Vegetarian mushroom ‘meatballs’

Vegetarian mushroom ‘meatballs’

Vegetarian mushroom ‘meatballs’

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stalks chopped, leaves reserved
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
500 g swiss brown mushrooms (see notes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup cooked quinoa
cup grated parmesan (25g), plus extra to serve
1 egg
500 g jar tomato pasta sauce
Cooked pasta, to serve

Directions

Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add onion, parsley and season with freshly cracked black pepper and salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme and paprika and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Add to onion mixture with tomato paste and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to caramelise.Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced.

Finely chop 2 tablespoons of the parsley leaves. Add to the chilled mushroom mixture with quinoa, parmesan and egg.Stir to combine. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and arrange on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Brush with oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat sauce in a deep frying pan over medium high heat. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then add meatballs to gently coat. Spoon sauce and 4 to 5 meatballs over cooked pasta and sprinkle with extra grated parmesan and fresh parsley leaves. Serve.

Note: You can use white cup mushrooms instead of Swiss Brown.
You can easily make this into a vegan recipe by switching the egg for flax and using nutritional yeast flakes instead of cheese.

Aussie Mushrooms (meat-free) Mushroom-packed Tacos

Aussie Mushrooms (meat-free) Mushroom-packed Tacos

Aussie Mushrooms (meat-free) Mushroom-packed Tacos

Ingredients

200 g cup mushrooms
200 g Swiss Brown mushrooms
200 g flat mushrooms
1 avocado
1 bunch coriander
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch mint
1 red onion
1 jalapeño pepper
2 lemons
1 lime
¼ head iceberg lettuce
½ packet haloumi cheese
Sour cream
1 brown onion
100 g (1 packet) taco seasoning mix (or make your own!)
3 tbsp tomato passata sauce
1 packet soft tacos
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Guacamole
1 avocado
¼ red onion – fine diced
½ jalapeño pepper – deseeded and fine chopped
½ cup coriander – fine chopped
½ cup continental parsley – fine chopped
½ cup round leaf mint – fine chopped
½ lemon juiced
75 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Tomato Salsa
3 vine-ripened tomatoes – diced 5mm cubes
½ cup coriander – fine chopped
½ cup parsley – fine chopped
½ cup mint – fine chopped
½ red onion – fine diced
75 ml extra virgin olive oil
30 ml red wine or sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Shave lettuce lengthways and put in a serving dish

Slice red onion and put in a serving dish

Sour cream put in a serving dish

Pick the rest of the herbs, wash and have ready in a small serving dish

Steam Soft Tortillas ¾-inch in a tea towel in a steamer or wrapped in a microwave as per directions on the packet

Guacamole

Dice the avocado in 5mm cubes

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl gently (do not mash, guacamole should have a nice texture not mush)

Season to taste and place in a serving dish

Mixed Mushroom Taco Filling

Dice all the mushrooms, stalks and all, into 1cm cubes

Fine dice the brown onion and sauté in a pan on medium heat with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Once translucent, turn the heat up, add some extra olive oil and put your taco seasoning in (the extra oil is because the mushrooms will soak the oil up!), then throw your mushrooms in. If you have a small pan, do it in two batches.

Toss the mushrooms and once ¾ softened add the tomato passata sauce and leave for one minute till bubbling.

Season with extra salt, pepper and some lemon juice!

Build your Taco

Add your condiments how you like and enjoy!

Recipe by Julian Cincotta
Sautéed mushroom and butternut pumpkin risotto

Sautéed mushroom and butternut pumpkin risotto

Sautéed mushroom and butternut pumpkin risotto

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves minced
½ medium brown onion, finely diced
1 cup arborio rice
cup crisp white wine for cooking
1 cup (270g) pumpkin puree
500 ml vegetable stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Cracked pepper to taste
Unsalted butter for cooking
Mushroom toppings:
1 ½ cups of mixed mushrooms – Swiss, cups and flat mushrooms – finely sliced
1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
To serve:
Extra shaved parmesan cheese
1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

Directions

Add the diced onion, minced garlic and a knob of butter to a heavy base large frying pan on medium heat. Sauté until the onions become transparent.

Add the arborio rice followed by the white wine and stir. Allow to simmer for a few minutes before gradually pouring in the stock while continuously stirring. Allow the rice to absorb the liquid before pouring in further stock,then add the thyme.

Once the rice has completely absorbed all of the water then add the pumpkin purée and stir through and allow to absorb for 5 minutes.

Add the grated parmesan cheese and a good pinch of cracked pepper, stir through.

In a smaller frying pan add a knob of butter followed by the sliced mushrooms and the thyme. Sauté until the mushrooms become golden brown. Remove from the heat.

To serve, spoon the pumpkin risotto into bowls, add the sautéed mushrooms over the top and sprinkle with parsley and parmesan cheese.

Button mushrooms on toast

Button mushrooms on toast

Button mushrooms on toast

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
250 g small button mushrooms
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
small handful fresh herbs – tarragon, chives and parsley work well
2 thick slices sourdough bread
roasted cherry tomatoes, to serve

Directions

Place a chargrill pan over a high heat.

Set a frying pan over a medium high heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until nicely coloured and tender. Roughly chop the herbs and stir them through. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the sourdough slices onto the grill and cook on both sides, then transfer to 2 plates. Butter as desired.

Spoon the mushrooms over the toast and serve with roasted cherry tomatoes.

Mushrooms, Oomite and Burnt Butter Mother Crumpet

Mushrooms, Oomite and Burnt Butter Mother Crumpet

Mushrooms, Oomite and Burnt Butter Mother Crumpet

Ingredients

Mushroom mix
4 portobello mushrooms (sliced)
8 Swiss brown mushrooms (sliced)
2 small cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)
2 sprigs thyme
1 glug light olive oil
Burnt Oomite butter
2 tsp Oomite
2 tbsp warm water
3 tbsp butter
Squeeze of lemon
Salad
2 handfuls picked mint, parsley, chervil
A little shaved pear and pecorino
Squeeze of lemon plus a little zest
1 small golden shallot (peeled and sliced into rounds)
To serve
Salt and pepper
1 Mother Crumpet (see ingredients below) or sourdough bread
Mother Crumpet
175 g sourdough starter (around 70% hydration)
200 g bread flour
200 ml milk
100 ml filtered water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
Splash of apple cider vinegar
½ tsp bicarb

Directions

For the Mushrooms, Oomite and Burnt Butter

For the salad, mix the herbs, pear, and grated pecorino in a little bowl. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and a little lemon juice just before serving.

Cook the garlic in the olive oil until light golden in colour, then remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and remove once they turn golden colour.

Mix the Oomite into the warm water. Add the butter and thyme to the pan, cook to a nutty brown then add the Oomite and lemon juice.

Spoon the mushrooms on top of your Mother Crumpet or a slice of toasted sourdough.

Spoon over the Oomite burnt butter.

Top with the shaved pear, pecorino, herb salad.

For the Mother Crumpet

Warm the milk and water till tepid. Pour over the sourdough starter, mix in with hand, add flour, mix till flour is incorporated. Cover with a cloth and leave on the bench till morning. 6–8 hours does the trick; any longer, keep in the fridge.

In the morning…fold in salt, sugar, bicarb + vinegar and leave for 15 mins

Melt some ghee in a large fry pan on medium heat, and put in Mother Crumpet dough. Cook mostly on one side, for about 5–8 minutes. Finish on the other side for a minute or two.

Recipe by Darren Robertson for Australian Mushrooms