Four Favorite Asian Recipes with Mushrooms

Asian cooking traditionally uses very inexpensive and freely available ingredients, and in many dishes, mushrooms not only substitute for the taste and texture of meat, but are the star in their own right! It is the heavy utilization of mushrooms in Asian cooking that is thought to be part of the reason for the amazing disease resistance seen in Asian populations, including the Japanese, Mongolian and Tibetan people. Today we are looking at four different Asian-inspired ways to make mushrooms delicious. Fresh is best, so grab a mushroom growing kit and then pop on your chef's hat!

For all of the following recipes, use peanut oil rather than your standard vegetable oil for a more authentic flavor. Soy sauce and sweet chili will be staples, also.

Sweet Chili Mushroom and Pork Wontons

Wontons are a traditional starter item in so many Asian cuisines. These wontons use the amazing texture and freshness of mushrooms straight out of a mushroom growing kit in your pantry. Mix equal amounts of pork and cup mushrooms with 4 green onions. Chuck them all together with a couple of tablespoons of sweet chili sauce and soy sauce in a food processor, and then wrap them up with wonton wrappers according to the directions on the wrapper packet.

Wok Fried Mushrooms with Honey/Soy Seasoning

The honey-soy combination from Asian cooking has permeated so many favorite dishes in the Western diet! Here's another to add to the list. The keys to this recipe are the generous number of mushroom seasonings, including soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey and sesame seeds. Green onions and fresh chili help create a flavor explosion on white rice.

Mushroom, beef and bok choy stir fry

Made with all your favorite meal bases, and recognizable Asian seasonings, this makes it into standard rotation in many homes. The mushrooms in this recipe are marinated with oil, kecap manis, ginger and Chinese cooking wine to permeate them with amazing flavors.

Mushroom and fish laksa

With more South East Asian than northern Asian flavors, this laksa is rich and creamy. The recipe calls for Swiss brown mushrooms, but dried shiitake mushrooms or dried porcini mushrooms would be equally delicious. Using laksa paste rather than a host of herbs and spices makes the recipe easy to manage and delicious.

Mushroom's Nutritional Benefits: The Basics

Mushrooms are known as meat for vegetarians - they are high in many different compounds, vitamins and minerals, as well as high in flavor! They are a rich source of many food components that are essential to our daily processes. Today we are looking at how the vitamins and minerals in mushroom seasonings help you get through your day.

Potassium

Potassium cations (positively charged ions) are required for normal brain and nerve function. Dilute solutions of the potassium ion taste sweet, however higher concentrations taste bitter or salty. The potassium in your mushroom seasonings helps maintain proper fluid balance in the body, preventing both dehydration and water retention. Potassium helps lower high blood pressure, and reduces the risk of stroke.

Copper

Copper in the body helps facilitate iron uptake, another of the reasons that mushrooms are called meat for vegetarians - they are high in copper. People who consistently eat diets deficient in copper don’t metabolize fats as effectively, and don’t synthesize serotonin and dopamine as well, leading to insomnia and depression. Mushroom seasonings are a tasty mood remedy!

Selenium

Selenium was recently taken off the FDA's list of recommendations for prostate cancer -- but don’t let that lead you to believe it isn't useful in our bodies. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant, and works in conjunction with vitamin E in the body as a free radical scavenger.

Iron

Mushroom seasonings are high in iron, an element which is required for carrying oxygen to all the cells around the body. A large proportion of females are naturally iron deficient, and mushroom seasonings for your everyday food are a safe and natural way to correct that.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin is often supplemented into breakfast cereals … unfortunately, it is the sugary, generally unhealthy ones which get this treatment! Get your daily dose of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) from mushroom seasonings instead - it is required for proper energy metabolism, metabolising fats, reducing pathogens in blood. There is current research underway investigating the use of riboflavin along with beta-blockers for the treatment of migraine headaches.

Niacin

Another of the B vitamins, niacin is vitamin B3. It is recognized to be important in normal metabolic processes and in DNA repair - DNA deformities have been shown in some studies to lead to cancer and other conditions. Niacin is also used in mood regulation, and the metabolism of fats. So your mushroom seasonings effectively keep you feeling happy and looking healthy!

What You Might Not Know About Mushrooms

With the explosion of cooking shows on television, exotic herbs and spices have made a huge impact in the cooking industry. Some food items that have been used for centuries by Asian chefs are now making their belated appearance into the modern kitchen. One such food item is mushrooms; more specifically, shiitake and porcini mushrooms. There are a large variety of mushroom seasonings that have become very popular in the culinary aspect. But these delightful fungi are not just very tasty; they have powerful nutritional values as well.

There are many exciting recipes using dried shiitake mushrooms that are easy to prepare, very flavorful, and add to a healthy diet. One such recipe might be stuffed mushroom caps, using fresh crab meat, spices, and dried shiitake mushrooms. This recipe takes less than thirty minutes to prepare and is an excellent appetizer to serve for either a formal or casual dinner party. Shiitake mushrooms can be used in many different dishes to add a rich flavor to your foods.

You can buy dried porcini mushrooms and dried shiitake mushrooms at many large grocery chains or at many health food stores. These unique mushrooms would make an excellent gift for those individuals who enjoy experimenting with different types of spices and food items. One might give somebody a cookbook of recipes on the many uses of the mushrooms along with a gift package of dried shiitake or dried porcini mushrooms. This would be a unique and beneficial gift.

The health benefits of dried shiitake mushrooms and porcini mushrooms are many. They deliver a powerful blast of antioxidants that support the immune system and help to fight off harmful free radicals that are thought to be a cause of many different types of cancer. Antioxidants are very import to help build a strong immune system that can protect a person from infections. With the looming threat of the H1N1 virus, all the extra protection we can give our bodies is very important.

Award winning chefs around the world have been using dried shiitake mushrooms for many years. Now, with the birth of cooking shows, these mushrooms are quite affordable and available for everyday use in modern kitchens across the world. With the numerous recipe options available, you can add a healthy dose of flavor to some simple to prepare meals using mushroom seasonings. These mushrooms are more than just a spice; they are a healthy addition to your favorite recipes.

Growing Exotic Mushrooms at Home

I recently decided to try and do something different in terms of gardening. For years I have grown organic vegetables in my home garden and been an avid mushroom hunter when the seasons roll around. I was searching the Internet one day for different ideas and came across a great site where I found a wealth of information about growing my own mushrooms. You can imagine how my curiosity was piqued and I was interested to find out more information!

I decided to order my very own mushroom growing kit and soon after it arrived I was in business. I began to explore the many different recipes available which called for specialty mushrooms and was surprised at how many delicious dishes I could make with the mushrooms I was growing in my own home.

I purchased the oyster and shiitake growing kits. My kids and I found it fun and easy to produce our own delicious fresh mushrooms right at home. The instructions were easy to follow, and in about a week I noticed the first baby buds of mushrooms popping up. Over the next month or two, I was able to grow more mushrooms than I ever thought possible. What mushrooms I didn’t use in cooking, I was able to freeze dry for later use -- I cannot even begin to tell you how much money I saved on my grocery bill by doing that!

If you or someone you know is a mushroom lover, Oak Hill Mushrooms is a fantastic family owned company which has an extensive inventory of specialty items including books, merchandise, mushroom growing kit, recipes, dried mushrooms, mushroom powders and much more. I was amazed by the wide variety and the reasonable prices offered. I found everything I needed to indulge my love of mushrooms all on one website.

I plan on using the company again because my brother is an executive chef who knows how to make many different recipes using exotic mushrooms. Gone are the days of tromping through the wet, muggy woods searching for the ultimate prize of wild mushrooms, I can get everything I want from Oak Hill Mushrooms. I recommend that if you or someone you know is a mushroom lover, check out the selection available from Oak Hill Mushrooms -- you are not going to be disappointed and will find yourself returning to purchase products again and again.