Eating Mushrooms ...Good for you

Mushrooms not only taste good but also a great source of healthy food

Remember those stories of mushrooms making somebody big or playing shields against the dreaded monsters. So, if diseases are considered as monsters then you know how to deal with them. The answer is simple: Enjoy your share of mushrooms. Mushrooms are full of proteins, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, anti-biotic and anti-oxidants. From pizzas, pastas to omelettes, mushrooms can really add taste to a dish.

The health benefits of mushroom include the following:

B Vitamins are vital for turning food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which the body burns to produce energy. They also help the body metabolize fats and protein. Mushrooms contain loads of vitamin B2 and vitamin B3.

Mushrooms have zero cholesterol, fats and very low carbohydrates. The fiber and certain enzymes in them also help lower cholesterol level. The high lean protein content in mushrooms helps burn cholesterol when they are digested.

Mushrooms can be an ideal low energy diet for diabetics. They have no fats, no cholesterol, very low carbohydrates, high proteins, vitamins and minerals, a lot of water and fiber. Moreover, they contain natural insulin and enzymes which help breaking down of sugar or starch of the food.

Ergothioneine, a powerful anti oxidant present in mushrooms is very effective in giving protection from free radicals as well as boosting up immunity. Mushrooms contain natural antibiotics (similar to penicillin, which itself is extracted from mushrooms) which check microbial and other fungal infections.

Mushrooms are the only vegetable and the second known source (after cod liver oil) to contain vitamin-D in edible form. They are rich in calcium (good for bones), iron (cures anemia), potassium ( good for lowering blood pressure) and selenium. The best source of selenium is animal proteins. So, mushrooms can be the best choice for vegetarians to obtain selenium.

Mushroom Stir Fry/Babycorn Stir Fry

Ingredients

Button mushrooms 10-12 Nos
Finely chopped gralics 6-8 cloves
Cornflour 1 tsp
Finely chopped spring onions 1/2 cup
Onions rings 1/2 cup
Soya soup 2 tsp
Vinegar 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder 1/4 tsp
Oil 1 tsp
Coriander leaves 1 tsp
Salt to Taste


Method:
Dissolve cornflour in 1/2 a cup of water and keep aside.
Cut Mushrooms into halves, boil and keep aside.
Heat oil in thick-bottomed pan, add garlic and green chillies and light fry for a minute.
Add onion rings and saute for 2 minutes.
Add boiled mushrooms and keep stirring.
Add cornflour paste, soya sauce, vinegar, pepper powder and salt. Stir fry for a few minutes until it dries up.
Add spring onions and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

NOTE : SAME PROCEDURE CAN BE DONE WITH  BABY CORNS

Herb Butter Mushrooms With Smoked Mozzarella

Serves: 2

8 oz./225g button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 sprigs of thyme leaves
15g/1tbsp cold butter, cut into tiny cubes
Olive oil to brush the baking sheet and mushrooms
1 oz./30g smoked mozzarella or Danish mozzarella ( I prefer smoky flavours, any day)
Salt and pepper
Scant handful of chopped parsley for garnish

1. Brush the pan with olive oil and place the mushrooms gill sides up with the stem removed.
2. Chop the stem and mix it with the garlic and thyme and stuff it back into the mushroom.
3. Dot the mushroom stuffing with cold butter.
4. Brush with olive oil and top it with thin slices of mozzarella cheese.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Slip the pan under a broiler for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the mushrooms fragrant.
7. Transfer to a plate, garnish with cilantro and serve immediately!

Mushrooms Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Makes 18

½ ounce sun-dried tomatoes (about 5)
2 tablespoons olive oil
18 white mushrooms, caps reserved, stems pulled out and chopped fine
½ cup finely chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
⅓ cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, washed well, spun dry, and minced
½ teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. If your tomatoes are packed in oil, rinse them before chopping them finely. If they’re not packed in oil, soak them in a small bowl in hot water to cover for 5 minutes. Reserving 1 tablespoon soaking liquid, drain tomatoes well and chop fine.

3. Lay mushroom caps, stems removed, face down on baking sheet either lightly sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake them approximately 10 minutes, or until their liquid puddles underneath. Remove from the oven. Carefully pour off liquid that has gathered in the bottom of the pan, and then again, carefully, turn mushroom caps over so they are ready to be filled.

4. In a small skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook chopped mushrooms stems, shallots and garlic, stirring until shallots are softened. In a bowl stir together mushrooms mixture, bread crumbs, tomatoes, reserved soaking liquid, yolk, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mound stuffing in reserved mushroom caps and arrange caps in a lightly greased shallow baking dish, or the same parchment-lined pan you’ve roasted your mushrooms in. Sprinkle mushrooms with Parmesan and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes.

STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

Portobello mushrooms are a species of champignons. This mushroom tastes real nice and can become a great substitute for meat during Lent. You can make soups with it, cook over a grill and even make barbecue after marinating for just 15 minutes. I was making two kinds of dish from it – no-fast and Lenten

Ingredients
4 Portobello caps
100 gram lentils
1 carrot
150 gram celery root
2 onions
a few cauliflower buds
salt, pepper, nutmeg
a bit of vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves

For a no-fast dish
100 gram sheep cheese
50 gram cheese

1. It’s best to clean Portobello mushrooms (just like any other kinds of champignons) by wiping off with wet paper towel, without soaking in water, as otherwise they will give away too much liquid when you cook them.

Scrape out the gills from the inside of the cap. The stems of Portobello mushrooms are too fibrous, so it’s best to use them in other recipes, as well as to make a sauce or grind them.

2. Brown finely chopped onion with a bit of oil, adding finely cut carrots, celery, cauliflower and mushroom stems.
Stew everything together for 10-12 minutes. Put rinsed lentils in salted boiling water and cook until ready. Drain off water and add lentils to the vegetables.
Add finely chopped garlic, pepper and ground nutmeg.

3. You can add grated sheep cheese at this point if you are going for the no-fast variant.

4. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the mushroom caps and fill with stuffing. Lay the baking tray with baking paper or silicone pad.
You can brush the baking paper with some oil for the caps not to stick to it. Place the stuffed caps on the baking tray and place into the oven preheated to 200 degrees.

Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle your stuffed mushrooms with grated cheese and bake for another 2-3 minutes. It’s all ready now!
You can serve with lettuce or, even better, roquette. Its pleasant nutty touch will make the dish more piquant.


















From
http://recept.im

Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves 4

Ingredients:
16 button mushrooms (the bigger, the better)
2 large potatoes
10 fresh basil leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
2 tbsp bread crumbs or semolina
4 cloves garlic, minced
½" ginger, minced
1 tbsp butter
Salt

Method:

• Boil, peel and mash the potatoes.
• Chop the basil leaves finely and mix into the potatoes.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F)
• Clean the mushrooms using as little water as possible and remove their stems carefully.
• Chop the stems finely.
• Heat butter and sauté garlic and ginger on medium heat.
• Increase the heat and add the chopped mushroom stems.
• Once the stems have cooked in their own juices, take them off heat and add the mashed potatoes and salt.
• Stuff the filling into the mushrooms and top with bread crumbs. You may also add grated cheese. Do not over-fill the mushrooms, since they shrink a little while baking.
• Drizzle them with olive oil or butter and place them in the oven. Bake for 20 min and serve

Note: If you want to serve this dish as main course, prepare some white sauce, layer a baking dish with it, place the mushrooms and cover them with white sauce and grated cheese. Bake as instructed above. Serve with bread.

Uganda Stir-fried mushrooms Recipe

Peanut or vegetable oil — 1 tbsp
Minced peeled fresh ginger — 1tsp
Minced garlic — 2 tsps
Mushrooms — 2 1/2 cups
Soy sauce — 1 tbsp
Green onion tops (chopped) — 1 tbsp

Method to Prepare stir fried mushrooms Recipe

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1. HEAT oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add, ginger and garlic; sauté for one minute.
2. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, three to four minutes or until mushrooms are golden brown.
3. Add soy sauce and sesame oil; cook and stir for one to two minutes or until most of the soy sauce evaporates.
4. Remove from heat; sprinkle with green onion. Top with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.

Mushroom Tips

Cooking tip for Mushrooms

Source - Reader’s Digest

When buying mushrooms, look for firm buttons with no bruises. All mushrooms are handpicked, but bruise easily. Handle them carefully.

Flavor develops as the mushrooms grow, so the largest of any variety have the most flavor.

Don’t store mushrooms in cling wrap or plastic. Place them in paper bags and store in vegetable crisper of the refrigerator.

Five days should be the maximum storage time in the refrigerator.

Rinse mushrooms just before using them, but do not peel them or remove the stalks. The nutrition of mushrooms is just under the skin and will be lost by peeling. Just slice, quarter, or chop with the skins intact.

Cook mushrooms quickly. If using them in a slow dish such as a casserole, add the mushrooms for the last 20 minutes.

Benefits

Fat - free and very low in calories.
Rich in minerals.
Some are rich in plant chemicals, which may boost immune function.

Drawbacks

Wild mushrooms may be poisonous.