Eating Done Right: Mushrooms—Food of the Week
Carole Carson
January 13, 2012
Mushrooms are a wonderfully versatile ingredient. They are eaten at all meals, from breakfast through supper, and can be incorporated into traditional recipes or worked into ethnic cuisine.
In addition to their versatility, mushrooms are a nutritional bargain. According to nutritionists, besides being low in calories, mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms also contain Vitamin D and potassium, along with selenium and ergothioneine, two antioxidants that help protect the body's cells from damage.
Botanists have found over 38,000 http://www.mingspantry.com/yukmaitmus.html">species of mushrooms. White button mushrooms are perhaps the most common mushrooms found in grocery stores, but you may also be familiar with portabella, maitake, oyster, cremini, shiitake, beech, enoki and wild mushrooms. If your pocketbook can take the hit, you can spend a small fortune on mushrooms. For example, Japan´s matsutake mushroom sells for around $1,000 to $2,000 per pound. (I´ll stick with the local mushrooms, thank you.)
Whatever the variety, mushrooms can be sautéed, grilled, broiled, microwaved, roasted or eaten raw in salads. They can star on their own (for example, mushroom soup) or play the role of a supporting cast member (for example, pot roast with potatoes, onions, carrots and mushrooms). Because of their texture and flavor, some mushrooms (especially portabella) can replace or extend meat in burgers.
If you´re ready to expand your repertoire of mushroom dishes, you´ll find dozens of recipes here. For my contribution, I selected a recipe that I learned from Sabrina, my French daughter-in-law. A French recipe seemed particularly appropriate, given that France was the first cultivator of mushrooms in caves outside Paris. Here is Sabrina´s simple, elegant recipe:
Grilled Portabella Mushrooms
Serves 4
4 portabella mushrooms
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
After cleaning the mushrooms with a damp towel, remove and discard the stems. Place the mushrooms in a glass baking dish with the gills facing up. Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar evenly over the gills. Cover with foil and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.
Grill or broil the marinated mushrooms, for 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Serve hot off the grill with fresh bread and a green salad for a satisfying lunch or light dinner.
Bon appétit!
P.S. Do you have a mushroom recipe to share?
In addition to their versatility, mushrooms are a nutritional bargain. According to nutritionists, besides being low in calories, mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms also contain Vitamin D and potassium, along with selenium and ergothioneine, two antioxidants that help protect the body's cells from damage.
Botanists have found over 38,000 http://www.mingspantry.com/yukmaitmus.html">species of mushrooms. White button mushrooms are perhaps the most common mushrooms found in grocery stores, but you may also be familiar with portabella, maitake, oyster, cremini, shiitake, beech, enoki and wild mushrooms. If your pocketbook can take the hit, you can spend a small fortune on mushrooms. For example, Japan´s matsutake mushroom sells for around $1,000 to $2,000 per pound. (I´ll stick with the local mushrooms, thank you.)
Whatever the variety, mushrooms can be sautéed, grilled, broiled, microwaved, roasted or eaten raw in salads. They can star on their own (for example, mushroom soup) or play the role of a supporting cast member (for example, pot roast with potatoes, onions, carrots and mushrooms). Because of their texture and flavor, some mushrooms (especially portabella) can replace or extend meat in burgers.
If you´re ready to expand your repertoire of mushroom dishes, you´ll find dozens of recipes here. For my contribution, I selected a recipe that I learned from Sabrina, my French daughter-in-law. A French recipe seemed particularly appropriate, given that France was the first cultivator of mushrooms in caves outside Paris. Here is Sabrina´s simple, elegant recipe:
Grilled Portabella Mushrooms
Serves 4
4 portabella mushrooms
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
After cleaning the mushrooms with a damp towel, remove and discard the stems. Place the mushrooms in a glass baking dish with the gills facing up. Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar evenly over the gills. Cover with foil and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.
Grill or broil the marinated mushrooms, for 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Serve hot off the grill with fresh bread and a green salad for a satisfying lunch or light dinner.
Bon appétit!
P.S. Do you have a mushroom recipe to share?
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