First of all thank you to everyone who entered and voted in our first Grocery Store Challenge.  Your enthusiasm truly made this a great couple weeks and we hope you’ve been able to pick up some D-icious mealtime inspiration along the way.
And, of course, congratulations are in order for to the following entrants:

First Place: Photo G from Nicole P. of Greenville, SC at Fresh Market

Second Place: Photo A submitted by Adam K. of Chicago, IL at Ogilvie’s French Market

Third Place: Photo H submitted by Rachel M. of Corpus Christi, TX at H.E.B.

The Mushroom Channel editorial staff will be emailing the winner on March 1st to coordinate fulfillment of prizes.

Take a quick break from voting to check out a few new delicious mushroom recipes from our latest adventures with the Culinary Institute of America!

Not too long ago we were lucky enough to hang out with the top nutrition researchers and chefs at the Culinary Institute of America’s annual Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference in sunny St. Helena, California. We got to talk about food the whole time, in particular how to create more healthful and flavorful menus with our favorite ingredient, mushrooms!

Secretly, we knew it wouldn’t be too hard of a sell. As you mushroom fans know, mushrooms are case in point that delicious and nutritious can indeed be one in the same. Not only do mushrooms add great flavor (thank you, umami), but they also are low in calories, fat and cholesterol-free and full of vitamin D and antioxidants! Why wouldn’t someone want to add mushrooms to their menu?

Now, one of the best parts of the conference was – you know it! – the food. We enjoyed watching a cooking demo from Chefs Michael Tuohy,  John Ash and Suvir Saran and we offered up some delicious breakfast recipes that you can now try too! Check out these new recipes and their mouth-watering pics:

Farro and Mushroom Burgers (this was the cooking demo dish!)

Sautéed Mushroom, Spinach and Red Pepper Strudel

Mushroom-Stuffed Ancho Rellenos

Frittata with Sautéed Mushrooms and Black Beans

Yukon Gold Potato, Beet, Shiitake Mushroom Hash with a Poached Egg

Here are the final mushroom display photos from your very own retailers across the U.S.

A) Photo submitted by Adam K. of Chicago, IL at Ogilvie’s French Market:

B) Photo submitted by Damon K. of Chicago, IL at Jewel:

C) Photo submitted by Danielle S. of Chicago, IL at Whole Foods:

D) Photo submitted by David B. of Woodbridge, VA at Wegmans:

E) Photo submitted by Drew K. of San Francisco, CA at Safeway:

F) Photo submitted by Joe O. of Arcata, CA at North Coast Co-Op:

G) Photo submitted by Nicole P. of Greenville, SC at Fresh Market:

H) Photo submitted by Rachel M. of Corpus Christi, TX at H.E.B.:

I) Photo submitted by Steve C. of San Francisco, CA at Far West Fungi:

J) Photo submitted by Tricia C. of Kettering, OH at Kroger:

K) Photo submitted by Trudy F. of Rochester, NY at Wegmans:

UPDATE 2/27: Voting closed and winners were captured at 11:59pm on February 26. Thank you for your participation!

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I feel like I beg for fantastic restaurant dishes on Twitter at least once a week.  And while I never expect glamour shots (ahem…see above), it is nice to see them.  I was particularly taken aback that this was an at-home re-creation of Barcelona’s famous mushrooms.  Nice work, Ninette!

Did anyone else ever get a thrill from adding great fixings to standard grilled cheese sandwiches?  You can put just about anything in between thick bread with some cheese and I will love it but mushroom and tomatoes have been my favorite combination since college. Apparently I share that choice with Poor Girl Eats Well because I saw this sandwich come through my reader and my stomach growled. Loudly.

My first thought when I saw this recipe was of Mushroom Taco Mac.  Much like teachers and students, we at the Mushroom Channel would never officially tell you that we have favorites among our official recipes. So I am not officially telling you now that the recipe is spoken of with deep sighs and goofy hunger-induced grins. The mushroom’s ability to soak up flavor works especially well with Mexican spices for me.  But this salad is its own good thing and I want to recognize The Comfort Food Is Always Here properly.  With only a few ingredients, my thought leans toward serving this over mixed greens with a little extra chipotle sauce.

If you have ever aspired to be the kind of person who has an elegant snack or two at the ready when friends drop by, this is the recipe for you. The filo cups required for these are wonderfully easy and I’ve seen mushrooms work into them in some truly lovely ways (all simple as simple comes).  For the Love of Cooking has posted a version that involves filo cups, caramelized mushrooms and brie. All things that make for a happily stocked refrigerator.

Reduce fat with super swaps Wendy Bazilian, PhD, RD recommends ways to switch out foods that lend less nutritional value for those high in antioxidants and flavor in order to reduce our calorie, fat, sugar and sodium intake. Instead of a regular burger, throw a portabella cap on the grill! Studies have shown substituting four ounces of mushrooms for four ounces of meat once a week for one year could save more than 18,000 calories and nearly 3,000 grams of fat – that adds up to more than five pounds. Another benefit of shrooms is their antioxidant power: mushrooms are the leading source of selenium in the produce aisle, and they contain ergothioneine, two potent antioxidants that have immunity benefits.

Recipes that Fight Belly Fat More magazine highlights our recipe for Portabella Omelet Topped with Portabella Bacon as one that fights belly fat. Why? Vitamin D. Deficiencies of vitamin D have been linked to both obesity and abdominal fat, so eat your shrooms to help shape up for bikini season (which scarily isn’t too far away).

Diet Detective: Hearty and Healthy Calorie Bargain Recipes In the healthy spaghetti and meatballs recipe, mushrooms and other veggies are incorporated into the meatball mixture for a nutrient boost, and to save calories. KPIC-TV touts mushrooms as a good source of crucial B vitamins that help convert food into energy. They also note mushrooms’ selenium content, an important antioxidant to help maintain the immune system.

Less meat, more taste Portabella burgers are common in restaurants, but don’t be afraid to make one at home – they’re super easy to make! Check out this recipe from the News-Leader, which also notes mushrooms as a great source of selenium, potassium, and B vitamins riboflavin and niacin.

With one simple click you can be $100 closer to making your gourmet mushroom dish, and the ingredients are on us! We’re extending our grocery gifting contest through Monday, February 22 at 12:00 p.m. CST. A quick click of your camera the next time you’re at your grocery store will bring you one step closer to winning $50-$100 dollars to your favorite grocery store.

Here are the new key dates and a reminder of how to enter:

• Send a picture of the fresh mushrooms at your grocery store to info@mushroominfo.com or tweet your entry to @mushroomchannel with the name of your store, and your town or city
• Submit photos now through Monday, 2/22 at 12:00 p.m.
• Look for your photo online and vote at www.mushroomchannel.com from Tuesday, 2/23 – Friday, 2/26
• First, Second and Third place winners will be announced the week of 2/28

One last editor’s note and I’m going to level with you mushroom lovers.

There’s $225 up for grabs and please trust me that you don’t need to be Annie Leibovitz- the odds right now are insanely good (example above). Three people are going to win for a very quick peak into their local produce sections. If you’re already headed to the store, it’s “Why not?” kind of situation.

I could even be (easily) persuaded to feature your photo on this very website. You’ll practically be a celebrity.  A celebrity with $50-$100 to spend on good olive oil, garlic, dark chocolate, the fancy ice cream…and may be even some mushrooms.

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend – for those of you who have the day off for President’s Day, all the better!

Just want to remind you that we’re looking for photos and descriptions of your favorite mushroom displays for a chance to win $50-$100 dollars of free groceries next week. Visit our post from Friday for more details and get yourself to the store to snap a pic!

It’s not a secret that our eyes are drawn to an attractive set-up.  That general rule keeps house stagers and restaurant plating specialists in business.  We know the same to be true for grocery stores and we’d like to reward the shops doing a great job inspiring you to bring some mushrooms home.

Send in a picture of your favorite mushroom displays at your local grocer for a chance to win one of three grocery gift cards ranging from $50-$100. Just send along a picture and small description of why it’s your favorite and you’re officially in the running! All approved photos will be uploaded to the Mushroom Channel where readers can vote on their favorite.

Planning to go to the store this afternoon?  Take a quick pic and get yourself entered!

To Enter:

• Email your entry to info@mushroominfo.com
• Tweet your entry to @mushroomchannel

*Don’t forget to include the name of the store and your town or city

Key Dates:

• Submit photos from Friday, 2/12 – Monday, 2/22 to info@mushroominfo.com*
• Look for your photo online and vote at www.mushroomchannel.com from Monday, 2/22 – Friday, 2/26*
• First, Second and Third place winners will be announced February 27*

Rules:

• One entry will be accepted per person; please include your name and  email address or a contact number when submitting
• Photos that show mushrooms in good taste at the grocery store will be selected and posted to the Channel for voting
• All entries can be used by the Mushroom Council in future marketing communications
• 1st prize is a $100 gift card, 2nd prize is a $75 gift card and 3rd prize is a $50 gift card to the featured grocery store.

*Rules have been adjusted to reflect the extended contest announced here.

Words cannot properly relay the excitement I felt when I first read about Battle Mushroom, the 4th installment of She Simmers and Gourmet Fury’s monthly “Beet n Squash You” Food Fight.  Some of the most creative writers, photographers and recipe developers in the food blogosphere competing with mushrooms as their shared ingredient…can’t ask for much more than that.

Take the image above for example- Mushroom Cardamom Rice Pudding with Dulce de Leche.  I’ve been looking for mushroom desserts for awhile now and it’s become a bit of a personal quest.  This looks absolutely glorious so it comes as no surprise that it hails from Gourmet Fury, one of the competition’s founders.

Alas, another photo that took my breath away. Tortelloni made to look like little sunsets in a bowl contrasted with a rich medley of mushrooms. The Sugar Bar entered Beetroot Tortelloni with Wild Mushroom Medley into the competition. These are just entries…they aren’t even the winners.

This is why I’m sending you to two other sites today. Yes, I’m sending you away from the Mushroom Channel this one time because these entries are worth your time.  Your eyes will thank you for the inspiration, your appetite may drag you to the grocery store.

The Entries

The Winners

Good Afternoon fellow Mushroomers and welcome to the weekend! I am currently reporting live on-site from BlissDom, a women’s blog conference filled with foodies (my kind of place).  Given all of the new feeds I’ve just subscribed to, I thought it would be timely to share some mushroom recipes from our new friends…and a few old friends we just can’t get enough of.

I met Shaina from Food for My Family last night after Lori went out of her way to track the two of us down for an introduction.  I’m so glad she did because easy weeknight meals like this Chicken Fried Rice (with mushrooms) are right up my alley so I know this is going to be a regular read.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the beauty of this Portabella, Granny Smith Apple and Cheddar sandwich. And give props to it’s creator, the lovely Jennifer of Savor the Thyme. I’m a sucker for salty/sweet combos and I think this may be the first time I’ve seen a fruit/mushroom combo in sandwich form. Which only further assures that this one gets a “Please try this at home” label.

I’ve had pierogis on the brain lately.  My neighborhood is rich with great Polish restaurants and winter is when I crave these little dumplings the most.  Pauline from OHMommy posted a great tutorial (so easy even a two year old can do it!) but when I saw Kate’s version with mushrooms on Stolen Moments Cooking, I knew I needed to share it here.  I know it looks like a simple dumpling on the outside but follow the recipe…in this case it really is what’s on the inside that counts!

French Onion Casserole. Made with fresh mushroom and cream of mushroom soup, there’s a lot to like here. Amy from Milk Breath and Margaritas was introduced to me online by Rachel from A Southern Fairytale (a contributor here at The Mushroom Channel from time to time) but I’ve been looking forward to seeing her offline and BlissDom was the perfect opportunity.

That’s my favorite thing about these conferences- seeing everyone in person.  Everybody from Busy Dad to Once a Month Mom to $5 Dinners and Home-Ec 101, it’s a sea of friendly faces.

This just made me quite hungry so I’m off to lunch with some of the food crew!