Mushrooms

Did you know that mushrooms are a source of vitamin D? The media has brought to our awareness the importance of vitamin D in our diet. It is vital to the integrity of our bones, heart health, and lung function. Of course the sun is our best source of this nutrient but in the effort to protect ourselves from the too much sun we are depriving ourselves of this essential vitamin. FYI; the sun converts the cholesterol in our body into vitamin D. 15 to 30 minutes day in the sun is all you need for your days requirement. Winter produces another obstacle so we look to our food. Vitamin D is found in some animal sources but as of now only one plant source...the mushroom. Mushrooms contain a small amount of this nutrient naturally but the growing practices of using UV lighting is proving to increase this amount.

I love mushrooms but 2 of my kids do not so I have not used mushrooms as a main course too often. But kids grow-up and are not always home at dinner time so I bring on the mushrooms. This is what I made last night....

Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Caps

Marinate
1 TBS. worrestershire sauce
1 TBS. water
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. olive oil

4 portabella mushroom caps

1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
⅛ head cabbage
2 inch piece daikon
1 carrot
1 orange pepper
2 artichoke hearts
6 large kale leaves
2 Tbs. Olive oil
Sea salt
⅛ cup Briggs liquid aminos or balsamic vinegar

Chopped pecons
Feta cheese, crumbled

Brush ¾ of the marinade over the top of the mushroom caps and let set for 15 to 30 minutes. Place into a 350° degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn caps over and brush on the rest of the marinade, return to oven and bake another 15 minutes.

Have prepared all your vegetables before you start sautéing except the kale. Cut the onion, cabbage, and red peppers into thin slices. Chop the garlic and artichoke hearts into medium size pieces. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the daikon and carrots thinly. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok. Add the vegetables in the order that they are listed adding a generous pinch of salt to the onions and letting them wilt a bit before adding the garlic. Sauté each vegetable a few minutes before adding the next one. After everything has been added up to the kale let it all simmer in the juices while you coarsely chop the kale. It will look like you have way too much kale but it will wilt down significantly. Add all the kale and the Briggs liquid aminos, continue cooking until the kale has wilted; this should only take a few minutes.

Remove mushrooms from oven and plate on a serving dish top side down. Sprinkle with chopped nuts then cover with a generous amount of sauted vegetables and top with crumbled feta cheese.

I Served this with herbed oven baked sweet potatoe wedges.

(Excerpts from Trish’s Dishes Copy right 2009)