if I were vegetarian, fungi would be my top meat replacement. They are the closest thing to meat in taste and texture, and rightly so because they are not plants: fungi are a category all of their own, neither plants not animals. Are they safe if you’re vegan? That’s an interesting point which I shall let the interested parties worry about.
Mushrooms are truly an amazing foodstuff. They are highly sustainable, need hardly any water to grow and next to no feed, plus they create no emissions! On top of that they are super nutritious, with high protein content, fibre, vitamins and microelements. Eating mushrooms can lower your cholesterol levels and nudge production of vitamin D. They are good for the heart and for the gut.
And they are supremely delicious and easy to prepare in a myriad of ways.
Whenever I’m served pale, limpid and soggy ‘fried’ mushrooms for breakfast or inside a veggie burger, it makes me want to cry. Fried mushrooms must be cooked properly through, crispened and caramelised, with lots of oil and butter, and thus cooked, they are divine. How is it so difficult to achieve in restaurants?
Any mushrooms can be used in this recipe but I do like meaty, firm shiitake for it. Mushrooms cooked like this are so versatile! As a side, but also with pasta or piled on toast.
Again, you can use ordinary white mushrooms in this recipe but oysters are quite a bit tastier. It only takes fifteen minutes to roast them to perfection and they are quite delicious with blue cheese sauce.
Oyster mushrooms with blue cheese
RECIPE
The ultimate version of mushrooms on toast – with yellow, wild chanterelles. Also known as girolles, the former name more precise as derived from the Latin name of the species, they are the little sunny autumnal pots of flavour.
Mushroom sauce is extremely versatile, and it will be elevated to the heights of deliciousness if you add a few dried wild porcini to it. It is the loveliest sauce for pasta, steak, chicken, meatballs and whatever you fancy.
If you’re fortunate (or well off) enough to get hold of a sizeable portion of wild mushrooms, cook them simply: sauteed with a little butter, seasoned with just salt and pepper and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Vegetarian Bolognese? Yes please, but no weird soybean meat substitutes are needed in this recipe. Creamy mushroom ragu is a rich and flavourful dressing for pasta, gnocchi or polenta. With a hint of tomato, it's Umami Central.
This is the best mushroom risotto recipe, made with dried porcini mushrooms. Rehydrated porcini are as good as fresh in dishes like risotto, or in fact better, because of the concentrated flavour achieved through drying.
Earthy flavours! Mushrooms and lentils are a fantastic pairing, while red peppers and spinach add a touch of vibrant colour. Cooking lentils from scratch is better value and not a lot of effort.
Lentils with mushrooms and spinach
RECIPE
Who says mushrooms don’t go with fish? This gratin proves them wrong. White fish fillets baked under the cover of delicious mushroom sauce topped with crisp breadcrumbs - that's a dish that looks very impressive and is, in fact, very easy to accomplish.
Pasta dish is a must when we talk about mushrooms. This recipe is one of the most versatile pasta recipes ever: garlicky cream sauce, flavoursome roasted mushrooms and good fettuccine pasta. And you can chop and change each of those elements.
Creamy fettucine with mushrooms
RECIPE
Another pasta recipe, this time a/ baked in the oven and b/ creamy like a risotto. That’s right, because it’s an orzotto, made with that funny pasta shape that looks like grains of rice. With fragrant dried mushrooms and cubed pancetta, it’s super easy and twice as tasty.
Baked orzo with mushrooms and pancetta
RECIPE
Another recipe that may fall in the pasta category because it’s delicious served with plain spaghetti or tagliatelle. Chicken pieces are cooked in creamy sauce, with caramelised chopped leeks and mushrooms. One of my favourite easy dinners.
Creamy chicken with mushrooms and leeks
RECIPE
Simply sublime: fried chicken fillet with melted mozzarella covered mushrooms. It’s inspired by Welsh rarebit but – call me biased - much more interesting!
The budget version of lavish beef stroganoff made with pork fillet, it’s actually none the less tasty. Perfect for when you want to cook an easy but special dish and don’t fancy spending a small fortune on the ingredients.
Another pork recipe with mushrooms in the supporting but crucial part. Pork fillet aka tenderloin is seared whole then browned again in slices, served in a sauce made with dried mushrooms.
Twice cooked pork with mushrooms
RECIPE
It’s a brown, brown dish, with brown (wholegrain) rice and chestnut mushrooms. Both are more nutritious than their white equivalents, and tastier. Brown rice takes longer to cook than white, but it’s harder to overcook so that’s another win.
Brown rice with mushrooms
RECIPE
Another interesting variety of rice that goes beautifully well with mushrooms is wild rice – which actually isn’t rice at all. Intrigued? It’s well worth trying albeit quite expensive. But what an exquisite treat of earthy flavours, chewy textures with a burst of nutritional values!
Wild rice with mushrooms
RECIPE
Stir fried cabbage with bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms takes only half an hour to prepare, including shredding and chopping. It's a gorgeous combo - and cabbage is so underrated! This recipe is best with spring aka hispi cabbage.
Cabbage with bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms
RECIPE
And finally, the perfect breakfast recipe. Fluffy omelette which doesn’t have to be as perfect as in some TV shows, because the topping of melted cheese and mushrooms cooked in butter will more than make up for any skill shortcomings.
Cheese and mushroom omelette
RECIPE