Meet Taco Tuesday's (and Recipe Friday's) next-door neighbor: Mushroom Monday.
Mushroom Monday is a day each week when we can all gather around the plate to enjoy one of the most delicious, nutritious and Earth-friendly foods: the fresh mushroom. Celebrate this weekly tradition at your favorite restaurant, in your home kitchen or at your local grocery store.
Looking for a way to celebrate next Monday? Try these delicious mushroom dishes from the Mushroom Council.
Shredded Mushroom Carnitas
A tasty twist on a taco night classic: bake, season and shred juicy portabella mushrooms in place of traditional carnitas.
Yield: 12
Ingredients
12 to 18 ea. large portabella mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and gills removed
3 T olive oil
6 T taco seasoning
36 (6-inch) ea. corn or flour tortillas
1½ small white onion, finely chopped
6 ea. radishes, thinly sliced
3 ea. jalapeno, thinly sliced into rounds
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges, for serving
Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush mushrooms evenly with olive oil. Season both sides of mushrooms with taco seasoning, and place, stem-side-up, on prepared baking sheet. Bake until mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a large bowl, and shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Top each tortilla with mushroom mixture, onion, radish, jalapeno and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, and enjoy.
Green Chile Queso with Blended Chorizo and Mushrooms
Recipe courtesy Cara Harbstreet, MS RD LD
Yield: 24-30
Ingredients
1 lb spicy chorizo
12 oz crimini mushrooms (about 1 ½ package)
3 T oil or butter
3 T all-purpose flour
4½ cup whole milk
9 cups shredded cheese (we used havarti and mozzarella)
12 oz green chiles (canned or frozen)
Seasonings like chile powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and a little salt
Green onions or cilantro (for garnish)
Method
- Roughly chop the mushrooms to match the texture of the chorizo. Start with high heat and brown the chorizo, adding the chopped mushrooms after a few minutes. Cook until the chorizo is fully done, then transfer to a bowl.
- Drop the heat to medium and make a roux using the oil or butter and flour. Heat the oil then sprinkle in the flour and incorporate it into a slurry. Stir constantly until it becomes light caramel in color. Then reduce the heat to low and add in the milk.
- This next step is key to avoiding a grainy or gritty cheese sauce. Go slow! As the milk starts to heat up, add the cheese a little at a time. As it melts into the sauce, add a little more, stirring the whole time to avoid scalding. Finally, stir in the green chiles, spices, and half of the Blended Chorizo. Spoon the other half on top, garnish with some green onions and cilantro.
- Serve this up with your favorite tortilla chips!
Oyster Mushroom Toast with Black Pepper Ricotta and Lemon Dressed Microgreens
Rich oyster mushrooms are combined with creamy ricotta and sweet cherry tomatoes in these bite-size toasts. The microgreens sprinkled on top add a burst of refreshing lemon flavor that balances the pleasant earthiness of the mushrooms for an appetizer or snack that is both beautifully presented and delicious.
Yield: 30 toasts
Ingredients
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
3 T chopped fresh chives
1½ tsp fine sea salt
1½ tsp ground black pepper
7½ T extra virgin olive oil
3 ea. small shallot, thinly sliced
12 oz oyster mushrooms, finely chopped
3 cups multi-colored small cherry tomatoes (about 60 tomatoes)
2¼ cups microgreens
6 tsp fresh lemon juice
6 tsp peppery finishing olive oil such as Arbequina
30 ea. slices baguette, lightly toasted
Method
- Stir together the ricotta, chives, eighth teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and set in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the toasts.
- Heat the 2½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 90 seconds, stirring often. It will brown a bit in the oil as it softens. Add the mushrooms. Cook for two more minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms darken and shrink. Add the tomatoes, continue to cook stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to burst and the mushrooms are tender. If you have some larger tomatoes mixed in, pricking them with a fork will help them to burst.
- Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Transfer the microgreens to a small bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, finishing olive oil, and the remaining eighth teaspoon of salt.
Double-Double Big Portabella Burger
Ingredients
12 ea. medium portabella mushrooms
900 g white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
900 g firm tofu (smoked or regular), sliced lengthwise into quarters
18 T neutral flavored oil
6 to 12 ea. soft buns, ready to be butter toasted
9 ea. garlic cloves, finely minced
6 T, vegan butter
6 T maple syrup
6 T vegan mayo
6 to 9 T barbecue sauce (your favorite kind)
3 T dried sage
3 tsp granulated onion
3 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
Method
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high and add about a drizzle of oil to coat the pan until it sizzles when splashed with water. Caution is key here.
- Place portabella mushrooms gill-side down. Press firmly with an additional cast iron pan or weighted pan, flipping occasionally, until they develop a dense, meat-like texture, adding a drizzle of water now and then to steam them to perfection. This takes a few minutes. Patience yields taste.
- Near the end of cooking, add the butter pad and cook to melt, then season the mushrooms with granulated onion, sage, salt and pepper. Glaze one side of the mushroom with a drizzle of maple syrup and set them aside on a baking sheet.
- Warm the oven to 400°F (200°C) using convection settings, or a touch longer if you’re baking the old-fashioned way.
- Use the same pan to cook the white button mushrooms and garlic, pan roasting them for five to 10 minutes. Add a splash of water or feel free to add wine or broth here, sear until they’re golden brown and form crispy edges, dust with salt and pepper to season.
- Sear the tofu slabs in the same pan, giving them two to three minutes on each side to develop a crisp golden exterior. Sprinkle with seasoning, then place them to the baking sheet with the portabella mushrooms.
- With everything on the same baking sheet place the mushrooms and tofu into the oven for a 10 to 15-minute finale, ensuring everything is piping hot and flavors have melded.
- While the oven works its magic, butter toast the buns in the pan face down until they’re golden and crisp to your liking.
- It’s time to build your burger masterpiece, stacking ingredients in your preferred order and crowning with a dollop of mayo and a generous drizzle of barbecue sauce. Dive in and savor!
Mushroom Coconut Curry with Spinach and Chickpeas
Packed with flavor, this luscious one-pot curry combines creamy sauce, hearty veggies and meaty mushrooms.
Yield: 6
Ingredients
3 T olive oil
9 T Thai red curry paste
3 (½-in) ea. knob ginger, peeled and minced
3 (15-oz) ea. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 (14-oz) ea. can unsweetened coconut milk
24 oz crimini mushrooms or white button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
9 cups packed fresh spinach, or 4 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
3 or 6 ea. Thai red chilies, thinly sliced, for garnish, optional
6 cups cooked long-grain white rice, for serving
Method
- Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add curry paste and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add chickpeas, coconut milk and mushrooms, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors develop, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about one minute. Transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro and chilies. Serve with rice and enjoy.
