Grain Valley News
  • Home
  • About
    • Submit Your News
    • Contact
  • News
    • Voter Resources
    • Online Puzzles
  • Events Calendar
  • Job Board
  • Best of Grain Valley
  • Support
    • Advertise
    • Become A Sustaining Member
  • Home
  • About
    • Submit Your News
    • Contact
  • News
    • Voter Resources
    • Online Puzzles
  • Events Calendar
  • Job Board
  • Best of Grain Valley
  • Support
    • Advertise
    • Become A Sustaining Member








​news

Plants on Your Plate: Mushrooms

11/10/2022

 
Picture
by Denise Sullivan, Nutrition & Health Education Specialist, MU Extension-Jackson County

          This month’s topic is likely to cause some controversy for sure…is it a plant or not…is it gross or tasty…do they even have any nutritional value…ALL sorts of questions! So, let’s talk about mushrooms!
          I will say right up front that I am not a mushroom expert, however I am a mushroom lover! Unlike many mushroom lovers, I am not one of those folks that looks forward to the hunt for the treasured morel. In fact, I have only been on one ‘hunt’ and came home with more stickers (and ticks) than mushrooms. I decided that I would gratefully accept any morels that anyone would be kind enough to share with me or, just stick to getting standard mushrooms from the store! For a detailed guide on edible and poisonous wild mushrooms, I encourage you to look up the Missouri Conservation Department’s publication at:  https://bit.ly/3rySfV0
          While attending a professional development conference about ten years ago, I went on a tour and learned about mushroom farming and was fascinated! Imagine my surprise when I looked at the label on the mushrooms that I bought in the grocery store and learned that many of them came from Missouri or Kansas. To learn more about mushroom production, this University of Missouri publication is a great reference: https://bit.ly/3SDMxNC
          Although they are nutritionally considered a vegetable, mushrooms are a type of fungus that contain a substance called ergosterol, which has a similar chemical structure to cholesterol in animals. This unique substance can be transformed into vitamin D with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Because most mushrooms are grown in dark, controlled environments, it requires intentional exposure to UV light, either by UV lamps or natural sunlight, for this vitamin conversion to occur. This type of vitamin D is called D2 (ergocalciferol), which is a common form found in supplements. The other main form of vitamin D is D3 (cholecalciferol), which is found primarily in animal foods. Your own exposure to sunlight-as little as 15 minutes per day- also stimulates your bodies own production of vitamin D. One of the key roles of vitamin D is to aid in the mineralization of calcium for strong, healthy bones. It is important to know that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it is stored in the fat, so more isn’t necessarily better. It is a good idea to visit with your health care provider before considering vitamin D  supplementation or supplementation of any vitamin for that matter.
          Mushrooms are also good sources of B vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin, as well as minerals selenium, potassium, and copper. For centuries, mushrooms have been utilized for medicinal properties by ancient eastern practitioners. Substances found in mushrooms, such as polysaccharides, indoles, polyphenols, and carotenoids have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects in both cellular and animal studies.
          The most common mushroom is the white button mushroom, which has a mild flavor and is commonly used raw in salads or cooked into recipes. Other types of mushrooms that are available include: chanterelle, cremini (also known as baby bella), enoki, maitake, morel (the hunted treasure), oyster, porcini, portobello, and shiitake.
Mushroom lovers like me appreciate their ability to create savory rich flavors, known as umami, thanks to the presence of an amino acid called glutamate. Glutamates are commonly found in meat, and it is this rich flavor profile that makes the portobello mushroom a common substitute for meat. This umami flavor also enhances low-sodium cooking preparations, thus reducing the need for salt in many recipes. The rich flavor of mushrooms and caramelized onions make the perfect combination for this tasty, creamy risotto.

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Risotto
(Makes four servings)
 
1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup short grain brown rice
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 cups water
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup grated carrots
¼ cup grated reduced-fat parmesan cheese

  1. Wash hands and all work surfaces. Wash mushrooms and wipe dry with paper towel before slicing.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat (do not use non-stick skillet).
  3. Add onions and stir to coat with the oil. Let cook until browned and caramelized, stirring occasionally (about 20-30 minutes).
  4. Remove onions from pan, set aside. Wipe pan clean.
  5. Heat remaining oil in pan and add mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook and stir until browned, about 15 minutes.
  6. While onions and mushrooms are browning, prepare risotto as follows.
  7. Heat wine and rice in large pot, stir until wine is absorber.
  8. In a saucepan, combine broth and water until simmering, reduce heat and keep warm.
  9. Add one cup of broth mixture to rice, cook uncovered until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.
  10. Continue adding broth and stirring, 1 cup at a time, allowing liquid to absorb before adding more.
  11. Add peas and carrots to rice with last cup of broth.
  12. Cook until rice is tender, and mixture has a creamy consistency (process takes about one hour).
  13. Gently stir in onions, mushrooms, and cheese until combine.
  14. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
           
Nutrition information: Calories: 222, Total Fat: 8.5g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Sodium: 208mg, Carbohydrates: 27.5g, Fiber: 5.5g, Protein: 8g
 
Recipe adapted from Seasonal and Simple, analyzed by verywellfit.com
Picture

Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Burton Kelso
    Business
    Cathy Allie
    Celebrations & Transitions
    Census
    City Of Grain Valley
    Columnists
    Community Profile
    Covid19
    Covid-19
    Economic-development
    Education
    Elections
    Financial-health
    Fitness
    Food Inspections
    Good News
    Good-news
    Grain-valley-assistance-council
    Grain Valley Fair
    Grain Valley Historical Society
    Grain-valley-partnership
    Grain Valley Schools
    Health And Fitness
    Health-and-fitness
    Home And Garden
    Jackson County
    Kindness Awards
    Ld
    Letters
    Local News
    Looking Back
    Lorne-meinershagen
    Missouri House Of Representatives
    Missouri Senate
    Musings From The Middle
    Neighborhood View
    On-the-job
    Pets
    Police Blotter
    Quick-news
    Rdn
    Recreation
    Sally-whitaker
    Seniors
    Senior-send-off
    Sports
    State Of Missouri
    Technology
    Tracey-shaffer
    Transportation
    University Of Missouri Extension
    Waynes-world

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018

Grain Valley News

Grain Valley News is a free community news source published weekly online. 
(c) 2023 Grain Valley News

Contact Us

PO Box 2972
​Grain Valley MO 64029

Privacy Policy
Picture