A Fall Mushroom Feast With Nutritional Punch

Mushrooms have an ancient history as medicine and researchers are continuing to find new qualities to these delicious fungi. marcin jucha/Shutterstock
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People have been eating mushrooms for millennia—mainly for their earthy, meaty taste and their easy availability (although the grocery store, rather than the forest floor, is the easiest and safest place to forage mushrooms today). Even better, research continues to reveal that the health benefits of mushrooms may be far beyond what even nutritionists have long suspected.

An antioxidant food, mushrooms help to protect the body from damage-causing free radicals. The antioxidant properties of mushrooms have been successfully applied to treating cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and cancer, according to researchers in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.
They also are a source of B vitamins (B2, B3, folate, and B5), phosphorus, vitamin D, selenium, copper, and potassium, according to Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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These recipes call for white mushrooms, the type of mushroom most commonly available in U.S. grocery stores. Other varieties such as shiitake and portobello, which are more flavorful and also easy to find for sale in most areas, can be used in their place.

For an Italian mushroom-themed feast, serve the bruschetta as an appetizer and the meatballs with pasta and a marinara or white sauce as a main course.

Mushroom and Squash Bruschetta

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups butternut squash, finely chopped
  • 1 cup white mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 a French baguette, cut into 12 slices and toasted
  • 8 ounces goat cheese, softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the squash, mushrooms, garlic, cranberries, salt, sage, and pepper with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Place this squash mixture into a baking pan lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once.

Brush the baguette slices with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then spread the goat cheese on each slice. Top each slice with about 2 tablespoons of the squash mixture.

Makes 6 servings of 2 slices each.

Beef and Mushroom Meatballs

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
  • 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs or 4 slices toasted whole-grain bread, diced
  • 1/4 cup milk or organic beef broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 diced garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs as needed if the mixture is too moist. Shape into about two dozen meatballs. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 6 servings of 4 meatballs each.

Susan C. Olmstead
Susan C. Olmstead
Author
Susan C. Olmstead writes about health and medicine, food, social issues, and culture. Her work has appeared in The Epoch Times, Children's Health Defense's The Defender, Salvo Magazine, and many other publications.
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