Mushrooms Canada Blog

Meatless Monday: Portabella, Pepper & Pesto Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:03:00 +0000

The sunshine has finally come and I hope this time it's to say. In warm, sunny weather my favourite go-to lunch and dinner is a simple sandwich. Sandwiches are so versatile and so easy to enjoy with whatever happens to be in your fridge. For this sandwich, I went with juicy Portabella mushrooms, red and green peppers and my favourite combo, pesto and goat cheese.

Simply fry up the veggies. You can do this in a pan or on the grill and be sure to add all of your favourites- some eggplant and onions would also be great on this!

While these are frying, slice your fresh, homemade bread. Spread a generous heap of pesto and crumble goat cheese onto your bread. Laying the hot sauteed veggies over the cheese will allow it to melt perfectly.

Press the sandwich together and enjoy. This also makes for a great panini recipe, but my bread was just too fresh and delicious to grill. Get creative with your own recipe at home and make use of your leftovers too! If you'd like to make this a meaty meal, add some leftover chicken or turkey pieces to your sandwich.

What's your favourite go-to sandwich?

-Shannon

Queen's Park: Foodland Ontario Fresh Market

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:23:00 +0000

It's a busy time for us here at the Mushrooms Canada offices! So much excitement surrounding grilling season and the great weather that (we hope) is here to stay. This is why it's taken some time to pull together this little recap of the wonderful day we had with Foodland Ontario in Queen's Park, Toronto.

Each year, Foodland Ontario puts together a fabulous fresh market in the park to showcase all of the wonderful fresh and local foods that Ontario has to offer. Dairy was showing off their fantastic ice cream, Ontario Pork was doing a mouthwatering pulled pork on a bun, Ontario Berry Growers has some fabulous strawberries and of course Mushrooms!

Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Kathleen Wynne, started the day off with song by single the infamous jingle, Good Things Grow in Ontario! She also stopped by the Mushrooms Canada booth for a sample. In the warm, sunny weather our fresh Ontario Crimini Mushrooms with Spinach Dip went over so well! It was a light snack, packed with flavour.

Longo's Markets were also there showing off their mushroom love! It was a beautiful display of fresh, local produce. There were so many tasty samples in the park!

After another day in the sun, the message remains clear, Good Things Grow in Ontario!

Vegetable Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:25:00 +0000

This meal came together in an attempt to keep dinner simple, quick and nutritious. I've recently become obsessed with Quinoa. It's got a fantastic nutty flavour and is so versatile. I've been using it as a simple dinner side, cold atop a salad and now, I used my leftover quinoa to stuff a Portabella mushroom.

In order to bulk up the leftovers, lots of asparagus was added to the mix. You simply can not have too much asparagus. In fact, the more the better in my books.

I also cleaned out the Portabella cap, giving myself much more room for tasty filling. I threw my leftover veggie quinoa into the pan with some water just to rejuvenate it a bit, then added the diced asparagus to the mix.

While the vegetable quinoa was cooking, I brushed the Portabella cap with olive oil and baked on 400F for about 10 minutes (or until soft). Once soft, I pulled the cap and filled it with quinoa. I crumbled some goat cheese, dressed a few smaller mushrooms with goat cheese as a side as well (why not?!) and put these back in the oven until the cheese turned soft.

Experiment with your favourite flavours and enjoy your tasty creation!

-Shannon

Grow Me, Blog Me: Winner #2

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:21:00 +0000

I hope you've all been having fun with your mushroom growing kits! I'm seeing a lot of chatter online about the mushrooms- the growing, the waiting, the care and attention and the recipes!

We had set the second of three deadlines for the $50 Visa Gift Cards, for this past Tuesday, June 4th. We know many of you are still growing, so don't worry, there's still one more deadline and it will be set soon.

Our second randomly chosen winner of the $50 Visa Gift Card for our Grow Me, Blog Me Giveaway is...
*drumroll*

Marlene of Life Through the Kitchen Window

Mar shared her experience of growing her mushroom kit in anticipation of enjoying the delicious Oyster mushrooms, only to have them dry up on her. She wasn't going to let that stop her! Instead, she let the growing kit inspire her to create a fabulous pasta recipe. Head on over to her blog for the recipe to her tasty Pasta con Olio e Funghi di Cremini.

Congratulations Mar! Everyone stay tuned for the announcement of our third and final draw.

Grill On!

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:02:00 +0000

Today is the official launch of the exciting new summer promotion called "Get Your Grill On with Turkey & Mushrooms" to get you ready with a brand new e-cookbook just in time for grilling season. Simply head over to Facebook, "Like" us and download!

Ten of Canada's top food bloggers are taking part, sharing grilling recipes using mushrooms and turkey. Want to know who your all-star grillers are? We are pleased to present Renee Kohlman of Sweet Sugar Bean, Amy Bronee of Family Feedbag, Charmian Christie of The Messy Baker, Connie O'Halloran of Ruby Reduction, Michelle Peters-Jones of The Tiffin Box, Jeanine Friesen of The Baking Beauties, Kelly Brisson of The Gouda Life, Christina Austin of Buffy & George, Louisa Clements of Living Lou and Isabelle Boucher of Crumb: A Food Blog.

We are kicking off the promotion with tonight's Twitter Party.

You must RSVP to the Twitter Party for a chance to win some great prizes, including 1 of 2 Tasty Turkey Prize Packs and Make it with Mushrooms Aprons. Get ready for the party by creating a new grilling recipe or digging up an old grilling recipe. Post it on your own blog and be ready to share the link during the party tonight. See you all there!

-Shannon

Guest Post: Mushroom Lasagna by Mmm...is for Mommy

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:36:00 +0000

We've got a guest in our kitchen today... The very talented Heather of Mmm...is for Mommy. You may recognize Heather from her previous post, the delicious Truffled Roasted Crimini Pizza... now she's back sharing another tasty mushroom recipe with us!

I’m back! I kind of feel like a guest host on SNL... you have to do awesome the first time to be asked back, so a big thank you to Mushrooms Canada for having me return for seconds!

Although I have had months to prepare, I have had a bit of ‘mushroom block’. There are so many awesome recipes on mushrooms.ca that every idea I could come up with had already been done. Seriously, this is the best grouping of mushroom recipes (and photos) you will find anywhere. So what I am going to share today is my favourite mushroom recipe that dates back to pre-child, pre-dSLR, pre-blog even... but (very amateur) photos still exist of it’s original creation in 2008, that’s how I’ve always rolled, camera in hand.

This lasagna has made hardcore carnivores stray to the green side (at least for a meal). It’s so rich and decadent that I only make it for special occasions, it’s not everyday fare. This recipe is written in story form, and when I started modifying the format, it just felt wrong. This lasagna is a story.

The six mushrooms are Crimini, Portobella, Porcini, Chanterelle, Oyster and Shiitake. I used fresh Crimini and Portabellas and the rest were re-hydrated from dry form. In a large pot, I sauteed up a large minced shallot along with about two pounds of assorted roughly chopped mushrooms.

A pot full of mushrooms turns into not so many after simmering in a bath of butter, extra virgin olive oil and white wine. I cooked the mushrooms down quite a bit, added some herbs de Provence, some extra sage (I used dried in this case, but fresh would have been oh so yummy), salt and pepper. I fed them some some extra wine and a splash of vegetable broth until they looked like they were having just the right amount of fun.

Right before I was ready to build the lasagna, I added about a pint (yikes) of heavy cream and a bit of freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano. I put together the lasagna using layers of nice flat lasagna sheets (dry, but softened in water for about 30 minutes... I never precook my lasagna noodles), the mushroom cream, shredded mozza and more Parm, as well as a layer of Ricotta, which I had mixed with a beaten egg, Parm, and a pinch of grated Nutmeg. I bake this lasagna for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees.

This recipe is an oldie, but a goodie, my absolute favourite mushroom recipe and I know you will enjoy it.

If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Creamy Mushroom Lasagna
Creamy Spinach Mushroom Lasagna
Fresh Mushroom Lasagna

~~~~~

Thanks so much Heather for being our guest. Lasagna is always a favourite and I love how many mushroom varieties are used in it! Don't forget to follow Heather on her blog Mmm...is for Mommy, on Twitter and on Facebook.

Get Your Grill On with Turkey & Mushrooms {Twitter Party RSVP}

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Wed, 29 May 2013 12:52:00 +0000

Who is ready for summer grilling season? I know we are! Mushrooms Canada and Turkey Farmers of Canada have an exciting new summer promotion called "Get Your Grill On with Turkey & Mushrooms" launching on June 5th to get you locked and loaded with a brand new e-cookbook just in time for grilling season.

Ten of Canada's top food bloggers were selected to participate in this fun grilling adventure - each contributing 2 recipes featuring the star ingredients: mushrooms and turkey. Want to know who your all-star grillers are? We are pleased to present Renee Kohlman of Sweet Sugar Bean, Amy Bronee of Family Feedbag, Charmian Christie of The Messy Baker, Connie O'Halloran of Ruby Reduction, Michelle Peters-Jones of The Tiffin Box, Jeanine Friesen of The Baking Beauties, Kelly Brisson of The Gouda Life, Christina Austin of Buffy & George, Louisa Clements of Living Lou and Isabelle Boucher of Crumb: A Food Blog.

Look for the "Get Your Grill On with Turkey & Mushrooms" e-cookbooks starting on June 5th. You will be able to download half of the cookbook from Mushrooms Canada and the other half from Turkey Farmers of Canada as of June 5th. Put them together and you will have an e-cookbook filled with 20 tantalizing recipes featuring mushrooms and turkey!

Twitter Party Details
On June 5th at 8pm ET, Mushrooms Canada and Turkey Farmers of Canada will host an awesome Twitter party to launch the "Get Your Grill On with Turkey & Mushrooms" e-cookbooks. This is one grilling party you don't want to miss as there will be lots of prizes to be won. The night will kick off with an introduction by moderator Kathy Jollimore of eatHalifax followed by lots of fun, excitement, and discussion around the "hot topic" of the night - grilling turkey and mushrooms! There might even be a special appearance (or ten!) by our contributing food bloggers! So bring your best grilling recipes and questions, it's going to be an informative (and yummy) night!

You must RSVP below to the Twitter Party for a chance to win some great prizes, including 1 of 2 Tasty Turkey Prize Packs and Make it with Mushrooms Aprons. Give us your @TwitterHandle as your name and link to your Twitter URL so we can find you ahead of time too! Get ready for the party by creating a new grilling recipe or digging up an old grilling recipe. Post it on your own blog and be ready to share the link during the party on June 5th. See you all there!

Stay Warm on a Cool Spring Day

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:58:00 +0000

So far this season, the warm weather has been hit and miss. It seems we get a heat wave just long enough to get in the habits of grilling and wearing flip-flops, then suddenly it's cold again. Today is one of those chilly days, with a high in the low teens and rain...all day. Warm weather is destined to come and stay soon, but in the meantime, I've pulled together some of my favourite chilly weather recipes to keep bellies warm.

Start the day with a filling Asparagus and Mushroom Breakfast topped with a poached egg. This breakfast is High in Fibre and is an Excellent Source of Protein to help kick-start the day. For lunch, add some fish to your diet with this Tilapia with Warm Mushroom and Arugula Salad. It's quick and easy to prepare.

Dinner is easy with this Mushroom Ravioli with Four Cheese Sauce. A quick filling that bursts with flavour is enclosed in prepared won ton skins instead off pasta making this a lighter version of ravioli.

If you're a snacker- I know I am- go for a light, healthy snack, that will continue to help warm you on these chilly nights. Warm Mushroom Dip with Baked Pita Crisps is a healthy alternative to salty snacking. At only 61 calories per serving, this is a dip you can feel good about eating and serving to your family.

Be sure to include mushrooms in your diet, no matter the weather. Adding four to five medium sized mushrooms (100 g) to your meals provides important vitamins and minerals, essential for a healthy body and active lifestyle.

How are you staying warm today?

-Shannon

Grow Me, Blog Me | Giveaway #2

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Did you attend the 2013 Food Bloggers Conference at Hockley Valley? If you did, you likely received one of these fun Grow Your Own Mushroom kits.

In about 10 days, full Oyster Mushrooms are grown and ready for you to enjoy them. There have already been some fantastic responses from bloggers and some great photos too! As mentioned on the back of the tag, grow the mushrooms, blog about them and send the link to me (shannon@mushrooms.ca) and you will be entered for your chance at one (1) of three (3) $50 Visa Gift Cards.

Our first winner was Stephanie of Clockwork Lemon, who posted about her experience and made some wonderful Herbed Goat Cheese and Mushroom Tarts.

The second of the 3 deadlines will be Tuesday June 4th. If you've grown your mushrooms, now is the time to get that post up! Looking forward to all of your great blog posts.

Make it with Mushrooms this Long Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Heading to a backyard BBQ this long weekend? I'm going to share some of my favourite recent finds for warm weather eats.

Spring Rolls with Radish & Ginger Mushrooms by LORE

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Queso by Yum Sugar

Marinated Grilled Mushrooms by Dine and Dish

Bacon and Veggie Stuffed Mushrooms by Coupon Clipping Cook

Stuffed Jalapeño and Sweet Peppers by FOODjimoto

Have a safe and flavourful long weekend and enjoy that sunshine!

-Shannon

Grow Me, Blog Me: Winner #1

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:31:00 +0000

I hope you've all been having fun with your mushroom growing kits! I'm seeing a lot of chatter online about the mushrooms- the growing, the waiting, the care and attention and the recipes!

We had set the first of three deadlines for the $50 Visa Gift Cards, for this past Tuesday, May 14th. We know many of you are still growing, or have not had the time to get around to writing a post, so don't worry, two more deadlines will be set very soon. However, we do know that there's some "keeners" in the mix and we wanted to celebrate your mushroom growing accomplishments!

Our first randomly chosen winner of the $50 Visa Gift Card for our Grow Me, Blog Me Giveaway is... *drumroll*

Stephanie of Clockwork Lemon

Even though Clockwork Lemon is a baking blog, Stephanie took to the challenge and made it a family affair by sharing the experience with her parents. The end result was a beautiful Herbed Goat Cheese and Mushroom Tart! I knew these mushrooms looked amazing growing out of the box, but holy moly did they come together nicely in this recipe!!

For her full recipe, visit her blog.

Guest Post: Grilled Portabella and Poblano Tacos by Crumb: A Food Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:30:00 +0000

We've got a guest in our kitchen today... The very talented Isabelle of Crumb: A Food Blog. Isabelle is back to share another delicious mushroom recipe, this time on the grill. Perfect for warm weather!

Hi there! My name is Isabelle, and I’m the blogger behind Crumb: A Food Blog, and I’m thrilled to be back on the Mushrooms Canada blog to share another recipe you guys.

I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited that warm, sunny weather is finally back again after a rather miserable spring, especially because it means I get to drag out the grill out from its wintertime slumber. I firmly believe that food cooked outdoors tastes better... I mean, how else do you explain why even a box of no-name mac and cheese is the most delicious thing in the world when you’re camping? Exactly.

The problem with most of the summertime barbecue classics, though, is that they have a distinctly carnivorous bent – from steaks and chops, to ribs, to chicken wings, to burgers and dogs, it’s a meat eater’s paradise.

Vegetarians, on the other hand, tend to get the short end of the stick (or rather, the crumbly, tasteless patty). Thankfully, portabella mushroom caps are the perfect solution to this dilemma, since a quick sear on the grill accentuates their meaty flavour and texture. That’s what makes them one of my favourite ingredients when we’re having vegetarian friends over for dinner, or if I’m just in one of my meat-free moods.

In these tacos, strips of meaty grilled portabella join up with grilled onions and poblano peppers, and then get a quick toss with smoky chipotle powder and tangy lime juice to create a taco filling so flavourful and satisfying that even the most devoted of meat eaters won’t complain. Honestly, this just might be one of the best things to come off your grill this season, regardless of whether you’re a meatatarian, a flexitarian, or a vegetarian. So what are you waiting for? Winter’ll be back again before you know it.

Grilled Portabella and Poblano Tacos
Serves 4

Ingredients
Pico de Gallo:
2 roma tomatoes, diced
½ small red onion, finely diced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Pinch of salt
2 tsp lime juice

Grilled Portabella Filling:
4 medium-sized portabella mushrooms (about 1 pound)
1 small red onion, cut into thick slices
1 tbsp canola oil
Salt and pepper
1 whole poblano chile
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp chipotle powder

Assembly and Toppings:
8 small corn tortillas, warmed
Guacamole
Cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges
Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Method
Preheat a lightly oiled grill on medium-high heat.

While the grill is heating up, prepare the pico de gallo. In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, salt and lime juice. Set aside.

Next, prepare the grilled portabella filling. Remove the stems from the portabellas, and discard. Using a spoon, scrape out the dark gills from the underside of the mushroom caps.

Lightly brush the portabellas and the onions on both sides with canola oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Arrange the mushrooms, onion, and poblano on the hot grill, and cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until the mushrooms are softened and the onion is lightly charred. Remove from heat and transfer to a cutting board.

Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano, and discard. Cut the poblano and the portabellas into thin strips, and roughly chop the onion. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss with lime juice and chipotle powder until well coated.

To assemble, arrange 2 tortillas per plate, and divide the mushroom filling evenly between them. Serve with pico de gallo and bowls of the different toppings so that everyone can garnish their tacos as they please.

If you like this recipe, you may also want to try:
Roasted Portabella Fajitas
Spinach and Corn Stuffed Portabellas
Mushroom and Vegetable Tacos

~~~~~

Thanks so much Isabelle for being our guest. I swear she knew that I was craving tacos, of course that's not hard, since they are my favourite food! Check out Isabelle's previous post for Baked Potatoes with Creamy Mushroom Ragout and don't forget to follow her blog Crumb: A Food Blog, and on Twitter and Pinterest.

Grow Me, Blog Me | Giveaway #1

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Did you attend the 2013 Food Bloggers Conference at Hockley Valley? If you did, you likely received one of these fun Grow Your Own Mushroom kits.

The first of the 3 deadlines will be next Tuesday May 14th. If you've grown your mushrooms, now is the time to get that post up! Looking forward to all of your great blog posts.

Mushrooms on the Grill

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:57:00 +0000

I hope you all got to spend the weekend in the sun like I did! What a beautifully warm weekend we finally had. I think this year has hit me particularly hard, with such a long cold snowy winter. Now that sun sun and the heat is here, I'm taking advantage of it! Long walks in the woods, bike rides and of course, grilling.

This past weekend, I pulled everything I could out of the fridge and threw it all on the barbecue. Chicken breasts, peameal bacon on a bun, roasted peppers and mushroom caps stuffed with goat cheese and pesto and some bacon wrapped Enoki mushrooms.

We had enough food to feed an army, and yet it all disappeared with only 4 people. Impressive. My Stuffed Mushroom Caps are always a hit, in fact I can't go to a BBQ without them, but this was the first time I tackled Bacon Wrapped Enoki Mushrooms.

These tightly wrapped appetizers were certainly a hit! Next time I may consider marinating them, but for my first go at them, I just bunched the mushrooms, wrapped the bunch in one thick strip of bacon and secured with a toothpick. Simple and delicious.

What were you grilling up this weekend?

-Shannon

Playoff Snacks

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:34:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I am a massive hockey fan and I am all too excited to see my life-long favs back in the NHL playoffs. It's been a rough 9 years, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are making their way back to ice for their first game tonight against the Boston Bruins.

9 years is a long time...a very long time. To put things in perspective, I didn't even have my drivers licence the last time they were in the playoffs. Even weirder, iTunes didn't exist yet, no one has ever Tweeted during a Leafs playoff game and we certainly didn't get to watch the game in HD. These are facts that seem way too scary and make me feel kind of old.

Whether you're a fan or not, I've got some great game-time snacks that will have everybody cheering.

Easy Stuffed Portabella Pizza in a Cashew Basil Cheese Sauce by Oh She Glows

Chili and Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Buffalo and Blue Cheese-Stuffed Button Mushrooms by Pithy & Cleaver

Enjoy the game with your family and these kid favourites:

Porcupine Meat Balls
Crunchy Portabella Fingers

Which team are you cheering on during the playoffs?

-Shannon

Guest Post: Fresh Pasta with Crimini and Porcini Mushrooms by Daniele & Nina Polidoro

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Today we welcome a father-daughter team to our kitchen! Daniele Polidoro shows off his cooking skills, while assisted and photographed by his daughter Nina Polidoro of neen bean photography.

My name is Nina. I recently finished my Bachelor of Education at OISE and have since returned to my full time position as an Employment Facilitator. My evenings and weekends consist largely of dogs, knitting, eating and neen bean photography. Each of these interests are laced with my strong connection to my family, and I’m thrilled to share a bit of our corner of the world through this recipe –

Thank you Mushrooms Canada!

I hated mushrooms. Forever. They were the worst, by my standards, for a very – very – long time. My dad is from Italy, and he’s a world-class chef. He took me to an Italian restaurant in 2006, in Italy, whose entire menu revolved around mushrooms… and he got the kitchen to make me a mushroom-free dish. Yes, I was the worst. For years, my dad weathered my contempt for tomatoes, my aversion for cilantro, my revulsion of olives and my absolute hatred of mushrooms. But then one day, I fell in love – with these deep fried potato-mushroom logs. I don’t remember what they’re actually called, but they were delicious, and it irreversibly altered my palette for mushrooms. Today, I am happy to indulge in any of the wonderfully planned and deliciously executed mushroom-masterpieces he places before me when I’m home for dinner. He knows how much I love pasta, so for our feature dish, Dad decided to make a long-time favourite in our home; I biked over with the ingredients and my camera in my basket to mum and dad’s house, a street over from ours, and let Dad do his thing.

Fresh Pasta with a Crimini and Porcini Mushroom Sauce
My dad has always believed in the importance of using real ingredients in the kitchen, no matter what the dish; so if you want high quality taste, use high quality ingredients. Using real butter and real cream is essential to this dish! The quantities for this recipe are sufficient to feed a group of 6 hungry adults, so you will need to scale it back proportionately for a smaller yield.

Ingredients
• 1 ½ cups of 18% cream
• 150 g (6 0z) butter
• 1 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock
• 3 packages of fresh pasta
• 1 lb fresh crimini mushrooms
• 30 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/2 small onion
• fresh parsley, grated parmesan cheese
• salt, pepper (in Italian, this would be accompanied by “QB,” meaning “quanto basta” – “to your taste,” “as much as you like,” or “sufficiently”)

Method
1. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes.
2. Clean and dry the crimini mushrooms. Chop mushrooms into large enough pieces that they can be found in the sauce (avoid chopping them too finely). Place into a bowl.
3. Finely chop a handful of fresh parsley.
4. Gently squeeze water from the porcini mushrooms, and collect 4-5 oz of the resulting mushroom juice; don’t use the grit in the bottom of the bowl! (You could also strain with a cheese cloth.)
5. Coarsely chop the soaked porcini mushrooms.
6. Finely chop ½ of a small onion.
7. Put on a big pot of water to boil – add a tablespoon of salt when the water starts simmering.
8. Set the table. Make it look pretty.
9. Melt butter in the pan on medium heat, bringing it to a sizzle.
10. Add onions, frying them until golden in colour – add the mushrooms, and bring the mixture to a high temperature. Allow this to cook for about 8 minutes, stirring regularly.
11. Add 3 pinches of parsley, and the mushroom juice (about 1 cup), chicken stock (1 cup – this could be substituted for vegetable stock, if you prefer), and cream (1 ½ cups).
12. Stir the sauce, and reduce to medium heat.
13. Add pepper to taste (or QB!)
14. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes once the cream has been added; it may look like a lot of sauce in comparison to the amount of pasta you’re using, but the pasta will soak up some of the sauce.
15. Add pasta to boiling water, stir regularly to ensure it doesn’t stick (for this quantity of fresh pasta, this takes approximately 5-7 minutes to reach el dente).
16. Strain the pasta and add to sauce in a serving bowl. Garnish pasta with fresh parsley, and add grated parmesan to taste.

For best results, enjoy with wine and loved ones, and follow with espresso & a delicious homemade dessert. Buon appetito!

~~~~~

You can never go wrong with a good pasta dish! Thanks so much to Daniele and Nina for being our guests and taking us on a flavourful little trip to Italy. Don't forget to follow Nina's neen bean photography page on Facebook and on Twitter.

Guest Post: Marinated Mushroom Bruschetta by shamecake

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

We've got a guest in our kitchen today! We are happy to welcome Fabiola of shamecake. She's a first time guest sharing a light recipe perfect for spring. With a recipe this good, we'll have to get her back!

Hi, I'm Fabiola, the awkward personality behind shamecake: a blog dedicated to my baking adventures at home and sometimes at work. I'm addicted to all things sweet, yes...but I can assure you that my taste in the savoury department is trustworthy and dedicated to delicious and mostly health conscious food. I made this take on mushroom bruschetta which can serve as a tasty appetizer or in my case, a tasty lunch when topped with a fried egg and served with some greens.

I don't think I'd be penalized if I made the following statement here between mushroom friends: People who hate mushrooms need to be banished from this earth.

How can you not adore every aspect of their being? How can you have a goat's cheese omelette without feeling the overwhelming need to throw mushrooms in there? (If you don't like goat's cheese either, we really have little more to discuss other than your um....situation) How can you not want mushrooms in your soup, on your pizza or hanging out on your steak?

I find that cooking and marinating criminis, putting them on a slice of homemade focaccia bread with a thoughtful spread of arugula pesto and a love dusting of Parmesan cheese...makes me a very happy camper.

Marinated Mushroom Bruschetta

Marinated Mushrooms
(makes enough for about 6 pieces of bruschetta)
Ingredients
1 box crimini mushrooms, sliced
a dab of butter (1-2 tsp... I never count)
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 clove garlic, finely grated (I used a microplane)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Heat a pan on medium-high heat with the dab of butter, then add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and let cook for 2-3 minutes to brown a bit before adding the garlic and thyme. Once the mushrooms are cooked remove from heat and add the balsamic vinegar.

Arugula Pesto
Ingredients
1/3 cup raw almonds
1 clove garlic
3 cups arugula
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil or enough to bring the mixture together

Method
In a food processor, process the garlic and almonds until smooth. Add in all the arugula at once along with the Parmesan cheese (squish down if necessary) and process while drizzling the olive oil until you have a thick smooth paste.

To assemble bruschetta, slice your bread of choice or use (this recipe) and spread on a layer of pesto. Top with mushrooms, then Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400F until the bread is lightly toasted and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Seriously. Put an egg on it and make it a meal.

~~~~~

Wow, this meal looks so light and fresh! Thanks so much to Fabiola for being our guest. Don't forget to follow her blog shamecake and on Twitter for a little bit of savoury and a LOT of sweet.

Mushrooms Canada Raises $45,204 for Breast Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

This past October, Canadian mushroom growers joined forces with the Breast Cancer Society of Canada to support research for the prevention, early detection and treatment of breast cancer. For every kilogram of fresh mushrooms sold in the PINK packages from September 24 to November 10, Canadian Mushroom Farmers made a contribution to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.

Again, Canadian mushroom farmers far exceeded their fundraising goal of $25,000, raising a grand total of $45,204.13.

We "Liked" your help!

Try these delicious mushroom recipes:

For more information on the link between Mushrooms & Breast Cancer visit www.MushroomsGoPINK.ca.
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"Canadian mushroom growers and their employees are justifiably proud of their donation of $45,204.13 to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada. The farm-gate price they received from retailers for PINK mushrooms in October was the same as they get for non-PINK mushrooms year-round. There were no premiums because the mushrooms were PINK. And consumers paid the same price for PINK as they did for non-PINK. Mushroom growers made these donations out of their own pockets and the Beast Cancer Society was overwhelmed by their generosity."

Participating Mushroom Farms:
Mushrooms Canada
All Seasons Mushrooms Inc.
Carleton Mushroom Farms Ltd.
Champ's Mushrooms Inc.
Champag Inc.
Continental Mushroom
Farmers' Fresh Mushroom Inc.
Highline Produce Limited
Loveday Mushroom Farms Ltd.
Monaghan Mushrooms
Peeters Mushroom Farm
Piccioni Bros. Mushroom Ltd.
Prairie Mushrooms (2010) Ltd.
Ravine Mushroom Farms Inc.
Rol-land Farms Mushrooms Inc.
Windmill Farms

Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry Stuffed Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:02:00 +0000

Deciding on a dinner recipe is always a bit of a task. I love using up what I have on hand and forcing myself to be creative with the ingredients. Last night I was riffling through my fridge looking at all of the wonderful veggies I had on hand and how little meat there was. I've been accused of eating too much chicken, but I just find chicken to be so simple and so versatile!

This recipe came together around the large, beautiful Portabella mushrooms. Portabella mushrooms have as much Potassium as a small banana and are packed full of essential nutrients. I wanted to stuff the caps as our meal, as opposed to a side, so I really did not want them full of cheese. Instead, I pulled out a boneless chicken breast, red pepper, onion, and asparagus and created a stir-fry with some delicious prepared teriyaki sauce. I brushed the caps with the sauce as well before placing them in the oven for 10 minutes.

While the caps were in the oven, I pan fried the diced chicken cubes, then added the veggies, stirring in the teriyaki sauce. Use as little or as much of the sauce as suits you. Once the mixture was cooked and smelling great, I pulled the caps from the oven and piled in the stir-fry filling, topping it all off with some sesame seeds.

Which ingredients do you love to use when stuffing mushrooms?

-Shannon

FBC Appetizer: Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

The Food Bloggers of Canada Conference featured some of the most delicious recipes! There was so much food to enjoy and never once did I hear complaining. During the cocktail reception, sponsors had the opportunity to offer tasty treats to the hungry foodies.

These little mushroom caps had a big flavour and were some of the first things to disappear. So many of you were asking for the recipe, and we deliver. The ones sampled at the reception were the vegetarian variation. Enjoy these Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms in your own home.

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
8 large jumbo or stuffer fresh Mushrooms
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup shredded Swiss or old Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped, well drained, cooked spinach*
2 tbsp crisp cooked bacon bits or diced sundried tomatoes
2 finely minced, cloves garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Method
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop. In a medium bowl, combine chopped stems, bread crumbs, Swiss cheese, spinach, bacon, garlic, basil, salt and mayonnaise; mix well. Brush oil on outside of mushroom caps. Spoon filling evenly into caps, mounding as necessary and place in shallow baking pan. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake in 425°F (220°C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are heated through.

Makes 4 main course or 8 appetizer servings

* Use frozen, thawed chopped spinach or cook fresh in microwave; be sure to press out the moisture.

Tip: Mushrooms could be cooked on a rack or in a pan on the barbecue

Variation: Substitute about 16-20 large mushrooms for jumbos or stuffers.

Guest Post: Roasted Mushroom Tart with Herbed Goat Cheese and Onion Jam by Sweetsugarbean

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0000

We've got a guest in our kitchen today! We are happy to welcome Renée of Sweetsugarbean. She's back sharing another fabulous mushroomy recipe!

Hi everyone! My name is Renée Kohlman and Sweetsugarbean is my food blog I've been writing now for over two years. I live in beautiful Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where I happily whip up delicious creations in my little green kitchen. Being a professional chef as well as a food blogger, I’m lucky to have turned my passion for all things food into a career I love. When not busy with the pots and pans, I can be found outside, busy in my garden, growing a lot of the food that is featured on the blog. Except in winter of course, then I cocoon with good books, Downton Abbey, and eat too much chocolate.

I’m always excited when Mushrooms Canada asks me to write a guest post for their blog. Mushrooms are a staple in my kitchen and it’s always a thrill to put them in new recipes. For today’s tart, I roasted two varieties - portabella and cremini. I love the meatiness of the former and the earthiness of the latter. Roasting them first enhances the flavour and reduces the juices - a trick I did before when I stuffed mushrooms. Tossed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, they are so darn tasty, it’s a challenge to save some for the tart!

Frozen puff pastry is one of my kitchen staples. The pre-rolled stuff makes whipping up tarts like this so simple. A savoury onion jam is slow-cooked and spread onto the bottom of the pastry. Top with the balsamic-roasted mushrooms and goat cheese enhanced with herbs and lemon. Bake for 20 minutes, until it’s golden brown around the edges. I love pea-shoots and they make such a pretty garnish, as well as enhance the flavours of the tart. The earthy mushrooms play so well with the sweet jam, creamy goat cheese and crispy pastry. A hit all around - I even licked the last few crumbs from the plate, and I can’t wait to make it again.

Roasted Mushroom Tart with Herbed Goat Cheese and Onion Jam
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions diced good pinch of salt
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar

2 portabella mushrooms, stem removed, thickly sliced
8 cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
coarse salt and pepper
a few sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

140 grams (about 1/2 cup) goat cheese, softened at room temp
zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 tsp salt

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (I used the kind already pre-rolled. If not, roll yours out to about 8 inches by 11)
fresh pea shoots, for garnish

Method
To make onion jam, heat olive oil over medium/high heat in medium size sauce pan. Add onions, stirring well, reduce heat to medium/low and stir in salt. Cook until translucent, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, scraping up brown bits every so often. You may need to add a bit more olive oil if it seems too dry. Add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar and cook about 20 minutes longer, over low heat, stirring often. Once soft and jammy, let cool and set aside.

Meanwhile, toss the sliced mushrooms in a large bowl with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and thyme. Place on a parchment-lined bake sheet and roast in a preheated 400*F oven for about 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and set aside. Mix the goat cheese with lemon zest, thyme and salt.

Lay the sheet of puff pastry onto a parchment-lined bake sheet. With a sharp knife, score the perimeter of the pastry about 1 inch all around. Using a fork, poke holes all around inside the border - this will ensure the pastry doesn’t rise in the inside, but it does around the edges. Spread the onion jam evenly in the middle. Top with roasted mushrooms and goat cheese.

Bake at 400*F for about 20 -25 minutes. Garnish with pea shoots. Serves 2 for main or 4 for appetizer.

~~~~~

Thanks so much Renee for being our guest and sharing the most beautiful photos! Don't forget to follow Renee on her blog Sweetsugarbean, on Twitter and on Facebook.

If you like this recipe, you may also want to try:
Mushroom Walnut Pesto Tart
Indian Spiced Mushroom Puff Pastry Braid with Plum Churtney
Double Mushroom Pizza with Bacon & Balsamic Drizzle

Food Bloggers of Canada Conference: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:51:00 +0000

After chronicling the Friday night at the first ever FBC Conference, I'm back to share a little bit about the speakers and their chats. The panels and sessions at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference left attendees in awe.

The early wake up (after a late night) was fueled by excitement for the day, especially since my Mushroom partner Brittany was on the first panel.

The opening panel was the Bloggers and Brands session featuring Brittany Stager, Heather Travis, Mary Luz Mejia and Mardi Michels. This was a fantastic panel, sharing key ingredients brands look for in their bloggers and taping into what bloggers can expect from these partnerships.

The second panel was The Chef and the Critic with Alexa Clark and Chef Jason Bangerter. This panel looked at restaurant blogging from both ends of the spectrum. They shared their views on reviews and on meal photography. They had the best tip for all of you who take photos of your meals- turn the flash off!

Following a brief coffee break, our heads were filled with coding and SEO chat with Melissa Hartfiel and Dave Zille in the session, Tech for your Blog. This had to be one of my favorites of the day, providing so much insight into the world of web, leaving bloggers with a list of tips.

The following panel had everyone perked up in their chairs. As if these foodies could get anymore excited, panelists Aimee Wimbush-Bourque, Dan Clapson and Jan Scott, revealed their stories of success. Making Dough-Earning a Living with your Words shared the bloggers own perceptions through their journeys and broke down their avenues of income. Attendees were furiously taking notes.

A wonderful photography session, led by Adele Hagan and Robin Sharp, taught lighting, compositions and styling for food photography. Having not brought a fancy-shmancy camera, I took this opportunity to get my experiences from the night before posted. Check out Part 1 of this post here.

Rejoining the sessions, I listened as Dianne Jacob stressed the importance of commenting and responding to comments in her Hey, Is There Anybody Out There? session. As someone who reads and comments on multiple blogs daily, her view on commenting and building relationships online certainly resonated with me. It'll be great to see how many more conversations get started because of her wise words.

Keynote, David Leite was a very welcome guest on Canadian soil, having travelled from NYC. He was the perfect selection for this conference, bringing a wealth of knowledge, experience and humour to the stage.

Sunday morning we were able to dive into the numbers with Brian Baas. The numbers game always scares me, but he broke everything down, clearly outlining how bloggers need to file their taxes. He also chatted about expenses and the importance of documenting and saving all receipts.

At that, we said our goodbyes and cut out to make our way to the Hamilton Food & Drink Fest to pack up the booth. PHEW what a busy weekend! I can't stress enough how impressive it is that Ethan, Mardi and Melissa were able to pull this conference together. Online fascinations turned to friendships at this conference. It'll be so wonderful to be reading blogs and hearing the bloggers true voice in my head.

Brittany chronicled her learnings over the weekend in a helpful cheat sheet of tips. Read Brittany's notes on her blog My Daily Randomness.

Looking forward to FBC2014!

-Shannon

Food Bloggers of Canada Conference: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Yesterday was an interesting day. Beyond thrilled to be spending the weekend at the first Food Bloggers of Canada Conference, we were running around picking up last minute supplies. Just as we were ready to finally leave for Hockley Valley Resort, the icy weather had another idea for us. My tip for the day? Avoid falling ice. A chunk of ice fell from a hydro wire, landing on my windshield, cracking it and giving Brittany a near-heart attack as she threw hot coffee all over herself. Luckily, Speedy Glass lived up to their name and had us in and out with my windshield repaired in 30 minutes and we were back on the road.

Upon arriving at Hockley, we were greeted with darkness, thanks again to the ice storm. Even with the lack of light, Melissa and Ethan of Food Bloggers of Canada appeared unfazed and ready to go! Seeing the hard efforts of these two dedicated bloggers, along with FBC co-creator Mardi, pay off was unbelievably impressive. The three of them deserve a sea of high fives.

The night started with a fun registration, playing spot the blogger. We came across so many familiar faces of bloggers we have worked with and bloggers we continuously speak with online- it was more of a oh my gosh it's so nice to finally see you in person rather than a "nice to meet you". All of these bloggers are already friends and this conference has made that abundantly clear. So much excitement and enthusiasm filled the room, and we were excited to hand out our fun mushroom growing kits!

Following registration, the room filled with food, of course, and we all greeted each other with our mouths full. The Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms went very quickly and the Easy Mushroom Pate recipe was a hot topic, some bloggers were threatening to run away with the bowl! You know who you are!!

We all moved to our seats for dinner, yes, more food and I found myself seated with a wonderful group of ladies, both bloggers and brands. Table 10 was full of laughs and great conversation from Jenny of The Brunette Baker, Kelly of The Gouda Life, Sarah of Burnbrae Farms, Michelle of The Tiffin Box, Bridget of Crosby Molasses, Alexa of Cheap Eats, Linda of Wine Country Ontario, Maya of Maya's Kitchen and FBC Co-Creator Melissa. It was especially fun getting a pat on the back from Kelly and Jenny when they saw the lovely Yorkshire with Sautéed Mushrooms as part of the main course. All of these laughs and friends were well worth a late night!

More to come from me on the panels and sessions. Wow, what an informative conference this is shaping up to be!

What is your most memorable moment so far?

-Shannon

Contest Winners: Hamilton Food & Drink Fest

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:15:00 +0000

Friday is the opening day of the Hamilton Food & Drink Fest at the Careport Expo Centre!

You can find Mushrooms Canada at booth 112, come by for a delicious FREE sample of Simple Sauteed Mushrooms.

Now onto the goods! We had a ticket giveaway and the winners have been chosen! Congratulations to:
Carla D
Shannon C

Each of you have won 2 passes for the show and can be used any of the three days this weekend. Tickets will be available at will-call (show office window) after 5pm Friday. Please comment with your full name or email shannon@mushrooms.ca. Tickets will not be mailed.

Legal Stuffs
Mushrooms Canada will provide no compensation for additional expenses related to you attending the event. Prize must be accepted as awarded. Must be 19 years of age or older. Value of the tickets is $30. Two (2) tickets will be awarded to each of the two (2) winners.

As our thanks, print off this $2.00 Off Coupon! Hope to see you there!

-Shannon

Slow Cooker Roast with Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Bryan) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:42:00 +0000

I dream of the days where I can come home from work and do nothing. I imagine coming home, running a bath and reading a book. Needless to say, this never happens. Some dinner recipes, however, have made weeknight mealtimes super simple and free from post-work stress.

My favourite solution to dinnertime woes is the slow cooker. It's so easy to prepare meals the night before and simply throw everything in on my way our the door in the morning. For this recipe, I used a beef roast, a whole red onion, 4 celery stalks, a clove of garlic and an 8oz till of Crimini mushrooms.

For the spices, I added Spicy Mesquite, cloves, and Garlic Plus and I marinated it overnight in a garden vegetable cocktail juice.

In the morning, the whole container got dumped into the slow cooker and was left on low to cook for 8 hours. The result? Delicious, moist, fall apart beef with flavourful cooked veggies. I mashed some potatoes and made a gravy from the juices to complete the dinner dish. A stress-free meal, with few dishes afterwards.

Here's some more quick, tasty favourites:
Beef and Mushroom Spaghetti
Chicken with Mushrooms and Black Bean Sauce
Mushroom and Chicken Fajitas

What are your favourite stress-free meals?

-Shannon