Recipes: Mushroom Mania

Spicy Mushrooms on Toast (pictured above)

Ingredients
2 slices of ciabatta (or bread of your choice)
Knob of butter
200g of chestnut mushrooms (or 100g each of chestnut and button mushrooms)
Dash of Worcester sauce
1tbsp of crème fraiche
Sprinkle of red chilli flakes to taste
Finely chopped spring onion stems to garnish

Method
Pop two thick slices of ciabatta bread into a toaster or under a heated grill to toast.

Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms thickly and add to a frying pan with the butter to fry until golden brown (Season well) When the mushrooms are almost cooked, add the crème fraiche, a splash of Worcester sauce and a sprinkle of chilli flakes to taste Pour the mushrooms over the toasted ciabatta and snip the spring onion stems over the top to serve.

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Mushroom, spinach and egg breakfast bake

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, reserving one 1 tablespoon for brushing
1/2 small red onion, chopped
300g. Chestnut mushrooms, halved if small, quartered if large
1 small leek finely sliced
100g of spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices crusty bread
150g finely grated parmesan
5 large eggs
130ml milk

Preparation
Brush one tablespoon of oil into a 12 inch oven safe pan (or a 9x13 baking dish).

Method
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and leeks and cook until they are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer in the skillet. Layer bread with mushroom mixture. Crack the eggs on top. Season with salt and pepper. Pour milk evenly over top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the eggs are set, about 25-30 minutes.

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Mushroom, bacon and egg pancake stack

Ingredients
2-3 tbsp butter
400g button mushrooms, finely chopped
225g self-raising flour, sifted
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
200ml milk
1 egg, whisked
100g tinned sweet corn, drained
50g grated cheddar cheese
Cooked bacon & poached egg, to serve, optional

Method
Melt half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Spoon mushrooms into a sieve and set aside over a bowl to cool 10 minutes.

Place the flour and bicarbonate in a large bowl. Make a well in centre. Add milk and egg. Mix until the batter is smooth. Stir half the cooked mushrooms and all the corn and cheese into the batter, mix gently to combine.

Wipe the frying pan clean and heat over medium heat. Brush with a little of the remaining butter. Spoon a small ladleful of batter into the pan, cook 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn pancake over and cook a further 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer pancake to a clean tea-towel and cover loosely to keep warm while making the remaining pancakes.

Serve topped with remaining cooked mushrooms, add bacon and a poached egg if desired. They are also delicious topped with mushrooms and a dollop of reduced fat cream cheese.

For more information and lots of tasty recipe ideas visit www.justaddmushrooms.com