The fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, mushrooms top the list of favourite foods in our house! Easy to prepare, relatively inexpensive and containing an impressive range of nutrients, mushrooms are increasingly being used as a meat substitute in the Western World.

Mushrooms add a deep, savoury richness (umami) to many dishes, from sauces and soups to stir-fries and pizza toppings. They can also be used as a meat substitute in dishes like chili, pies and stews.

Mushrooms require less water, land, and energy to grow – compared to many other crops and animal products, making them an environmentally friendly and sustainable food source.

In cooking, the term mushroom usually refers to the cultivated, white mushroom with its typical structure of a stem and cap with gills on the underside. As they mature, mushrooms open so that the gill structure is visible.

Image by brgfx on Freepik

It is wise to remember that not all mushrooms are edible! No single trait identifies a mushroom as toxic or edible. Delineating between edible and poisonous fungi is not clear cut, so the general term ‘mushroom’ may refer to edible, poisonous or just thoroughly unpalatable fungi. Please remember that only a very experienced mushroom fundi (a Mycophagist) should be trusted when picking mushrooms in the wild, and stay well clear of any beautiful toadstools as they generally hide a wicked poison beneath that beauty.

This month, I have shared my delicious Mushroom Sauce recipe – absolutely divine with steak, chicken schnitzel, or baked potato, or pile into a retro style Vol-au-vent as a starter or savoury bite, so keep reading to find my delectable recipe.

Mushroom are extremely nutritious and so are now considered a superfood! They are a rich source of B-vitamins (ensuring good energy levels and helping to balance hormones), fibre, selenium and copper, a moderate source of phosphorous, zinc and potassium, and they are a good source of antioxidants.

Mushrooms are the ONLY non-fortified, vegan dietary source of Vitamin D.
Raw brown mushrooms are made up of:
92% water
4% carbohydrates
2 % protein
Less that 1 % fat

Mushrooms are low in calories and sodium, but they are packed with vital nutrients, they contain high amounts of fiber that will keep you feeling full, reducing the urge to eat more. (Isokauppila, T., & Sigmatic, F., 2017). Thus, due to their low calorie, low GI and high nutrient density, mushrooms are the perfect partner for weight management.

Adding mushrooms to your diet can slow down the growth of existing cancer cells, as well preventing DNA damage, cell mutation, and tumour formation to begin with. (Stamets, P., 2005).

As you can see, there is not mush-room for improvement on the nutritional front!

Common mushroom varieties include white/button, brown, Portobello/portebellini (my personal favourite for use in cooking), cremini, oyster and shitake.

Image from https://potatorolls.com/blog/mushrooms-101/

When buying mushrooms, look for firm, dry, unbruised specimens. Avoid slimy, bruised or withered mushrooms as these probably taste of ammonia are already on their way to making compost.

The BEST way to store mushrooms in in a brown paper bag, in the fridge. Plastic packaging traps moisture, which shortens the shelf life of mushrooms. ONLY clean or trim mushrooms just before cooking.

With the amount of cooking that I do, I don’t have time to waste wiping down dozens of mushrooms. Some people claim that exposing mushrooms to any water for cleaning alters their taste. My usual mushroom cleaning routine is to place them in a colander, give them a brief run under the tap, place them onto a clean, dry dish towel, give them a good rub with the dish towel to remove any clinging soil and use them. Each to his own though, so keep cleaning mushrooms as makes you happy.

What I will stress, is that it’s NOT a good idea to soak mushrooms in water. Their porous nature will allow them to absorb water if exposed to it for any length of time which will affect their flavour and texture on cooking (they will tend to steam in the water they release rather than brown and develop flavour when cooked).

Before the development of synthetic dyes, mushrooms were used to create a range of textile dyes, mostly suited to dyeing wool and other natural fibres into strong, vivid colours.

Some species, like Lion’s mane, are being studied for their potential to stimulate nerve growth and support cognitive function, which may prove to be beneficial for conditions like Alzheimer’s.

The root-like web structure of mushrooms, called the mycelium, can be grown on agricultural waste to create biodegradable and compostable products. This is being explored for packaging, biodegradable coffins, building materials, and even textiles.

Our free recipe this month is my versatile and very quick mushroom sauce recipe. It is absolutely divine served with steak, roast meat and toast wedges. Why not try this divine, creamy sauce piled into Vol-au-vents for a yummy retro starter or canapés this Christmas?

To learn how to make easy Vol-au-vents from store bought puff pastry, I recommend this link: https://www.mrsjoneskitchen.com/how-to-make-vol-au-vent-cases/

They basically involve cutting out 2 pastry disks per Vol-au-vent, one with a large hole cut into the middle and placed on top of the other disk (secured with a dash of water), brushed with egg wash and baked until well risen and golden. Made a day in advance and heated just before use, these light pastry cases can be filled with a variety of fillings, but my favourite is this creamy mushroom sauce!