There are certain foods that either you adore or despise. Mushrooms were one of those foods while I was younger. About 25 years younger. And now that I am 27… I have only been eating mushrooms for a whopping 2 years. Give or take a few months.
To be quite honest with you I never gave mushrooms a fair chance. Yes, they are fungus. Yes, they are oddly shaped, oddly textured and smell. Oddly. Yet somehow I have grown to respect these little bundles of fungi and would even go out on a limb to say I love them. I said it. I LOVE MUSHROOMS.
A few weeks back, Marx Foods had this amazing idea to let bloggers compete in a mushroom recipe showdown. I am up for any challenge… even a mushroom challenge.
I was given a small box with five different kinds of wild, exotic mushrooms. Mushrooms that I have never seen. Mushrooms that I have yet to try… and I was supposed to come up with a recipe for them? I looked at my apron and I dove right in.
Since Marc has been active in the food industry for over 20 years, we sat down at the table and talked about each and every one. The 5 varieties were Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Lobster Mushrooms, Chanterelle, Porcini and Matsutake.
Being the nerd that I am, I started researching recipes. Figuring out what options I had, what flavors worked well with these exotic mushrooms and what would showcase these beautiful fungi. I tested with regular store bought button mushrooms because there was no way I was going to waste these samples on a recipe that flopped.
After much trial and error I came to one conclusion: sometimes the simplest of flavors and dishes are often the most cherished and most memorable.
Sautéed Wild Mushrooms over Udon Noodles.
Genius.
Vegan, wholesome, comforting and elegant. This is a dish that should not be taken lightly nor should it be over looked.
2 tablespoons of Earth Balance melting to made a nice bath for my lovely mushrooms.
In went 1/4 of a yellow onion, mushrooms, thyme, salt and cracked black pepper.
Let the mixture cook down for a good 10-15 minutes, or until everything is tender.
Meanwhile, make a serving of udon noodles. I cooked mine in plain water with some salt and a tablespoon of sesame oil. This gave it a lot of flavor.
Now plate… serve…
AND DEVOUR!
Thank you again Marx Foods!
Simply Sautéed Wild Mushrooms – 1-2 servings
- 2 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups of wild mushrooms, reconstituted
- one small package of Udon noodles
- 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional for noodles)
Start a large pot of water with a pinch of salt and sesame oil for your Udon noodles. Cook noodles per the directions on the package.
In a large sauté pan add butter substitute, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt on medium heat. Let cook until onions become translucent watching that the garlic does not burn. Next, add the mushrooms, thyme and cracked black pepper. Let sauté on medium-low until the mushrooms are at desired temperature and softness. (about 10 minutes)
Serve mushrooms on a bed of Udon noodles. Serve hot.
The Clean Eating Mama 