Meatless meal gives nutritious mushrooms a starring role
Mushrooms are high on a list of things to watch in the food and beverage world for 2012. An annual trend-spotting report by JWT, a worldwide marketing communications company, pegged mushrooms as a top functional food.
“With more varieties now populating supermarket shelves, we’ll see a growing awareness that this low-calorie but highly flavorful food packs a nutritional punch,” the report says.
Mushrooms are nutritional all-stars. They are fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie and low in sodium. And, according to the Mushroom Council, they’re the leading source of the essential antioxidant selenium in the produce aisle.
I am a huge fan of almost all varieties. Some are inexpensive while others, like those prized morels, are not.
The everyday mushroom I like is cremini, sometimes referred to as Italian mushrooms. These dark-brown beauties are widely available. Some sources say they are simply brown versions of white button mushrooms, but I think they have a heartier flavor. They also seem to be more uniform in size and shape.
Today’s recipe, which, by the way, is meatless, calls for a mix of cremini and dried porcini mushrooms.
Dried mushrooms can usually be found in small packages near the fresh mushrooms in the market. To reconstitute dried mushrooms, soak them in hot water or a broth. And never get rid of that soaking liquid unless you absolutely must. It’s a great addition to sauces and stuffings.
The soaking liquid goes into the creamy sauce for today’s recipe, which uses 3/4 pound of mushrooms. You can use more if you like because mushrooms shrink down when cooked.
When buying whole loose mushrooms, choose ones that are smooth, without dark spots and dry to the touch. If they are already packaged, give the package a shake so you can get a good look at all of them.
Store mushrooms in their original packaging or loosely in a paper bag. They should keep about a week. Never store them in an enclosed container. That can lead to condensation and cause them to spoil.
To clean mushrooms, use a damp paper towel to wipe away any soil. Don’t soak them because mushrooms are like sponges and will take up the water. If you do rinse them, do it quickly under cool water and immediately wipe them dry.
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