perfect leftovers for lunch the next day. Meals that you actually want to eat two days in a row or multiple times a day are always winners in my book. Mushroom risotto was the very first risotto I ever made, back in my “I’m so scared I won’t stir the risotto enough and it will stick to the pot and be ruined” days. Nowadays, I’m an old risotto pro (so I like to think) and have come to learn that constantly stirring the pot isn’t necessary. (Literally and figuratively.)

The other night, I had a desire to go back to my roots, while at the same time experimenting. And thus, I pulled my quinoa out of the pantry and grabbed a block of feta cheese and, of course, my old friends, mushrooms. A new risotto was born; one filled with healthy whole grains that will keep you nice and satisfied. Of course, the mushrooms really make this dish and add to its incredible earthy feel. Mushrooms and risotto will always go together like soul sisters. But adding a little extra pizazz is exactly what we need to keep life (and dinner) exciting.

Mushroom Feta Quinoa Risotto (serves 4-6):

• 4-5 C low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 C mushrooms of your choice (I used shitake and baby bella), chopped in 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 C quinoa
• 1/2 C dry white wine
• 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 C spinach

1) In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil then lower to a simmer and keep on burner.
2) In a separate, medium-large saucepan, heat your olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, until onions are transparent.
3) Add the quinoa to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes.
4) Pour the wine in, listen to it sizzle, and then stir it a bit while the quinoa absorbs the wine.
5) Add one cup of chicken broth to the pot and stir a bit. You don’t have to constantly stir, but do check on the quinoa from time to time to make sure it’s not sticking to the pot. As soon as the chicken broth is absorbed by the quinoa, add another cup. Continue until the quinoa is nice and tender, but still firm. Don’t be a afraid to taste! That’s the best part.
6) Once all of the broth has been absorbed, stir in feta cheese. Take the risotto off the heat and stir in the spinach so it gets a little wilted.
7) Enjoy the most perfect comfort food of all.

Panini are Italian pressed sandwiches that come filled with just about anything your heart desires. This vegetarian version will satisfy even the biggest of appetites.  It’s filled with creamy caramelized onions and baby bella mushrooms that have been sautéed to perfection in an herb butter. It’s oozing with Swiss cheese and has a big crunchy exterior thanks to the Pan Bigio bread. It’s a stellar lunch or light dinner when accompanied with a hearty bowl of soup!

What you’ll need: (Makes 2 panini)

Caramelized Onions:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion – thinly sliced
salt/pepper
1 tablespoon sugar

Mushrooms:
2 tablespoons unsalted herb butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces baby bella mushrooms – sliced

4 slices Pan Bigio – sliced thick on the bias
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 cherry tomatoes – halved, optional

What to do:
1. Place 2 tablespoons olive oil into a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onions.  Season with salt/pepper.  Cook until onions are softened. Add sugar, continue cooking, stirring as necessary until onions have caramelized (approximately 30 minutes). Set aside.

2. Into a small sauté pan add: 2 tablespoons herb butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat over medium heat.  Add mushrooms. Season with salt/pepper. Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Heat your Panini press to 350 degrees. Equally distribute mushrooms between two slices of bread. Equally top with mushrooms with caramelized onions. Place 2 slices of Swiss cheese on each piece of bread. (NOTE: if using tomatoes place them on at this time) Place corresponding slices of bread on top. Lightly brush tops of bread with room temperature herb butter.

4. Place sandwiches onto hot panini press. Cook for approximately 4-5 minutes until bread is toasted and cheese has melted.

TIPS: If you do not have a panini grill, use a non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Place sandwich onto hot pan. Using a heavy pan (such as a cast iron pan), weigh sandwich down. Cook as directed above.

With the chilly days of winter upon us, most people look to their favorite comfort foods to warm them up. Usually these comfort foods are calorie laden and oozing with heavy ingredients like cream, butter, and oversized portions of carbohydrate containing foods. And while I fully support the mantra, “All things in moderation,” the dietitian in me likes to look for ways to take calorie-catastrophe dishes and turn them into lighter (but equally delicious) entrees. These dishes are like the younger siblings of the original version: while there are major ingredient differences, they still keep some of the traditional flavors intact.

I’m not going to try to convince you that this dish tastes exactly like the creamy mushroom alfredo sauce with thick fettuccini noodles you may be used to. It does, however, satisfy that craving for something comforting. The mushrooms in this Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Alfredo Sauce give it a meaty texture that pairs well with fresh thyme, while the coconut milk gives you a creamy mouthfeel without the usual butter and cream.

You may be wondering about coconut milk, which is high in saturated fat (even though I use the light version). Research shows that while it may increase our bad cholesterol, it may also increase our good cholesterol. Also, because of its ability to withstand high heats, I like using it in moderation in my cooking. The nutritional yeast, found at health food stores, adds a cheesy flavor and keeps this dish dairy-free. While you can use this sauce on traditional pasta, I lightened up the dish even more by using spaghetti squash, which is high in fiber and nutrients, lower in calories and carbohydrates, and can be used just like spaghetti in meals.

Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Alfredo Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole spaghetti squash
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 14-oz package sliced white mushrooms
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 1/2c light coconut milk (canned)
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp cornstarch plus 2 tsp water made into a slurry
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Begin by cooking the spaghetti squash. The easiest way to cook spaghetti squash is in the microwave. Split lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place cut sides down in a glass dish (like a pie plate) with about 1/4 cup water. Cook 12 minutes on high, one half at a time. Let halves cool for about 10 minutes before using a fork to separate and scrape out the strands.

2. Sautee mushrooms and diced onion in olive oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, on medium heat until the onions begin to brown. Then, pour in coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and add the nutritional yeast.

3. Prepare a slurry with the cornstarch and water in a separate bowl. Once well combined, slowly add it to the coconut milk mixture, stirring constantly. You will see the sauce start to thicken. Meanwhile, remove the tiny thyme leaves from their stems by pulling the stems through your fingers from top to bottom, against the direction of the stems. Add thyme to the coconut milk mixture.

4. Plate the spaghetti squash and top it with the alfredo sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

If you were looking for a stunning, straightforward side to pair with your Thanksgiving feast, one that is sure to elicit gasps for both its beauty and earthy deliciousness, we have your recipe right here. This comes to the Mushroom Channel courtesy of the ever so talented Paula at Bell’Alimento.

There is something so comforting about a warm casserole straight out of the oven. Especially in the colder months when I’m craving comfort food. I gravitate towards them. This casserole is hearty and filling. It could be eaten as a light lunch or as a side to dinner.

Purple potatoes pair beautifully with mushrooms. If you can’t find purple potatoes you can absolutely use regular potatoes. A mandolin will save you gobs of time when slicing and makes you look like a professional knife wielder {don’t worry we won’t tell if you’re not} I’ve been fascinated with purple potatoes lately. They have the most brilliant color and are tasty to boot. I’ve used button mushrooms here but feel free to substitute any mix you like.

Purple Potato and Mushroom Casserole

What you’ll need: {Serves 4}
4 tablespoons unsalted butter – divided
1 large purple potato – peeled and thinly sliced
salt
8 ounces button mushrooms – thinly sliced
3 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley – roughly chopped, divided
¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano – grated, divided
3 tablespoons dry white wine

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10 x 6 ovenproof dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Pour butter into bottom of dish.

3. To assemble: Place a layer of potatoes onto bottom of dish. Lightly season with salt. Top with a layer of mushrooms. Top with 1 tablespoon parsley and ¼ cup cheese. Add additional 2 layers. {NOTE: Top layer should only have potatoes, salt and cheese.} Pour wine over potatoes.

4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

This delicious Columbus Day breakfast is brought to you by Denise Woodward of Chez Us.

Our friend the mushroom is often overlooked when it comes to breakfast;  and it should not be.  Earthy mushrooms really compliment creamy, morning time eggs.  If you are like us, you have a steady supply of mushrooms on hand, you can create last minute dishes that are filling, healthy and satisfying, such as this recipe.

One of our favorite weekend breakfast dishes is a simple scramble made with a medley of mushrooms.  For this particular dish I used brown cremini mushrooms, which are a great staple to have on hand.  Creminis are a smaller portabella mushroom and they add amazing depth to a dish, whether it is a breakfast dish or a savory dinner time meal.  I wanted a lot of flavor to our breakfast eggs, so I added fresh oyster mushrooms to the mix.  Since both mushrooms are really flavorful and can stand on their own, there was not much more that needed to be added to this recipe;  just a little butter, thyme and love.

Mushroom Scramble

Serves 1 hungry mushroom lover but could easily be doubled

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• kosher salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

1. In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter, over low heat.
2. Add the cremini mushrooms and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
3. Add the oyster mushrooms, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Sprinkle in the thyme, and stir.
6. Move the cooked mushrooms into a heat proof pan, and slide it into a warm oven (200) while cooking the eggs.
7. Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl, using a fork, whip them until well combined.
8. Cut one tablespoon of butter into small pieces, add to the whipped eggs, and stir to combine.
9. In the small frying pan that you used above, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat.
10. Add the eggs.  Using a fork, continue moving the eggs around until they are cooked to your liking.  We like our eggs a little moist but cooked through, which takes about 3 minutes.
11. Season with salt to taste as well as black pepper.  If you season the eggs with salt after cooking, they will not dry out.  Remove from the heat.  Gently stir in the mushrooms.
12. Serve.  Eat.  Enjoy.

Main Dish winner, Sheron Campbell, hails from Gilbertsville, PA. Sheron not only earned ultimate bragging rights from us, but also high praises from her husband, who dubbed this Chicken and Mushroom Marsala “Outstanding!” A succulent sauce of sautéed mushrooms, garlic and Marsala tops breaded, pan-fried chicken in a harmonious melody of flavors that will have you singing praises of your own.

Appetizers and Sides winner, Nadine Mesch, calls Mount Healthy, OH home. Her Triple- Mushroom au Gratin Potatoes boasts a plethora of flavors and textures from white buttons, criminis and shiitakes. This mushroom triple-threat melds with red potatoes, sherry, Gruyere cheese and rosemary in a palate-pleasing dish that can accompany your favorite meats or hold its own as a meatless main.

Breakfast category winner, Lisa Huff, resides in Wilton, CT. Lisa took breakfast to a whole new level with this savory Mushroom-Herb Stuffed Fresh Toast. Sautéed criminis and an herbed-cheese mixture are sandwiched between slices of hearty Texas toast and cooked until golden brown (then devoured with gusto).

Congratulations to all of our winners and a BIG thanks to everyone who entered. We had a blast giving away Weber Grills each week to 22 lucky entrants and we love seeing your creative ideas for cooking mushrooms every day, in every way. Share your tasty creations with us on Facebook and Twitter and we will shower you with lots of mushroom love! 

We are just so happy to be kicking off Mushroom Month with another beautiful post from Mushroom Channel contributor Paula of the positively bella Italian food blog Bell’Alimento. We think this would be the perfect addition to Labor Day brunch. Enjoy the long weekend!

This is a simple savory mushroom tart that you can put together quickly. It’s stunning as an appetizer when sliced and served with wine or is hearty enough as a full meal.  It starts off with a flaky layer of crust and then you taste the creamy béchamel which leads way to the scrumptiously sautéed herbed mushrooms

Feel free to substitute puffed pastry dough for the pie crust if you like even more flakiness.  To up the mushroom ante you can even mix in a variety of mushrooms.

Rustic Mushroom Tart
Serves: 4 – Prep Time: 10 minutes – Start – Finish Time:  40 minutes

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ onion – minced
8 ounces button mushrooms – sliced
salt/pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 refrigerated pie crust
¼ cup prepared béchamel sauce {see below}
1 egg – beaten

Directions:
1. Add olive oil to a medium sauté pan. Heat  over medium –high.  Add onion and sauté until softened. Add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add thyme. Set aside.

2. Place pie crust onto a rimmed cookie sheet that has been lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Place béchamel sauce into center of pie crust. Top with mushrooms.

3. Carefully fold pie crust so that it overlaps mushrooms but does not enclose.  Brush top of pie crust with beaten egg.

4. Bake for approximately 30 minutes OR until crust is golden.

Béchamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cups milk – heated
pinch of salt
Into a small sauce pan add butter and melt over medium heat. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for approximately two minutes, stirring constantly. Add heated milk and whisk to combine. Continue cooking until mixture has thickened. 

Some things to watch out for during mushroom month are:

• Mushroom Masters: A Tournament of Taste – the second annual international competition of food bloggers kicks off on Tuesday, September 6. Tune into the Channel to see amazing recipes and photos from four fantastic food bloggers representing the USA. Please support these patriotic plates by voting for Shutterbean, La Fuji Mama, Savory Sweet Life and Elana’s Pantry on Tastespotting this month!
• Mr. Food Mushroom Recipes – Fellow fun-guy Mr. Food created two new mushroom recipes just for us! The nationally syndicated show airs on September 7 & 8, and we’ll share the full recipes with you!
• 30 Days of #MushroomMonth Tweets – We’ve cooked up 30 reasons for you to celebrate National Mushroom Month to the fullest, every day!
• Fun on Facebook- Come check out fun with photos, recipes,interesting facts and delicious meal ideas.
• Mushrooms all Month – Cook with mushrooms every day, every way! Take recipes and inspiration from our phenomenal contributing bloggers, the Mr. Food test kitchen, and the Council’s collection.

]]> http://mushroominfo.com/mushroomchannel/2011/09/01/time-to-celebrate-national-mushroom-month/feed/ 0 http://mushroominfo.com/mushroomchannel/2011/08/24/mushroom-and-chorizo-tacos-from-we-are-not-martha/ http://mushroominfo.com/mushroomchannel/2011/08/24/mushroom-and-chorizo-tacos-from-we-are-not-martha/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 22:33:10 +0000 admin http://mushroominfo.com/mushroomchannel/?p=1462 Another delicious post from the ladies of We Are Not Martha.  We understand they were celebrating a birthday this week so I would recommend popping by to see how they celebrated.

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.