Mushrooms have become a common element in most food establishments. Whether in large stores, trusted stores or local markets, these mushrooms have become a constant in the shopping basket of many. But it is very likely that, once you have them at home, you will not know what to do with them. Sautéing them in the pan with a little garlic and parsley is a good strategy to get all their flavor out of them, but you may quickly get tired of cooking them that way. Luckily, most mushrooms are very versatile in their preparation, so you can get a lot of use out of them while surprising your own taste buds. Whether as the protagonists of your dishes, as a garnish or as a substitute, there is a wide variety of mushrooms that should often be in your kitchen.
Before knowing how to prepare your mushrooms, it is important that you be careful about their origin. If you extract them yourself from the natural environment, make sure you have the necessary knowledge to do so. If you doubt that a mushroom may not be edible, discard it. Finally, cut the mushroom carefully at the base of the stem, so as not to compromise the integrity of the mycelium that grows in the substrate. If it is damaged, you will stop the following year’s flowering.
With mushrooms purchased from trusted establishments you can feel more at ease. In general stores, mushrooms are usually arranged on trays, wrapped in plastic film. We recommend that you choose the mushrooms with a tray that is completely dry, without water vapor adhering to the inside of the plastic covering. You should also make sure that they are not selling you old mushrooms. How to check it varies depending on the mushroom we are buying. For example, the mushroom provides many signs: if this mushroom appears wrinkled or with black specks, it is likely that it has been too long since it was extracted. In short, regardless of where you buy your favorite mushrooms, pay attention to make sure you are getting the best type possible.
Mushrooms as a main dish
If you’re running late and don’t know what to cook, you can make a quick and delicious dinner in a matter of minutes. Mushrooms stuffed with cheese are easy to make, resistant to the most inexperienced cooks. For this dish, choose your favorite mushrooms, but keep in mind that they must have a large and deep cap, so that you can stuff them without problems. Boletus or mushrooms will be your best allies. To make it easier for you to make this recipe, we will teach you how to make it based on the mushrooms you have to cook:
- big cap mushrooms
- A teaspoon of cream cheese for each mushroom
- A slice of cheese for each mushroom
- Sweet paprika to taste
To make this recipe you need an oven, preferably with a gratin function. This way the cheese will brown and improve the flavor of your dish:
- If they are dirty, clean your mushrooms carefully. To do this, use a damp cloth or a small brush.
- Remove the stem of your mushroom and empty part of the inside of the cap with a spoon.
- Fill the mushroom with a tablespoon of cream cheese and sprinkle with a little smoked paprika.
- Cover the mushroom with a slice of cheese.
- After preparing several, distribute them on a tray and bake them at 180 degrees for 25 minutes or until the cheese turns golden.
Mushrooms to enhance your dishes
Mushrooms are perfect to eat on their own, but they are also ideal for enhancing and improving the flavor of your dishes. They make a good pair with your meats and vegetables, so don’t hesitate to try incorporating them into your favorite recipes. We teach you how to prepare shredded meat with mushrooms. A dish that requires a little patience, but that you and your loved ones will love. If you live alone, the proportion of these ingredients will allow you to have leftovers for several days. In company, you can feed five people.
First, prepare the shredded meat. It is a process that takes longer, since the arepa is made in just half an hour. For the shredded meat, we recommend that you buy the beef skirt, since it is a fatty cut. For this shredded beef recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 kilo of beef brisket
- 300 grams of mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 1 red pepper
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- Eight grains of black pepper
- 4 tablespoons of crushed natural tomato. You can also use whole pear or chopped tomatoes, but you can end up with larger tomato pieces once the cooking process is finished.
- 1 glass of white wine. It should be dry and, although you may be tempted to buy a cheap one, we recommend that you invest in a wine that, at the very least, you can see yourself capable of having a glass of.
- A teaspoon of chopped sweet pepper: it is a small pepper. Depending on its ripeness, it can be green, orange or red. It is a great aromatic, and will add a mild spicy touch. We recommend that you buy it chopped for this recipe
- A teaspoon of dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- Olive oil
- Water
- Salt to taste
To prepare this dish, we recommend that you use a pressure cooker to cut down on time:
- Clean the meat of fat. If you don’t know how to do it, ask your trusted butcher when you buy the meat.
- In the pressure cooker, fill the bottom with olive oil. When it is hot, add the meat and seal it on both sides. Make sure it browns well and remove it.
- In that same pot, lightly brown the garlic and onion cut into small squares until it softens. Add the pepper cut into small cubes and sauté.
- Degrease the bottom with the glass of white wine. You will see that once you add it, the bottom of the pot will begin to lift away, so all the flavors will rise to the surface.
- Cover the crushed tomato vegetable and reduce for a couple of minutes.
- Add the spices: sweet chili, thyme, bay leaf and cumin, in addition to the meat. Stir for one minute.
- Add salt to taste and pour water until the meat is covered. Stir and close the pot.
- If you are using a pressure cooker, you will need to cook the meat for half an hour. A normal pot will require more patience, so you will have to cook the meat for an hour and a half. In the traditional pot you will have to stir from time to time so that it does not stick.
- Once done, the meat should fall apart easily with a fork. Extract it and shred it with the help of two forks.
- Meanwhile, add your sliced ​​mushrooms to the sauce.
- Return the meat to the sauce and stir until the sauce reduces slightly and the mushrooms are cooked.
Mushrooms as a substitute
As you can see, mushrooms are very versatile. So much so that you can use them as a substitute for various types of meat, and thus turn your dishes into delicious vegan and vegetarian options:
- Minced meat: most types of mushrooms can replace minced meat in your sauces and preparations. To do this, you must cut them into very small dice.
- In strips: the mushroom in strips can remind us of various types of meat, the secret is to season them in the same way as you would with your meat products. If you’re not convinced, add a splash of light soy sauce to your usual spice mix. This will enhance the meaty flavor of the mushrooms.
- Dice: some mushrooms can even replace the meat in a stew or stew. You should keep in mind that in addition to making your recipes vegetarian or vegan, it will reduce cooking times. Although it is an advantage, you should take it into account in case the rest of the elements in your recipes require more cooking time than the mushrooms with which you are replacing the meat.
- Breaded: if you do not want to use your mushrooms as an accompaniment in the traditional way – by giving them a turn in the pan – we recommend that you make your mushrooms flat with a simple batter. We recommend that you coat your oyster mushrooms with egg, flour and breadcrumbs. Then fry them in the pan.
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