Mushrooms can be great when combined with eggs. You can make mushroom and garlic scrambled eggs or even a mushroom omelette. They can be marinated by mixing them with your favourite vinaigrette and grilled. They can be used as fillings in sandwiches or as pizza toppings making them more substantial and tasty.
Due to their nutty taste, mushrooms can add flavour to soups and salads as well as absorb the flavour of the dish in which they are being put. Mushrooms have a distinct flavour that can be enhanced by cooking them in some butter or olive oil before combining them with other ingredients.
Here are a few recipes you could try to reap the goodness of mushrooms:
1.Low-Calorie Mushroom Soup
Ingredients: Mushrooms – 3 cups, thickly sliced; Onions – ½ cup, finely chopped; Garlic – 3 pods, crushed; Corn flour – 1 tsp; Milk – 1 cup; Oil – 1.5 tsp; Salt – to taste; Black pepper powder – to taste; Coriander – 1 tsp, finely chopped; Water – 3 cups, warm
Method: Add oil to a pan and heat it on medium flame. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add onions and sauté until transparent. Add mushrooms and sauté for about five minutes. Dissolve corn flour in milk and add it to the mushrooms. Increase the heat to maximum, bring the contents to a boil, lower the heat, and allow it to simmer until the mushrooms are well cooked. Keep stirring, intermittently, to avoid them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Add to a blender, puree to a smooth mixture.
Transfer to a large bowl, add warm water and mix well. Simmer for 4 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.
2. Chilled Mushroom Salad
Ingredients: Fresh small mushrooms – 1 cup, halved; Onions – ¼ cup, thinly sliced; Cucumber – ¼ cup, cut into thin wedges
Dressing: Lemon juice – 2 tbsp; Olive oil – 1 tbsp; Yogurt – 2 tbsp, Seasoning – 3 tsp or to taste; Black pepper powder – ½ tsp; Salt – to taste
Garnishing: Fresh parsley – 2 tsp
Method: In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients of dressing and allow them to chill for about four hours. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly and chill for four hours. Grill them with very little oil, salt, and pepper and toss it with onions and cucumbers. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss for even coating. Transfer to a freezer bowl and refrigerate until served. Serve this salad garnished with parsley.
3. Sautéed Mushroom with Red Bell Peppers and Penne Pasta
Ingredients: White button mushrooms – ¼ cup, washed, sliced; Whole wheat penne pasta – ½ cup, cooked al dente; Onions – ¼ cup, thinly sliced; Garlic – 6 pods, finely minced; Red bell peppers – 1, deseeded, thinly sliced; Olive oil – 2 tbsp; Salt – to taste; White pepper powder – to taste; Pasta seasoning – to taste; Chili vinegar – 1 tsp; Lemon juice – ½ tsp; Parsley – ½ cup, chopped
Method: Cook the pasta al dente. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add red bell peppers and sauté for three more minutes. Add mushroom slices and sauté until tender. Add salt and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and keep aside. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water and drain completely. In a small bowl, mix vinegar with pasta seasoning, white pepper powder, and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning. Add the pasta and mushroom mixture to a large mixing bowl and toss well. Pour the vinegar mixture and toss to ensure even coating. Adjust the flavours. Serve warm garnished with parsley leaves
