Fabulous Fungi

Mushrooms are not a true vegetable but a fungus. They have no roots or leaves, do not flower or bear seeds, and do not need light to grow. There are approximately 38,000 varieties of mushrooms, some edible and some highly toxic.

Their history is rich and revered. The Chinese used them for medicine. The Egyptian pharaohs declared them a food suitable only for royals. The French were the first to cultivate mushrooms in caves in the early 17th century. In the late 19th century, mushrooms were being grown commercially in both Europe and the United States. Farmers in Pennsylvania developed a method for growing mushrooms indoors, which is how most mushrooms are grown today. Many wild varieties are cultivated in this manner, which has allowed them to become more affordable and widely available.

The flavor of mushrooms comes from glutamic acid in part, which is a natural form of monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG contains a considerable amount of sodium while fresh mushrooms are virtually sodium free.

Since they are not colorful, mushrooms had been thought of as lacking significant nutritional content, however, they do supply key nutrients. They are a decent source of the B vitamins niacin and riboflavin (they contain some B6 and folate too), iron, potassium, selenium, and vanadium (recently identified as an essential trace mineral in humans). They are a good source of dietary fiber. They contain the cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber beta glucan and they have also been discovered to contain antioxidant levels similar to other colorful vegetables. They are very low in calories with one cup of raw mushrooms supplying approximately 20 calories.

Mushrooms contain some vitamin D. When they are exposed to sunlight at the end of their growing cycle, they will produce a significant amount of vitamin D. They are one of the few foods to contain natural vitamin D. Look for the sunlight mushrooms in your local grocery store.

It used to be that the white button mushrooms were the only variety available in the marketplace. Now, varieties abound, cultivated and wild, fresh and dried. Mushrooms can transform the flavor of a dish adding an earthy rich flavor.

Mushrooms are highly absorbent and their contact with water should be limited when cleaning. With that said, they are 80% water and you will notice that they release water when being cooked. It is recommended that they be cleaned by wiping them with a damp towel or brush. Depending on what is being cooked, I often times will rinse them quickly in water to remove most of the dirt.

For more information about mushrooms visit Fresh Mushrooms, Nature's Hidden Treasure.

Pasta with Mushrooms and Shrimp

1# pasta shells (I recommend whole wheat)

2 T. unsalted butter + 2 T. olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 # fresh mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

3/4 # medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

½ cup chicken broth

½ tsp each salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. chopped fresh parsley


1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add garlic, sauté 1 minute or until softened. Increase heat to medium high, add mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Add shrimp, sauté for 3 minutes or until cooked through. Stir in chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 minute.

3. Drain pasta; place in a serving bowl and toss with cheese and parsley. Add mushroom-shrimp sauce; toss. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Porcini and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Porcini and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers served with Tamari Roasted Cauliflower and Sauteed Escarole  

Talk about making half of your plate vegetables, this meal does more than that! I was looking for a good recipe to serve as a substitute for meat stuffed peppers. I came upon a quinoa stuffed pepper recipe, but I didn't love the flavor. So, I made my own. I love the flavor that the dried mushrooms add to the quinoa. I also added diced potatoes for a couple reasons. My kids love potatoes and their flavor really enhances this recipe. Also, my teenagers are athletes and they need a lot of carbohydrates, especially my son who has type 1 diabetes. I'm always looking for a balance of healthy high fiber carbohydrates and protein to feed my son to prevent the blood sugar crashes that can happen about 8 hours after his training. 

Along with the healthy protein and carbohydrate from the quinoa, there is an abundance of antioxidants and nutrients from all the other ingredients in this meal. I hope you enjoy these recipes!

Porcini and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 small leek,  cleaned and sliced

1 c. quinoa (I used red)

2 T. grapeseed oil

5 red bell peppers

1 stalk celery, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 medium potato, diced

scant 1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

2 1/2 tsp. low sodium tamari

If you are unfamiliar with how to clean a leek, follow the link for directions.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Soak porcini mushrooms in 1 c. hot water for about 15 minutes. When soft, drain through a cheese cloth, saving mushroom broth. Dice the mushrooms.
2. Cook quinoa in 1 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth.
3. Core and wash peppers, removing seeds.
4. Heat grapeseed oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic for 1 min. Add leeks and saute another minute. Add celery, carrot, mushrooms and potato and cook for another 5 minutes or until potato starts to brown.
5. Reduce heat to low. Add cooked quinoa and mushroom broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid is absorbed.
6. Stuff peppers with quinoa mixture, dividing the mixture equally among the peppers and filling them to the top.
7. Place stuffed peppers in a baking pan. Drizzle 1/2 tsp. low sodium tamari on top of each pepper. Add about 1/2 c. water to the bottom of the pan and bake the peppers 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Serves 5

Tamari Roasted Cauliflower

1 small head cauliflower split into florets
1 T. grapeseed oil
1 T. low sodium tamari

1. Mix all ingredients together on a rimmed cookie sheet.
2. Roast at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until browned and tender. Stir half way through cooking.
3. Serve and enjoy! It couldn't be any easier!

Sauteed Escarole with Spiced Oil

The spiced oil in this recipe comes from a vegan cookbook that I have been using a lot lately. The Best of Bloodroot, Volume Two has many wonderful recipes. I highly recommend it!

4 T. grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. whole cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 T. low sodium tamari
8 c. chopped escarole

1. Make the spiced oil. Add grapeseed oil, red pepper flakes, cumin and turmeric to a small pan and heat over medium heat until aromatic. This will take only a few seconds once the oil gets hot.
2. Add 2 T. of the spiced oil to a wok. Heat over medium-high temperature. Add escarole and saute for a couple minutes, until escarole is half wilted.
3. Add tamari and serve.

Save the extra oil to use in other dishes. It provides the nutritional benefit of capsaicin and curcumin, two plant chemicals with health properties. It also tastes out of this world!