There are so many varieties of fungi, including edible mushrooms that are found worldwide. Many wild mushrooms are extremely toxic and deadly, so my advice to you is that if your not an expert it is best to "pick" your exotic mushrooms at your local supermarket, deli or farm stall. Mushrooms contains various B Vitamins (for energy metabolism), Copper (Support Thyroid Activity) and Potassium (To regulate Blood Pressure).
There are some many mushrooms available but the here is a list of the most common ones that you will find at your supermarket:
Common Button:
They are the borring mushrooms that are always availabe. They are white or off white in colour and have a round cap. They have a very subtle flavour. You can be grilled, roasted or sauteed.
Portobellos:
They come in many different sizes from medium (Portabellini) to extra large. The have a brown cap and have this amazing intense and rich flavour. They are one of my favourite mushrooms and I rather use these than the white button mushrooms. You can grill, oven roast or saute.
Oysters:
They have a creamy white to grey colour. They have a very delicate texture. Their oyster like flavour really intensifies when they are cooked. They go exceptionally well in stir fries.
Shiitakes:
Also known as Chinese Mushrooms. They are strongly used in Asian cooking. They are umbrella shaped and dark brown in colour. They have a very strong flavour and a pungent aroma. They are meaty in texture and sweet in flavour. Because there stems are are tough they are mostly discarded.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that mushrooms are a very rich source of B vitamins, Selenium, Copper, and other trace minerals? They have also been been found to contain antibacterial and other medicinal substances . They also contain Triterpenoids, which seems to fight cancer by inhibiting certain steps in the formation of tumours?
When Shopping For Mushrooms:
White mushrooms are available throughout the year and many other exotic species are now starting to appear in supermarkets. If you are looking for dried mushrooms and can't find any at your supermarket try going to a delicatessen or a chinese food store.
What to look for when shopping for mushrooms: regardless of variety choose mushrooms with dry, smooth and plump skins and stems. They should have no bruises and tighty closed gills. Buy mushrooms only if you are going to use them within a day or two.
DID YOU KNOW...
...that fresh cooked mushrooms have 3 times the niacin and potassium, twice the iron and 15 times the vitamin b as the the same amount of tinned mushrooms?
Mushrooms in the Kitchen:
When storing the mushrooms, keep them in a paper bag, or layered between sheets of paper towel in the frige for up to two days.
When preparing them for food, clean just before using a a damp paper towel or a soft brush to remove the dirt. Soak dried mushrooms in boiling water to soften them and then drain the water. You can keep the liquid (just strain through a fine sieve) from the dried mushrooms and use to flavour soups, stews and sauces.
Basic cooking of mushrooms is really easy. Cook mushrooms very briefly to enjoy their flavour and texture. Slice, saute in olive oil and chopped onions and season with soya sauce, parsley, thyme and a dash of balsamic vinegar. You can use mushrooms for almost any dish from omeltettes, stews, soups, as garnish on a lovely piece of meat or even as a side dish.
FRESH IDEAS:
If you can't find any fresh exotic mushrooms at your supermarket you can use dried mushrooms with white buttom mushrooms. The dried mushrooms gives you that rich and robust flavour and the white buttom mushrooms gives you that awesome texture. A really nice way to cheat!!!
Brush Portobello mushrooms with oil, salt and pepper and grill as you would do a humburger. They have this amazing meaty flavour and even better they are low in fat and low in kilojoule. Zap them on a nice piece of low Gi bread for a fantastic sandwich.
No comments:
Post a Comment