'Shrooming Out

I have been on a mushroom kick for several months now. I’ve gotten into the habit of getting the large box of them at the store and finding every reason to squeeze them into a dish. I know there are mushroom haters out there (haters gonna hate) and, admittedly, mushrooms can be funky in shape, color, texture, and taste. But to me, they are the meat of the plant world. They can be hearty and chewy, flavorful and robust.  Not to mention they go great with butter and garlic.

One thing about mushrooms that I enjoy is their versatility. With the abundance of this fungi friend, they have made their way into many a dish: lasagna, omelets (pictured), pizza, and salads, 

One of my favorite ways, though, is with roasted potatoes. Some baby 'bellas and red potatoes are pictured here with onions, garlic, and an olive oil-butter combo. On a cold day, the same concoction went into the oven for about an hour at 350. It was easy and delicious.

Not only are they versatile, but they come in so many varieties. What I usually get at the store are baby bellas or your standard white, button mushroom. In the summer, there is a vendor at our local farms market who has an array of fungi to chose from. One of the most memorable kinds I've tried was a "chicken" mushroom, a yellow-ish, gnarly mass that resemble chicken in taste and texture.

We had a couple of friends over one night for a Thai curry and I used the "chicken" mushrooms in the dish. They were honestly fooled that it was NOT really chicken. That is how flavorful these little guys are. Luckily for me, the friends were both big mushroom fans and okay with being duped.

So between being versatile and varied, mushrooms bring a rich meatiness to many dishes. For this reason alone, consider throwing in some 'shrooms into your next meal and have a groovy time.

Tell me what you think.  Share your ideas too.

Watch for more written blogs and video ones to come in the near future.

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