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DietsNutrition

Ganoderma

by jughandle
written by jughandle

Last week we talked about Chaga Mushroom and their anti-tumor benefits.  Today I’d like to extend our converation about fungi and mushrooms to Ganoderma.

  

Back ground

My wife and I play around with melting glass and making candles.  This year we supplemented our hobby by attending craft shows at various schools in the north Atlanta area, to sell our crafts.  We made gas money on the shows, but the real benefit was to meet new people who were both vendors and customers.  It is very interesting what people will get into and find ways to make money on.  Small business is truly the back bone of our country.  One of our neighbor vendors was selling gourmet coffee and tea.  Further investigation uncovered that this pre-brewed powdered coffee was not only good, but contained spores from the Ganoderma fungi.  She explained that these spores provided all kinds of relief from problems including allergies and cancer.  They supposedly have anti-fungal effect, liver protecting effects, antibacterial effects and aid in reducing blood cholesterol.  We bought a package of the coffee from her which was close to 30 servings and should last us a month.  I’m going to give it a month and see if there is any noticeable benefit.  I’ll keep you informed.

Links to Information about Ganoderma

Royal Reishi Ganoderma

Aloha Medicinals Inc.

About.com Alternative Medicine

Youtude.com

Conclusions

Since I don’t want to provide any information that I can’t tell you I’m completely confident in, I don’t have a conclusion yet.  All I can tell you is that I believe that there are health benefits to be had from herbs and fungi that aren’t available to us via the standard medical community.  I’ll be honest with what I find, I’ve got nothing to gain by pushing a product that I’m not familiar with.  As always, I encourage you to do your own research and let the Fat Farm know your personal findings. – jughandle

 

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Vegan & Vegetarian RestaurantsVegetables

Stuffed Mushrooms

by jughandle
written by jughandle

My niece Kellie has inspired me to find out all I can about stuffed mushrooms.  Here goes nothing.

 

It seems that everybody has a recipe for stuffed mushrooms.  They come in small, for hors-d’oeuvres, medium sized, for side dishes and large for main courses.  Mushrooms can be stuffed with just about anything from meat to veggies or any combination there of.  They can be grilled, baked, pan-fried, sauteed, roasted or any other way that sounds good to you.  Mushrooms have a subtle flavor (most that we cook with anyway) and a great texture and mouth feel.  They are sponge like and absorb liquid easily.

There are a couple of things you night need to know about mushrooms to make good cooking decisions and some information that is just fun to know.

Nutritional Information:

  • 3.5 oz of mushroom has around 27 calories
  • 4.1 grams of carbohydrates
  • .1 gram of fat
  • 2.5 grams of protein
  • various vitamins and minerals

Cooking and storing information:

  • shrooms are sponge like and should be marinated or coated in liquid before cooking to keep from drying out.  Becareful not to marinate too long (no more than a few minutes should do) or you’ll have a soggy, dense mushroom.  Taste the marinade before using to insure it isn’t too strong.  With mushrooms, what you taste is what you get.
  • high heat quick methods of cooking allow the mushroom to heat throughly while getting a nice crust without shrinking
  • You should never wash mushrooms, just brush off the dirt.  If you just have to wash them wait until you are about to cook them then pat them dry.
  • Store in a cool, dry, dark place.  Do not cover in plastic or put in a plastic bag.  Wrap in a cloth,cheese-cloth, or store in a cloth bag or use them soon after purchase.

Best Cooking Methods for un-stuffed mushrooms:

  • Saute is great for small button sized or chopped mushrooms.  Saute in butter or olive oil and season while cooking.  No marinating is necessary but pickled mushrooms saute nicely and are a great addition to a stew or stir fry.
  • Grilling or Broiling in the oven – These methods are best suited to larger whole mushrooms or caps such as Portabellas and Shiitakes.  Brush the shrooms with oil or butter and season.  Grill or Broil close to the heat source for 4 minutes per side flipping once or twice. Baste a couple of times with your seasoned butter or oil mixture while cooking.
  • Roasting – Preheat your oven to 450°, brush mushrooms as with the grilling method and roast in a shallow pan for up to 20 mins, flipping once.

Seasonings and Marinades:

  • dry seasoning combinations sprinkled on a olive oil brushed mushroom are great.  Try Lemon-Pepper or McCormick’s Grill Mates
  • Olive oil, seasoned with herbs and or vinegar is nice.
  • Sherry or other cooking wines make a good marinade.
  • Sauces, such as brown sauce, white sauce or tomato sauce are a great way to raise the flavor profile.
  • Don’t forget Balsamic vinegar and
  • Soy sauce
  • Try your favorite salad dressing, like Italian or ranch.

Stuffing:

  • like I said before – anything – try:
  • bread crumbs, sausage and onions covered with Parmesan cheese
  • chopped bell pepper, onion, cheese and herbs
  • roasted veggies chopped or diced and marinated in soy sauce or balsamic vinegar for a vegan solution
  • seasoned rice and tofu with a balsamic sauce

Best method for Cooking Stuffed Mushrooms:

  • Baking– you can bake a stuffed mushroom in a 400° oven for 30-45 mins. cover with foil for the first 2/3 of the cooking time
  • Roasting in foil – wrap your stuffed mushrooms in foil and put on the grill for 30 mins or until they seem done.  This is best if you have a cheese topping or stuffing that shouldn’t brown too quickly.
  • Pan frying/steaming – For smaller stuffed mushrooms fill a frying pan with the stuffed mushrooms and fry on med/high heat in a little oil until the bottoms start to brown.  Pour in a 1/2 cup of wine, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce or a combination and cover with a tight fitting lid, reducing the heat to med and steam in the liquid for 10 or 15 mins.  This is also a good way to melt a cheese topping.
Look for stuffed mushroom recipes I’ll be adding in the next few days.  Let me know if you have a good combination you’d like to share with the Farmers – Jug
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