To say that mushrooms are absolutely fascinating is a major understatement. Every life cycle on this earth begins and ends with mushrooms. The versatility of these amazing fungi as well as the sheer amount of varying types is only part of what makes mushrooms so incredible. Of course, we are more familiar with the types of mushrooms we can eat; baby bella, portabella, and shitake mushrooms are some of the first ones that come to mind and more readily available at most grocery stores.
One of my personal favorite edible mushrooms are Porcini's. They have a pretty intense flavor; a few steps below the potency of truffles. Porcini's have a meaty texture accompanied by a woodsy taste and subtle nutty undertones. I recently created a delicious mushroom cream sauce featuring our dried Porcini and Morel mushrooms.
Ingredients needed:
1 ounce dried Morel mushrooms
1 ounce dried Porcini mushrooms
1 shallot, finely diced
3 large cloves of garlic
4 tbsp butter
1 cup marsala cooking wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh tarragon (2 tbsp dried tarragon)
1 tbsp fresh oregano (2 tbsp dried oregano)
Wild Porcini salt to taste (Kosher salt is fine too)
Black Pepper
Directions:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place the porcini and morel mushrooms in the pot, cover with a lid, and let rehydrate for 20-30 minutes. Strain out the mushrooms, but keep the liquid in the pot and reduce it down over high heat until there is around 1/3 cup left.
Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the diced shallot cooking until tender. Add the garlic and then the rehydrated mushrooms. Reduce the heat and continue to stir to avoid burning the garlic. Add the marsala, bring to a simmer, and allow the liquid to evaporate which should take about 10 minutes. Pour in the reduced mushroom liquid, heavy cream, you salt of choice, and let the sauce simmer until it starts to thicken. Lastly, add the lemon juice, herbs, and black pepper. I used this sauce to pour over steak with a side of broccolini and it was absolutely heavenly!
I have one more recipe to share, but this one is more of a health drink than anything. Believe it or not, mushrooms are also incredibly medicinal. Lion's Mane mushroom is a perfect example. This particular mushroom is said to help with brain health, improving cognitive function and preventing brain diseases such as dementia. It is also believed to help boost the immune system.
Lion's Mane has a slight seafood like flavor making it a popular alternative to seafood in vegan dishes. However, I prefer to take Lion's Mane in a drink. If you are a fan of rich hot chocolate, this is the drink for you.
Ingredients:
1 tsp ground Lion's Mane mushroom
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp dutch cocoa powder
Honey for sweetness
Directions:
Mix together all three powders and pour half a cup of boiling water over them. Stir until they are well incorporated into the hot water. Heat up another half cup of your milk of choice (I use oatmilk) and mix with the chocolate concentrate.
This a great, healthy alternative to regular hot chocolate and an awesome dessert drink that also improves your brain health. Who knew mushrooms could also be in dessert?
If you are curious about medicinal mushrooms, check out our Mushroom Tea Box! And while you're at it, check out the other mushrooms we carry on our website!
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.
