Cooking With Mushrooms

Many people overlook the mushrooms at the store. Little do they know, but they are very versatile and full of flavor. They fit in almost anywhere; use them as the star attraction, a side dish, or just an accent. Some are even meaty and can be used in place of beef and other meats. You can add them to stews or sauces to add texture and flavor. You can even eat some raw.

There are over 38,000 mushroom varieties in the world; 3,000 are native to North America. They vary in texture, color, shape, and flavor. Some grow easily and others only sprout for a single week of the year. Many types can be farmed, while others can only be harvested in the wild.

If you want to pick your own, remember that some kinds are poisonous. If you are not a seasoned mushroom hunter, go with someone who is or just buy the ones you want from a person or place you trust. You do not want to be the one who made the mistake and cause someone to get ill.

When cooking, you can use dried, fresh, or canned verities. Fresh are best for many dishes, but dried are convenient and taste great. Simply put them in warm liquid for 20 minutes to reconstitute. You can save the liquid for sauces, soups and other recipes.

You can put mushrooms on your pizzas or add them to pasta sauce. They add a lot of nutrition, including vitamins and minerals that you need to remain healthy. Put them in your eggs, your gravies, and your sandwiches. Add them to your filling for puff pastry. Put them in stews or vegetable recipes. Sprinkle raw slices into your spinach salad. There are lots of ways to enjoy this nutritious ingredient, so keep them on hand.

Mushrooms also make incredibly easy party appetizers. Slice them and add them to any number of recipes or make stuffed mushroom caps. This perennial appetizer favorite can be stuffed with many different ingredients to create nibbles that everyone will love.

You can find many types in your local produce section. The white or button mushroom can be found in almost any grocery store. They are available whole or sliced. Their flavor intensifies when you saut them. Crimini mushrooms are also found in stores. They are brown with a tan stem. They have a richer flavor than the button verity. Portobellos are a large, meaty choice that are often grilled and used in place of beef.

You can find enoki mushrooms in some stores. These tiny white mushrooms on long stems are often tossed into salads, similar to bean sprouts. If you like a lot of flavor, try shiitakes. They are meaty and rich. Saut them, bake them or broil them. Occasionally you can find rare varieties like chanterelles and morels. Morels are related to truffles and have an earthy, rich flavor. You can recognize them by their cone shaped brown top with a honeycomb texture. Chanterelles are delicate and vase shaped. They range in color from yellow to orange. Use them in salads and risottos.

Making trouble-free Superbowl party recipes means that you can prepare all your munchies well in advance and relax with your guests when the game starts. There are lots of Superbowl recipes to choose from and meat munchies, like chicken wings, ribs and hot dogs, are always incredibly popular. You will find hundreds of quick trouble-free appetizers at our website to give you some more ideas.