Mushrooms - the magic ingredient for Summer
27/04/2009
If you thought mushrooms were all about winter comfort food, then think again. They’re great for summer entertaining too – they’re delicious cooked on the barbecue and you can use them instead of meat in kebabs, burgers and salads and not only will you have some tasty meals, you’ll save money too.
Mushrooms a la Grecque, Warm Mushroom and Sweet Potato Salad, Halloumi and Mushroom Kebabs, Roasted Mushroom and Rice Salad… the options are endless.
Mushrooms are the perfect ingredient to help keep you looking and feeling good this summer. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, or just shape up in time for the holidays, they can be incorporated into your healthy eating plan, so you can look your best once the sun starts to shine.
Mushrooms tick all the boxes for health; they are a potent source of antioxidants and are packed with B vitamins and the essential minerals potassium, selenium and copper; they are low in energy, fat and salt, while their high water and fibre content makes them a filling and satisfying ingredient of any meal. They are a useful and versatile ingredient that can easily be added to many dishes without hiking up the calorie content and at the same time they contribute to our 5-a-day, helping to keep us healthy and feeling virtuous.
Did You Know
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The GI of mushrooms is so low it can’t even be measured.
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Research has shown that there is more to mushrooms than taste, convenience and versatility – they are also a superfood.
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You can save 250 calories by swapping a quarterpounder cheeseburger for a Portabello and bacon burger and 225 calories by swapping lamb kebabs for mushroom kebabs.
The delicious summer recipes below will certainly impress everyone and can be prepared effortlessly and in very little time. Mushrooms need only a quick wipe – they do not require peeling or their stalks removed, so there is no wastage either. For more recipe inspiration visit .
Bacon and Mushroom Kebabs
Preparation: 10 mins plus marinating
Cooking: about 10 mins
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
15ml/1tbsp olive oil
15ml/1tbsp wholegrain mustard
15ml/1tbsp clear honey
250g pack chestnut mushrooms
1 large yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
6 rashers of smoked streaky bacon
salt and ground black pepper
Method
1. Soak 4-6 bamboo skewers in warm water - this will prevent
them burning. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, mustard and
honey with a little salt and plenty of ground black pepper. Add the
mushrooms and pepper and toss to mix. Leave to marinate for 10 mins.
2. Use the back of a knife to stretch each rasher of bacon, then cut in half. Roll up each half to make a bacon roll.
3. Thread a piece of pepper, mushroom and then bacon roll onto the skewers. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Brush any remaining marinade over the kebabs.
4. Cook over hot barbecue coals or under the grill for about 10 mins, turning the kebabs so that they are golden brown on all sides. Serve hot with salad leaves.
Warm Mushrooms and Sweet Potato Salad
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 25-30 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g/1lb sweet potatoes, peeled
250g pack large flat mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded, cut into chunks
1 red onion, sliced
2 unpeeled garlic cloves
45ml/3tbsp pine nuts
30ml/2tbsp olive oil
the juice of 1 lemon
2.5ml/½tsp Dijon mustard
a pinch of sugar
1 (95g) bag baby salad leaves
salt and ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas Mark 6. Cut the sweet potatoes into evenly sized large chunks. Place in a large roasting tin and drizzle over half the oil. Roast for 10 mins or until just tender.
2. Add the mushrooms, pepper, onion, garlic and pine nuts to the roasting tin. Toss well to coat in oil, season with a little salt and plenty of ground black pepper and roast for a further 15-20 mins. The potatoes and mushrooms should be tender.
3. Remove the tray from the oven and take the garlic out of the tray. Slip the papery skin from the garlic and crush to a pulp with the back of a spoon. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining oil, garlic pulp, lemon juice, mustard and sugar to make a dressing. Season to taste.
4. Empty the salad leaves onto a large platter, top with the roasted vegetables then drizzle over the dressing. Serve warm.
Roasted Mushroom and Rice Salad
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 20 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
250g pack closed cup mushrooms, halved
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
30ml/2tbsp olive oil
175g/6oz brown rice
15ml/1tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
1 orange
salt and ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas Mark 6. Place the
mushrooms and pepper in a roasting tin, add the oil and toss well to mix. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Bake for 20 mins or until the mushrooms and peppers are lightly charred.
2. Meanwhile, cook the rice in boiling salted water for 20 mins or until tender. Drain well, then add to the roasting tin with the balsamic vinegar and mix well. Stir in the spring onions and celery.
3. Use a knife to cut away the skin and pith from the orange. Quarter it, then slice each quarter. Add the orange to the rice and season to taste. Spoon the salad into a bowl and serve warm or cold.
Mushrooms a la Grecque
This is a classic salad to serve on a warm summers day.
Prep: 5mins
Cook: 10mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
225g/8oz button mushrooms
150ml/1/4pt dry white wine
1 (400g) can chopped tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
45ml/3tbsp chopped flat parsley
Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan, add the onion and sauté for 3-4mins or until pale golden. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for one more minute.
2. Add the white wine and tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, simmer for 5mins until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Stir in the parsley and serve warm or cold with olives and crusty bread.
Sweet Chilli Mushrooms with Halloumi Cheese
Prep: 5 mins
Cooking: 10mins
Serves 4 (for a starter) or 2 (for a main)
Ingredients
8 flat mushrooms
4 tbsp chilli flavoured or extra virgin olive oil
150g halloumi cheese, sliced
4 -6tbsp Thai sweet chilli dipping sauce
rocket salad leaves to serve
Method
1. Heat the grill to high. Place the mushrooms gill-side up on a grill rack, brush all over with the oil and season with salt and ground black pepper. Cook under the grill for 5 mins until the juices start to run.
2. Top with the halloumi cheese slices then return to the grill and cook for a further 4-5mins until the cheese is golden and crisp. Arrange two on four serving plates and spoon a little chilli sauce over each. Serve with the salad leaves.
Portabello Mushroom Burgers
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 large portabello or large field mushrooms
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt and ground black pepper
4 crusty ciabatta rolls
crisp lettuce
sliced tomatoes
houmous to serve
Method
1. Place the mushrooms in a shallow dish, add the oil, garlic and seasoning and toss until the mushrooms are evenly coated. Leave to marinate for at least 10 mins.
2. Cook the mushrooms over hot barbecue coals or a griddle pan for 8-10 mins turning once until browned on both sides and tender when tested with a fork. Transfer to a plate, gill side down and leave for 5 mins.
3. Toast the ciabatta rolls on the hot barbecue coals. Fill with lettuce, tomato and top with the mushrooms. Delicious served with houmous spooned over.
* The diet was commissioned by the Mushroom Bureau (the marketing body for mushroom growers to the UK) following an American study which found that substituting meat for mushrooms in familiar recipes may be effective in the fight against obesity and more appealing to many people than making more dramatic or restrictive diet changes. The study published in the July issue of “Appetite” and led by Dr. Lawrence Cheskin involved 54 volunteers eating four different lean ground beef recipes over four days, then eating the same meals over another four days, but this time substituting the beef with white button mushrooms. It was found that the volunteers consumed on average 420 fewer calories and 30g less fat. They concluded that just under 10 mushroom swaps would lead to a reduction in body fat of 1lb.