Thinking of becoming vegetarian, vegan or just looking to consume a little less meat? Not into over-processed meat substitutes? Mushrooms are here for you! Mushrooms are a brilliant alternative to meat in many dishes and emit very little carbon dioxide per unit weight when compared to meat production. They are a fantastic (and delicious) way to help you transition to a lower carbon footprint but any vegetarian or vegan will tell you how frustrating it is to be presented with the same types of mushroom based veggie options when dining out. We enjoy portobellos and button mushrooms as much as the next folks but we also believe that variety is the spice of life!
Transitioning to a lower carbon footprint shouldn’t have to be a chore and with a variety of unique flavor profiles and textures, gourmet mushrooms are an ingredient that omnivores, herbivores and carnivores alike can all get on board with! We love cooking with mushrooms and below you’ll find some of our favourite ways to use them.
Roasted Speckled Chestnuts on Toast
It’s hard to go wrong with this combo of creamy ricotta and lightly roasted speckled chestnuts on toast. One of our favourites.
Ingredients
300g whole small speckled chestnut mushrooms (if larger, halve lengthways)
Loaf of sourdough, sliced (or any bread you prefer)
1 Tub ricotta
Zest of 1 lemon and ½ the juice
1 large or 2 small clove/s garlic crushed fine
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
Method
Preheat your oven to 200C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms with 2 Tbsp olive oil, pepper, thyme leaves and garlic. Tumble out onto the baking tray and spread into one even layer. Roast into the oven for 10 minutes, turning halfway through. The mushrooms may need more or less time depending on their size and how much water they contain so keep an eye on them and adjust the cooking time as needed. When the mushrooms start to turn brown, remove from the oven. Whilst the mushrooms are roasting, combine the ricotta, lemon zest, juice and the remaining 3tbsp olive oil in a bowl and season generously with fresh pepper. Toast your bread. To assemble, spread the ricotta mixture generously onto the toast, top with the roasted mushrooms and drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with salt, chopped parsley and serve.
Lions Mane Linguine
Lion's Mane, a favorite mushroom for its health benefits and crab-like texture, offers versatile cooking options. It can be sliced into steaks for BBQ, used in faux lobster rolls, or transformed into herby 'crab' cakes. We've veganized a classic crab linguine recipe by separating Lion's Mane fronds to achieve that fluffy crab-like texture.
Ingredients
1 pack linguine
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 bulb of fennel
Zest and Juice of 1 lemon
500g fresh Lions Mane mushroom, shredded into 1cm pieces
Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil, to finish
Method
Blanche the shredded Lions Mane in a pot of very lightly salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as you can before fluffing gently with a fork and setting aside. Remove the outer layers and stalk of the fennel. Slice finely, setting aside the green tops. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan and add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli. Cook until softened and fragrant but take care not to brown. Stir in the lions mane, lemon juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper. Stir through to heat and remove. At the same time, cook the linguine in boiling, salted water for five minutes, then add the fennel slices to the pot and continue cooking until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the water. Combine the Lions mane mixture, drained fennel and linguine, and a handful of parsley, adding a little of the reserved water to loosen. Serve with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and any reserved fennel tops.
Oyster Mushroom, Potato and Leek Pie
Oyster mushrooms work here in place of chicken or a processed alternative . The meaty texture and soft mushroomy flavour compliments the waxy potatoes and soft leeks without being overwhelming. King oyster mushrooms work especially well also. It’s a lazy puff top pie, best served with a bowl of buttery peas or some steamed tenderstem. This pie is easily veganised with some basic ingredient swaps and by adding 1 tbsp nutritional yeast along with the mustard.
Ingredients
Ready Rolled butter or vegan puff pastry
1.5 tbsp butter (or oil)
500g Oyster mushrooms, diced into 2cm chunks or thereabouts
2 Large Leeks, sliced into rings and rinsed to remove any grit
750g Charlotte or other waxy potatoes, skin left on, scrubbed and quartered
Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease the sides of your pie dish. Boil the potatoes until just about cooked, drain and set aside. Heat 1tbsp oil or butter in a large heavy bottomed pot and add leeks, followed by some crushed sea salt. Sweat the leeks until soft but not brown and remove into a bowl. Return the pot to the heat with the remaining ½ tbsp oil and add the mushrooms. Saute until browning slightly on the edges, before adding the softened leeks and their juices back into the pan along with the creme fraiche, mustards & chives (Vegans add your nutritional yeast here). Once the mixture is heated through, add the cooked potatoes and the cheese (if using) and decant into your pie dish. Simply pop your pastry on top, slice a small hole into the middle to release steam during cooking and score lightly in your desired pattern. Trim off any major excess and tuck/crimp the edges as desired. Brush with egg wash if using and place into the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve with buttered peas or some lightly steamed tenderstem.
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