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MMMarvelous Mushrooms

All About Mushrooms

A half-cup serving of cooked sliced mushrooms has a mere 14 calories, virtually no fat, 1 gram of fibre and is a source of phosphorus, potassium, copper, selenium, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms are also a good source of riboflavin and are the only vegetable in the produce section with natural Vitamin D. All that goodness with little calories and fat. *

Recent studies also show that mushrooms can help with:

  • Weight Management
  • Blood Pressure
  • Diabetes
  • Childhood Obesity

*Information from Mushrooms Canada

Chef Victor

Chef Victor has been on campus for 43 years in a variety of capacities. He completed his Red Seal and became Chef. Chef Victor has travelled with the company to provide culinary assistance at many special events such as the Summer Games in PEI and Culinary Council Meetings and will be retiring the end of this month.

Dr. Claude Caldwell – is a recently retired professor of plant science focussing on sustainable agriculture and crop development.

Dr. Bruce Rathgeberis an Associate professor specializing in poultry.

Chef Tom

Chef Tom is currently the Manager of Chartwells Food Services at the Nova Scotia Community College Truro campus and has 12 years of experience including seasonal resorts in St. Andrews, New Brunswick and Digby, Nova Scotia, remote camps and several universities.

Dr. Stefanie Columbo - is an Assistant Professor in Aquaculture focusing on fish nutrition and production

Mushroom Facts

Wood ear mushroom

With their thin, gray-brown to black color and rubbery texture, wood ear mushrooms are not like your standard white or brown mushrooms. Wood ear will only grow on wood. They can be found on living trees or dead wood, but if a live tree has wood ear on it, it's a sign that the tree is most likely dying since the fungus (mushroom) is decomposing some of the tree tissue.

With no caps or stems, the wood ear mushroom, which is sometimes called cloud ear, tree ear or black fungus, is most commonly sold dried and is popular in Asian cooking. You can reconstitute dried mushrooms and then add them to soups or stir fries but my favourite is in salads. Their crunchy texture and dark, velvety color add an unusual element to even the most basic dish.

Salmon Facts

Over 70 per cent of the world’s wild fish stocks have been depleted due to over fishing and therefore, farming fish has become a necessity

-By 2030, over 60 per cent of our seafood will be farmed

-All of the Atlantic salmon we buy at the supermarket is farmed due to depleted wild stocks

-Salmon are carnivores (in the wild they eat other fish); however, in aquaculture it is not environmentally sustainable to harvest wild fish to feed farmed fish, as it depletes wild fish stocks

-Today, a majority of the ingredients in salmon feed are plant-based and new ingredients are being tested that have the best source of nutrition for the fish and for consumers

Poultry Facts

If a new born human  grew as fast as a broiler chicken, an 8 lbs baby would be 80 lbs  in two weeks.

One commercial laying hen can supply enough eggs (325) for 1.4 Canadians each year (per capita consumption of 239).   

You can keep chickens as natural control for ticks, however they are not as ravenous for ticks as their rock star cousins the Guinea Fowl which when allowed outside will consume a diet consisting of 90 per cent bugs.

Recipes

Golden Oyster Mushroom, & Goat Cheese Strudel

One 15" x 6" strudel

13 x 9-inch sheet of puff pastry dough
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 3/4 pounds Oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1lbs Baby spinach Leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 large shallot, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Method:

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry sheet until it measures 15 by 12 inches. Cut the rolled sheet in half lengthwise so each half measures 15 x 6 inches.
2. Place each sheet in the center of a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or wrap with plastic and refrigerate for longer storage, up to 2 days.
3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and then the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms for 5 minutes or until they begin to exude their juice. Add the thyme, spinach, shallot and garlic then season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are lightly golden and the juices are dry, season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Spread on a sheet to cool either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
4. Remove one tray of puff pastry from the refrigerator. Distribute the cooled mushrooms down the center of the pastry sheet. Leave an inch of space around the perimeter of the pastry sheet. Top the mushrooms with thin slices of goat cheese. Brush the border lightly with egg wash.
5. Remove the second sheet of puff pastry from the refrigerator and dust lightly with flour. Working quickly, fold the sheet in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to cut slits in the pastry at 1/2 inch intervals. Cut them within one inch of the unfolded edge to form a border around the slits when the sheet is opened.
6. Fold the sheet in half again crosswise and lay it down over 1/4 of the strudel with the folded half on top. Flip the pastry so that it covers half the strudel lengthwise but is still folded in half lengthwise then unfold the pastry lengthwise to cover the strudel. Bring the edges of the top sheet of dough to meet the edges of the bottom sheet and arrange the slits so that they are evenly spaced. Press down on the 1-inch border with a fork to seal the strudel. Refrigerate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator uncovered, or well-wrapped for overnight storage.
7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
8. Remove the strudel from the refrigerator and brush lightly with egg wash. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue to bake until the strudel in puffed and very golden, about 15-20 minutes more.

Slow Roasted Beets

1lbs Red Beets
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Method

Brush beets with 1-ounce of olive oil and sprinkle with Pepper & salt. Place in a preheated 275 degree oven and bake for 2 hours or until beets are tender. Remove skin from beets and slice into 1/4-inch thick wedges. Arrange 2-3 pieces per plate.

Crispy Leeks

1 medium leek, white and light green parts only
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1⁄4teaspoon salt
1⁄4teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut leek in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half crosswise. Cut each quarter into long, thin strips. Rinse the strips in hot water and pat dry.

Toss in a medium bowl with oil.

In a small bowl combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Sprinkle flour and spice mix over leeks; toss well to combine.

Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the leeks are crispy and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Filet of Atlantic Salmon with Roast Garlic Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

4 x 6oz Atlantic Salmon fillets, Skin removed
3 tsp Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Method

Heat a large non-stick pan over high with olive oil.

 Liberally season salmon with salt and pepper. Place salmon presentation side down in pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Do not move fillets. Allow to cook about 3-4 minutes or until well browned and cooked about three quarters of the way through. Turn fillets and cook about 3 minutes more, or until still just barely pink in the center.

Roast Garlic Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

2 cloves Roast garlic, minced
1lbs Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup Beef stock
1/3 local red wine
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp. whipping cream

Method

For mushroom Sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat the 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Add mushrooms; cook just until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, red wine, fresh herbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Cook about 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in whipping cream. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes more.

Serve over Salmon

Oven Roasted Portobello Mushroom and Boccioni Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 x 6oz Boneless chicken Breast
18oz Portobello Mushrooms, sliced, Caps cleaned of ribs
18oz Baby Spinach
9oz Boccioni Cheese
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
2oz Olive oil
1oz Olive oil

Method

1.        Heat oil 2oz in a large non-stick frying pan add mushrooms and garlic and cook until Mushrooms are soft and released their juices.

2.       Add in Baby spinach and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes just until Spinach is wilted.

3.       Slice Cheese balls into thin slices and portion out into 1.5oz portions.

4.       Thaw chicken Breasts in Fridge overnight as per Compass QA standards and discard any excess liquid.

5.       Lay chicken breasts flat on a cutting board and slice chicken breasts horizontally but not all the way through. You should be able to open each chicken breast like a book.

6.      Season breasts well with salt and Pepper.

7.       On the bottom half of the chicken breast lay 2oz of mushroom spinach mixture and 1.5oz of cheese. Fold over the other half of chicken breast to hide the filling.

8.      Heat remaining oil and sear presentation side of the chicken breast until browned.

9.      Place stuffed breasts on a lined baking sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven until 165 degrees is reached.

10.    Serve with Red Pepper sauce.

11.      

Red Pepper Coulis

800g Roasted Canned Red bell peppers
50 g minced garlic
35 g fresh basil, chopped
45ml – Canola/Olive blend oil
1 liters half-and-half
95 g grated Parmesan Cheese
180 g butter
salt and pepper to taste – 2.5ml of each

Method:

1.     Remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers. Cut peppers into small pieces.

2.    In a skillet, cook and stir the garlic, basil, and red peppers in 3 tablespoons canola/olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, so that the flavors mix.

3.    Place mixture in blender (careful it is hot), and puree to desired consistency. Return puree to skillet, and reheat to a boil. Stir in the half-and-half and the Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until the cheese melts. Add the butter, and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

30-45ml portion size

Parmesan Cremini & Baby Portobello Mushroom Risotto

2L tap water
47.52 g Vegetable Base
62.4ml oil
84g Cremini and Baby Portobello Mushrooms
56g fresh chopped yellow onions
56g fresh bias cut green onions
1.14kg dry arborio rice
28g fresh minced garlic cloves
112g fresh spinach
2ml bulk salt
4ml ground black pepper

Method:

1)       Prepare vegetable stock by combining water and soup base and heat until boiling

2)      Begin heating a large sauce pan with canola oil

3)      Add mushrooms and onions to pan and saute until they start to tender

4)      Add arborio rice and garlic, mix well with mushrooms and onions

5)      Continue to saute until rice is coated and vegetables have started to release their flavors

6)      Add the stock using an 8oz ladle, one cup at a time.  Stir often but allow the stick to absorb into the rice

7)      Continue this process until all srock is absorbed and rice is cream and tender.

8)      Fold in baby spinach allowing heat from rice to wilt the spinach.

9)      Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

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