Angela Day shares recipes from the SA Mushroom Farmers’ Association showing how mushrooms can be used to bulk up your meals
On the menu:
Mushroom and bacon balls
Mushroom fish cakes
Mushroom spaghetti bolognaise
Beef and mushroom burger
Meat lovers' pizza
MUSHROOM AND BACON BALLS
Serves 4
½ onion, finely chopped
2 sprigs of parsley, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
½ punnet button mushrooms, chopped and pan fried
250g lean pork mince
125ml dried bread crumbs
1 large egg
salt and pepper
125g streaky bacon
sweet chilli sauce for dipping
In a bowl mix the onion, parsley and chilli. Add the mushrooms, mince, crumbs and egg. Season with salt and black pepper.
Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls, roll the bacon around the ball and place the seam onto the baking tray.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the balls are cooked through and golden.
Serve warm with a sweet chilli dipping sauce.
MUSHROOM FISH CAKES
Makes 6-8
250g sustainable fish, steamed and flaked
250g button mushrooms, chopped and pan fried
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small potato, cooked, peeled and diced
1 egg
15ml sweet chilli sauce
oil for frying
50ml Greek yoghurt
20ml mayonnaise
10ml lemon juice
lemon to serve
In a bowl mix the fish, mushrooms, onion, potato, egg and sweet chilli sauce together. Season with salt and pepper. Form cakes with your hands and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan and fry cakes on both sides until golden and cooked through.
Place onto kitchen towel to drain.
In a small bowl mix the yoghurt, mayonnaise and lemon juice together.
Serve the fish cakes with the sauce and the fresh lemon.
MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE
Serves 4
15ml olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
250g lean beef mince
250g button mushrooms, chopped and pan fried
1 can chopped tomatoes
15ml tomato paste
5ml Italian herbs
10ml Worcestershire sauce
30ml chutney
salt and pepper
300g package pasta, cooked according to pack instructions
Parmesan cheese shavings
Heat the oil in a pot, add the onion and sauté until glossy. Add the mince and allow to brown.
Add the mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian herbs, Worcestershire sauce and chutney.
Season well.
Allow to cook together for 15 minutes. In the meantime, cook the pasta.
Serve the sauce over the cooked pasta with the cheese.
BEEF AND MUSHROOM BURGER
Serves 4
250g lean beef mince
250g button mushrooms, chopped and pan fried
½ onion, finely chopped
125ml dried bread crumbs
1 large egg
20ml tomato sauce
10ml Worcestershire sauce
15ml oil
4 bread rolls
1 tomato, sliced
1 handful rocket
¼ red onion, sliced
100ml mayonnaise
50ml Greek yoghurt
15ml lemon juice
2ml freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl, mix the mince, mushrooms, onion and bread crumbs together. Add the egg, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together well and season with salt and pepper.
Form the mixture into four patties and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Fry the patties on both sides until cooked to your liking. Place them on kitchen towel to drain.
To serve, cut the rolls in half, arrange the patty and the rest of the ingredients on top.
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, lemon juice and black pepper together and add a dollop to each hamburger.
MEAT LOVERS’ PIZZA
Serves 4
500g bread dough
flour for dusting
25ml tomato paste
50ml tomato puree
2ml mixed Italian herbs
10ml olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
250g lean beef mince
250g button mushrooms, finely chopped
100ml tomato puree
100ml red kidney beans
½ punnet button mushrooms, sliced
100g feta cheese, cubed
100g cheddar cheese, grated
fresh rocket to serve
Roll the bread dough out to form a pizza base, using the flour to dust. Place the base on to a baking tray.
Mix the tomato paste, tomato puree and mixed herbs together in a small bowl and spread generously over the base then heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and fry until glossy.
Add the mince and fry until browned and then add the mushroom.
Cook until all the liquid has evaporated.
Add the tomato puree and the beans and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
When the meat is cooked, place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on to the pizza base along with the sliced mushrooms, feta and grated cheese.
Place in a pre-heated oven of 200°C for 20 minutes or until the pizza is cooked through and golden.
To serve, pile generous amounts of rocket onto the pizza. Serve while warm.
* Recipes and pictures from the from the SA Mushroom Farmers’ Association.
* The Angela Day cookery column is published in The Star, the Cape Argus, the Daily News and the Pretoria News.