Nutrient-rich mushrooms in pasta dish
Ingredients:
- 1 large acorn squash (about 1 1 / 2pounds)
- 1/2 cup farro
- 8 ounces mixed mushrooms, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
- 4 lemon wedges
Start to finish: 50 minutes
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cut the acorn squash into quarters. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Trim off a small slice of skin from the curved side of each quarter to allow it to sit flat.
3. Spritz a 9-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and arrange the squash in the pan, skin side down. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until just softened.
4. Meanwhile, make the stuffing. Add the farro to the boiling water and cook until tender but still al dente, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Add the garlic, shallots, spinach, orange zest, thyme and oregano, then cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the drained farro.
6. When the squash is ready, spoon the stuffing into the center of each quarter. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the stuffing and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Serve each squash quarter with a wedge of lemon.
Servings: 4
Nutrition per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 170 calories; 15 calories from fat (7 percent of total calories); 2 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 5 g fiber; 320 mg sodium.
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. My go-to everyday mushroom is cremini. 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, 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, soak them in hot water or a broth. And never get rid of that soaking liquid; 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.
Recipes for Mushrooms with Bill & Sheila
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