Mighty Mushrooms
Every time my family ordered pizza when I was a kid, my dad would find some way to sneak mushrooms onto a corner of that pizza, possibly tucked under a layer of cheese per special instruction to the pizza parlor. He loved them but I was stubbornly convinced that a single mushroom would ruin the entire pizza. Now that I'm older and have developed a more refined palate (ok fine, I still love Cinnamon Toast Crunch), I've come to understand how just special mushrooms are in the world of cuisine. They provide an extraordinary variety of texture and flavors which seem to adapt to any kind of dish. And, as a bit of icing on the cake, I've learned how mushrooms are truly wonderful for your health. Consider this my ode to the mushroom.
Health Benefits
When it comes to health, edible mushrooms are a right up there with other super-foods green tea and broccoli. After all, the first antibiotics were extracted from fungi. Being 80-90% water, mushrooms are low in calories, while still being high in fiber. They are fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low in sodium (especially good for those on a hypertensive diet). Here are some other reasons to sneak more mushrooms into your cooking:
- Mushrooms are considered probiotic, meaning that they help the body to strengthen itself and ward off illness. Part of mushrooms' probiotic ability comes from their high percentage of the nutrient riboflavin.
- Mushrooms are a great source of potassium, a mineral which helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke. A medium portabella mushroom has more potassium than a glass of orange juice or a banana.
Phytonutrients found in mushrooms have been at the center of anti-cancer research for decades. In many countries, medicinal mushrooms are used as an adjunct to other cancer treatments.
White (Button)
White mushrooms actually range in color from white to light brown, and come in many different sizes. The smaller varieties of white mushrooms are called button mushrooms and are easily the most popular mushroom in cooking, found in most grocery stores. Freshly picked white mushrooms have a mild or delicate flavor. As the caps darken, they develop a richer taste.
- Recent studies have shown that white mushrooms can reduce the risk of breast and prostrate cancer.
Grilled Lemon Shrimp and Mushrooms
Mushroom Antipasto Pasta Salad
Bowties with Chicken and Mushrooms
Stuffed Twice-Baked Potatoes with Ham, Mushrooms, and Gruyere Cheese
Candied Tomatoes and Mixed Green Salad with Sautéed Vegetables
Crimini/Cremini/Italian Brown
Crimini mushrooms are similar in appearance to white mushrooms, but are a darker color, ranging from light tan to dark brown. They have a firmer texture and a stronger, earthier flavor than white mushrooms. These make a great substitute for white mushrooms in any recipe and work especially well with beef.
Crimini mushrooms are an excellent source of selenium, which is needed for the proper function of the antioxidant system in the body. Selenium works to prevent colon cancer, arthritis, and even asthma. Crimini mushrooms are also exceptionally good as a source of zinc, a critical mineral for the immune system.
Crab-Stuffed Filet Mignon with Whiskey-Peppercorn Sauce
Warm Chicken Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Red Wine-Braised Rabbit with Wild Mushrooms
Beef Filet Mignon with Wild Mushroom Sauce
Asian Grilled Shrimp Quesadillas
Portabella/Portobello
Portabellas are a larger relative to white mushrooms, reaching a diameter of up to 6 inches. Portabellas take longer to spoil than white or crimini mushrooms. Because of their longer growing cycle, they have a denser, meatier texture and flavor, making them delicious on sandwiches.
Barbecued Portabella "Brisket"
Penne Pasta with Portabello and Cheese
Grilled Portobello's Sautéed in Wine
Grilled Tri-Colored Pepper & Mushroom Salad
Low Fat/Low Carb. Mushroom Pate
Grilled Portobello Mushrooms over Angel Hair Pasta with St. John's Cheese Sauce
Marinated London Broil with Mushroom Sauce
Shitake (Oak/Chinese/Black Forest)
Shitake mushroom caps have a rich, woodsy flavor and soft, spongy texture. They range in color from tan to dark brown with broad, umbrella-shaped caps. Shitake mushrooms can last up to 14 days and the discarded stems can be used to flavor soup stocks.
- Used for centuries in East Asia to fight colds and flues, shitake mushrooms have been shown to help stimulate the immune system, fight infection, and ward off tumors. Shitake also treats nutritional deficiencies and liver ailments.
Lemon Chicken with Asian Rice Stuffing
Tagliatelle with Shitake Mushrooms and Asparagus
Potato and Shitake Mushroom Gratin
Smoked Habanero Lemon Barley Mushroom Chicken Soup
Chanterelles
Many varieties of chanterelles are delicious in cooking, one of the most identifiable being the yellow chanterelle (pictured). Chanterelles have a delicate flavor and a finer texture, making them perfect for egg dishes and as a topping on pizza. The bioluminescent Jack-O-Lantern chanterelle is extremely poisonous to humans but not fatal.
Huntsman-Style Beef with Wild Mushrooms
Poached Halibut with Black Truffles
Snow Peas and Wild Mushrooms with Ginger
Chanterelle Cream Sauce With Pan Seared Shrimp
Garlic Pork Chops with Black Mushrooms
Porcini
Often considered one of the finest mushrooms for cooking, porcini mushrooms are thick, meaty, and versatile. Italian cooks often season the mushroom with a woodsy variety of thyme called nipetella. Because of the heartiness of the mushroom, porcini do very well when dried (pictured).
Sautéed Pork Chops with Apricot-Wild Mushroom Sauce
Red Wine-Braised Rabbit with Wild Mushrooms
Oyster
Oyster mushrooms have broad, fluted caps, and are described as graceful by many. Often growing on the sides of trees, these mushrooms are most commonly white but can also feature more interesting colors in the wild like pink or yellow. They have a mild flavor and the most velvety texture of any mushroom.
- Oyster mushrooms have a protein quality almost equal to animal-derived protein, without the fat. These mushrooms have also been show to work against cholesterol.
Mushroom and Chestnut Soup with Roasted Fennel
Warm Chicken Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Bowties with Chicken and Mushrooms
Morel
Morel mushrooms have spongy caps resembling honeycombs and short, thick stems. Morals have a rich, nutty taste and a strong, woodsy fragrance. One variety of morel, called the False Morel (pictured), is deadly poisonous when eaten raw but considered a delicacy in some parts of the world after cooking.
Red Wine-Braised Rabbit with Wild Mushrooms
