The Dirt on Mushrooms (Shh! They're good for you!)

Oh the humble mushroom. It grows in the dark. In dirt. After all.

Little did I know these tiny fungi are more salad filler, pizza toppers and cute houses for little blue creatures. Actually, mushrooms are a superfood, and I’m so glad we eat them in our house!

Since March is National Nutrition month, The Mushroom Council sent me a lot of great information about the powerful contribution mushrooms makes to our diet!

Did you know mushrooms are the only produce item that provides Vitamin D? And they are a great source of selenium! Plus B vitamins! Like I said, superfood.

We each have our own ways we love mushrooms in our house.

I personally, love them in omelets and on pizzas. (I made a great spinach and mushroom fritatta for dinner the other night).

Hubby especially loves mushrooms sauteed over steak. Mmmm… that sounds good too!

Usually I throw the ubiquitous mushroom into side dishes though, to round them out. Like this delicious-looking recipe I modified for our dinner last night:

Here’s my version:

Creamy Mushroom Spinach Pasta

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

An easy stovetop side dish with pasta

Ingredients

1/2 box of Gemelli pasta (or other pasta of choice)
1 T olive oil
10-12 white or crimini button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2-1 cup fresh baby spinach
2 T butter
1 T flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesean cheese (grated)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil water for pasta and prepare according to package directions.
In saute pan, melt butter. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in milk until smooth, cook until bubbly and thickened slightly.
Add in Parmesean cheese until melted. Pour over drained pasta.
In another saute pan, heat olive oil and add red onions. Saute, stirring until onions are soft, but not caramelized.
Add in mushrooms and saute until soft.
Add in spinach leaves and saute until wilted.
Stir vegetables into creamy pasta (reheat if needed).
Serve immediately

SO what IS the Mushroom Council and The Mushroom Channel? A secret society of mushroom lovers? Something new on cable? Not exactly (but close!). The Mushroom Council is a group of mushroom producers and importers who want you to know how wonderfully nutrient-dense, inexpensive, and fat-free the mushroom is!

Mushroom can bring out flavor, stretch your meat farther (mushrooms have great swapability for some or all of your meat), and even allow you bigger portions because they are so low-calorie!

Not sure where to start using mushrooms? (Anywhere from breakfast to dinner!). Check out the Mushroom Channel online, their website has a database of recipes, and you’ll find more resources on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

TWITTER PARTY ALERT! If you love mushrooms like we do, joins the Twitter Party on Wednesday, March 20^th 8-9 PM EST. The hashtag for the party will be #MushroomDish. Get the dish on everything mushrooms, from their versatility to their flavorful qualities at the Twitter party!

What’s your favorite mushroom recipe!?

This is a partnered post with The Mushroom Council and Global Influence. All opinions are 100% my own.

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Monday 25th of March 2013

[...] Make readers salivate over your delicious recipes [...]

Andrea

Friday 15th of March 2013

My husband loves mushrooms so I'll have to make this recipe for him. Thanks for sharing!