Feature Friday

Feature Friday: Mushroom and Prosciutto Cups Video

Mushrooms Canada has another great new cooking video up on our YouTube Channel called Mushroom and Prosciutto Cups. This recipes is very easy to prepare, and is sure to impress all your guests at your next get together.

Mushroom and Prosciutto Cups
Preparation Time: 15 mins. Cooking Time: 30 mins.

Bite into these flavourful appetizers and experience a wonderful contrast of textures from the crisp shell to the soft creamy filling.

Ingredients
24 thin wonton wrappers 24
1 tbsp olive oil 15 mL
1 small onion, diced 1
8 oz fresh mushrooms, coarsley chopped 250 g
1 clove garlic, minced 1
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves 2 mL
1/4 cup water 50 mL
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 15 mL
1 pkg (250g) light cream cheese, cubed 1
1/2 cup minced lean prosciutto (about 1 1/2 oz/45 g) 125 mL
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Garnishes: minced fresh parsley, diced red pepper or grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Method
Lightly coat mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Separate wonton wrappers and press into mini muffin pans, pleating to form a cup. Bake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 7-9 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on rack. Meanwhile in large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté until lightly softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, garlic and rosemary and sauté about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium; add water and vinegar cook another 1-2 minutes. Stir in cheese cubes and heat, stirring constantly until melted and well mixed. Remove from heat and stir in prosciutto until evenly combined. Taste and add pepper; spoon about 1½ tbsp (22 mL) of mixture into each cup; garnish as desired. Serve warm.

Makes 24 Appetizers

*Wonton wrappers can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets or in Oriental stores.

Tips: Wonton cups can be baked 1 week in advance; cool and store in an airtight container. The filling can also be made ahead, refrigerated or frozen and then reheated over low heat, adding about 1 tbsp (15 mL) water if too thick OR fill the cups and heat in 350°F (180°C) oven for 5-10 minutes or until warm.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving): Calories: 59, Sodium: 101 mg, Protein: 2.6 g, Fat: 2.7 g, Carbohydrates: 6.2 g, Dietary Fibre: 0.4 g

– Brittany

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Feature Friday: February is Heart Month

Looking for ways to keep your Heart Healthy? Now is your chance! February is Heart Month in Canada, and what better time to make some heart friendly lifestyle changes than now.

So, where do you start? Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy. Keeping blood cholesterol levels on target is another key in lowering the risk of heart disease. Eating 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables each day can help us protect our hearts against cardiovascular disease by providing protective substances such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre.

Including fresh mushroom in your daily diet can also help!

HeartCut the Cholesterol

  • Fresh mushrooms contain both soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre has been shown to help prevent and manage cardiovascular disease by lowering the levels of total and LDL cholesterol.

Watch the Weight

  • Fresh mushrooms are a perfect choice for weight management, since they have high water content, are low in fat and contain some fibre: three factors that will help you feel full with fewer calories. That means less room for calorie-laden foods.

Adding the Antioxidants

  • Fresh mushrooms contain significant levels of l-ergothioneine, which acts as an antioxidant. Ergothioneine doesn’t break down when it’s heated, which means you can enjoy mushrooms raw or cooked and still benefit from this powerful phytochemical.

Adding Fresh Mushrooms Can Make a Difference:

  • Add ½ cup white button mushrooms to your omelet or scrambled eggs.
    Benefit: one 1 extra gram of fibre.
  • Mix 1 cup of diced portabella mushrooms into pasta or pasta sauce.
    Benefit: three 3 extra grams of fibre.
  • Include 1 ½ cups sliced crimini (brown) mushrooms in risotto or other rice dishes.
    Benefit: five 5 extra grams of fibre.

Healthy Heart Recipe Suggestion:
Mushrooms & Vegetable Tacos

For more information and reference visit Mushrooms Canada’s Healthy Heart page.

– Brittany

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Feature Friday: What’s with the Brown Paper Bag?

The brown paper bag. What is the mystery behind the brown paper bag? We see them at the grocery store hung up by the mushroom display, some of us use them, some of us don’t, and a lot of us ask the question, “what’s with the brown paper bags?”

PaperBag_WEBTruth is, you should always store fresh mushrooms in a brown paper bag. The bag acts as a barrier between the refrigerator moisture and the mushrooms. It will actually absorb most of the moisture and allow for proper air circulation, so that your fresh mushrooms stay fresh, and don’t get all slimy and brown. You all know what I mean! We have all at one time or another put fresh mushrooms in the fridge in a plastic bag, and two days later they were brown and glistening!

What about when you buy them in a package? Same rule apply. When you buy mushrooms in a cello-wrapped package, you should always grab a brown paper bag with it. It is very handy to have just in case you don’t eat the whole package in one sitting. (For all you mushroom lovers, you know what I am talking about when I say, mine don’t usually make it to this next part!) You can then take the remaining mushrooms out of the package and place them in the bag. They will keep longer than in the plastic, saving you money!

So next time you buy fresh mushrooms don’t leave the store without the brown paper bag.

posted by Brittany

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Feature Friday: Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wrap Video

Welcome to Feature Friday, a weekly post about new and exciting mushroom information from Mushrooms Canada and around the web. I come across great articles, recipes, and videos on a regular basis, and would love to share these great finds with all you mushroom lovers, Feature Friday gives me the opportunity to do just that!

Today’s Feature Friday is brought to you by Mushrooms Canada.

We have a great new cooking video up on our YouTube Channel called Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps. This recipes is simply delicious and easy to prepare. Take a minute and check it out here.

Asian Mushroom Lettuce Wraps
Preparation Time: 20 mins. Cooking Time: 10 mins.

This is a low fat, super fresh tasting version of the Chinese classic. Since they can be eaten in hands it is kid friendly and makes a good summertime lunch, appetizer or supper. The mixture can be made ahead and reheated to serve, so why not double the recipe.

Ingredients
8 oz fresh Mushrooms 250 g
1 tbsp vegetable oil 15 mL
8 oz ground lean chicken 250 g
2½ tbsp grated fresh gingerroot 32 mL
3 cloves garlic, crushed 3
3 tbsp Each soy sauce, hoisin sauce and rice vinegar 45 mL
¼ – ½ tsp Asian chile or hot sauce (optional) 1-2 mL
1/2 cup chopped green onions 125 mL
6 hearts of Romaine lettuce leaves 6

Garnishes: grated carrot, diced cucumber, chopped peanuts, chopped mint or coriander leaves or peanut sauce.

Method
1. Finely chop mushrooms in food processor or by hand to yield 3 cups (750 mL). Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken breaking up with spoon. Stir in mushrooms, ginger and garlic; cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until mushroom liquid has evaporated. Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer about 4-5 minutes to blend flavours. Taste and add chile or hot sauce if desired. Stir in green onion just before serving.
2. Present lettuce leaves and a bowl of filling on a platter or tray. Have guests help themselves by spooning filling into lettuce leaves, and garnish as desired; then wrap lettuce around the filling to enclose and eat in hands OR serve filled lettuce leaves open face on a plate and serve with cooked rice or rice salad and steamed snow peas.

Makes 6 lettuce wraps (3 servings).

Note: Reheat in microwave or in skillet, adding a little water if necessary.

Variation: Substitute ground pork for chicken and add finely chopped water chestnuts with soy sauce.

– Brittany

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