Easy Mushroom Stroganoff

Mushroom is the next featured superfood in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors. The mushroom is used in this Easy Mushroom Stroganoff recipe.

Benefits of mushrooms extracted from BBC Good Food Megazine and Vegetarian Nutrition Info includes:

• very low in calories
• antioxidant property
• high in potassium (helps lower blood pressure and reduces risk of stroke). For example, one portobella mushroom has more potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice.
• great alternative to meat
• source of Vitamin B12
• one of the few natural sources of Vitamin D, which keeps bones and teeth healthy and supports the immune system
• shiitake mushrooms have been used by Chinese and Japanese to treat cold and flu, appears to stimulate immune system

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 600 grams mixed mushrooms, washed and chopped
• 1 cup low sodium beef or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup half fat sour cream
• parsley, chopped
• broad noodles, prepared according to directions

Source: adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine

Spinach and Hazelnut Stuffed Mushroom

The second dish in the theme of using food in season is Spinach and Hazelnut Stuffed Mushrooms.

This recipe makes a great appetizer or a vegetarian meal when served with salad and crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 4 large flat portobello mushrooms (you may substitute with baby portobello mushrooms if price is a concern)
• a bunch of fresh spinach, chopped, rinsed and dried (or 1 package frozen chopped spinach)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped hazelnuts (or walnuts)
• 2 tablespoon sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon bread crumb
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan (or cheddar)

Source: this recipe is adapted from Waitrose  Recipe Cards

P/S: Michelle confirmed that the amount of  ingredients for the filings for this recipe has to be doubled

Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce

It’s been a while I did not attend the South Arm Multicultural Community Kitchen. The reason is Minoo usually repeats the menu there. Since I attend the community kitchen in Gilmore Park Church, I do not need to attend the one in South Arm. However, there will be a change in the schedule of the community kitchens from now on. The Gilmore Park Church community kitchen will shift to Tuesday due to conflict of Minoo’s other program schedule. Hence, I will only be able to attend the South Arm community Kitchen and the Senior Kitchen from now on.

Today’s main course is Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce. Minoo used whole wheat fettuccine for a healthy version.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter for frying mushroom
• 1 pack of mushroom, thinly sliced
• 1 8oz package of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter for making the sauce
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 6 oz grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon of dried ones
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Source: this recipe is adapted from Allrecipes

Serves 6

Mushroom and Barley Soup

Minoo prepared a hearty Mushroom and Barley Soup for her vegetarian theme recipes in the Gilmore Park Church community kitchen.

The Mushroom and Barley Soup is a delicious and healthy dinner option. It can be a quick meal if you can find the quick cooking barley which is pre-steamed and takes only 10 minutes to cook.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds white or brown (cremini) mushrooms, trimmed, sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1/4 cup lightly packed flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese
• a splash of milk

Source: this recipe is adapted from Everyday Food.

Makes 4 large servings

Please note that the broth should be vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Stir Fry

The second dish that Minoo prepared for the South Arm Community Kitchen is a stir fry vegetable dish that incorporated Swiss Chard. Swiss Chard is a fall vegetable but it is easily available in winter in the groceries stores. This is a hardy and versatile vegetable that can be used in soup or stir fry. It is rich in dietary fiber. It is high in vitamin A, K and C.

We love the color of this stir fry dish, which is very Christmasy. The sesame seeds add crunch and nuttiness to it.

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Swiss chard
• 1 sweet red or yellow pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped mushroom
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• soy sauce to taste

Source: Minoo

The other 2 recipes had been covered before; i.e. Salmon and Potato Chowder and Oatmeal Blueberry Muffin.

Polenta with Smoky Mushroom Ragout

The South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors meets again for their forthrightly cooking fun.  I envied these group of seniors who are filled with enthusiasm and making full use of their retirement.  They enjoy cooking, gardening and each others company.

For this week’s cooking session, Charlene picked four recipes from Cooking Light.  The seniors are very careful with their food intake and they practice healthy eating.  The first recipe is Polenta with Smoky Mushroom Ragout.  To our surprise, this dish turns out to resembles lasagne.

The polenta in this recipe is baked in the oven, as opposed to using the traditional method of stovetop cooking.  This method frees you from constantly stirring the polenta and you can prepare the mushroom topping while the polenta is in the oven.

This recipe serves 8.

Ingredients

Polenta:

• 6 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dry polenta
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Ragout:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 cups sliced oyster mushroom caps (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1 1/2 cup (6 oz) crumbled queso fresco cheese, feta, or goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Polenta, at its most basic, is boiled cornmeal mush, a cousin of grits.  Popular in northern Italy, it can be served as a starch to be topped with sauces, or as an accompaniment to meats.  Once chilled, it becomes firm and can be sliced and grilled, fried, or layered in casseroles and baked dishes.

Composed primarily of carbohydrates, it is low in fat and a good option for a gluten-free side dish.  Many polenta recipes call for copious amounts of butter and cheese, as polenta by itself is very bland, so exercise good judgement while cooking.

Here in Canada, you can use cornmeal to make polenta.  The smaller the grind, the quicker it cooks.  Traditional Italian polenta is quite coarse, and can take between 20 to 40 minutes of stirring on the stovetop.  Cooking for less time results in grains that are more distinct; the longer cooking time results in a creamier consistency.

You can also make polenta using a microwave which I had blogged before here.

Mushroom and Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda

Someone in the South Arm Cooking Club for seniors suggested to have one cooking session for making brunch. It was a great idea and the organizers (Stella, Minoo and Charlene) came up with a few brunch recipes. Stella also handed out an article on how breakfast may improve memory in healthy elderly for the seniors to read. In this article, a study of 22 men and women 61 to 79 years of age, researchers observed improved performance on memory test 15 minutes after ingestion of pure protein, pure fat or pure carbohydrate beverages following an overnight test, as compared with scores achieved after ingestion of a placebo beverage containing no energy. This study shows that memory may be enhanced by eating any type of breakfast – regardless of whether it is comprised of protein, fat or carbohydrate.

Stella, as a coordinator of South Arm’s seniors, has hands on experience on this matter. Among one of the members in South Arm’s seniors group, Stella noticed a big difference in one of the senior’s performance at certain days. She found that the day this particular senior had a good breakfast, her performance improved on that day.

The first brunch item the seniors made was Mushroom and Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda. Frank and Karen made this Frittata. Here we go again with Frank slicing up onions again. Frank seemed to be doing a lot of slicing onions and mincing garlic in the community kitchen.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 4 cups packed baby spinach leaves or torn Swiss chard
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Danish Glazed Mushrooms

Since Joan and Paul complete their first recipe so quickly, they have time to do a second recipe. The second recipe is Danish Glazed Mushrooms from recipezaar. The recipe was originally submitted for the 2005 World Tour by Justcallmetoni.

The Danish Glazed Mushroom can be served as a hot appetizer or side dish. This dish is very fragrant with herbs.

Ingredients

• 1 lb mushroom cap
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 1 green onion (chopped)
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed (chopped)
• 2 teaspoons basil (chopped)

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Remove stems and slice. Chopped the rest of the ingredients.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir in salt, paprika, garlic and green onion.Increase heat, add mushrooms, saute three to five minutes until mushrooms are glazed and coated.

Remove mushrooms from heat. Toss in parsley, dill and basil. Serve immediately.