Well as an unintended by-product of a very fun contest, I missed Mushroom Recipes of the Week last week.  No seriously…I missed it a lot. So to make up for lost time, I present to you twice the recipes we usually highlight!

I love fancy food as much as the next hungry person but this? This is what a cozy craving is made of.  Perfect for these transitional days between winter and Spring when I start to crave that sweet crisp pea but am still in hibernation casserole mode. Elly Says Opa! nailed this Chicken, Mushroom, Pea and Stuffing Casserole right on the head.

Soup is another meal category that seems especially perfect for transitions. This selection also speaks to the joy in my heart when bloggers who don’t typically talk about food give us a peek into their palates. Anonymous Midwest also happens to capture the process behind this Mushroom, Leek and Potato Soup beautifully.

To carry through that last point, check out this Spanish Stew recipe from the Reluctant Entertainer’s Napa trip last week!  I included a prep pick so you could see all the fabulous fungi in the mix but click through for the whole shebang and a recipe.

Oh Smitten Kitchen…you never fail to impress.  As I announced to Twitter last night, the combination of mushrooms and hazelnuts is not something I would have ever thought of on my own. Now I can’t get it out of my head.  I’m hosting a brunch tomorrow and this Warm Mushroom Salad with Hazelnuts has just the flavor balance I never knew I was looking for.

Not only is Smitten still coming up with her own inventive mushroom combinations but she’s inspiring other food bloggers to try them out.  Amanda from Cakes and Ale was very happy with how Smitten Kitchen’s Mushroom Bourguignon recipe turned out when she made it at home.

Just another deliciously easy weeknight recipe from a friend to fungi, Rachel from A Southern Fairytale.  And by “just another,” I clearly mean isn’t it nice to have talented friends? With veggies making up more than half of the ingredients, this one is on the light side as well!

Speaking of easy, family-friendly dinners, Stacie from Chowmama threw this together when she was sick. That’s how low-maintenance a health meal can be if you’re just stuffing good things into a portabella cap. Good things like chiles, rice, spinach and onion.

Last but not least, something you could even make for brunch this weekend! Tina from Carrots ‘N’ Cake combined some breakfast classics with an Italian staple to create a delicious take on Breakfast Pizza. As a longtime fan of pizza for breakfast, I think this is a healthier and likely a tastier version of the leftovers I ate cold in college…

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

As we begin to dig our wrists into a huge holiday week in the US, I’m reminded of a an oft-forgotten piece: Thanksgiving breakfast.  A reminder by the ever-mindful Chowmama put a few items in perspective for me and I think this year I’ve finally learned my lesson.

You see, I look forward to Thanksgiving all year. I train for it like an athlete and that day I want to ensure every piece of prep that could be done ahead is and everything else will mobilize like a well-oiled (and buttered) machine into the oven, onto the stovetop, out of the fridge and onto the cooling rack (which may or may not be on top of the microwave because we’ve plum run out of counter space). In previous years I would all but fast on the day of to prime my appetite for the main event, the feast of feasts.

What it usually means? Hen-pecking at the stuffing while the bird cooks, over-noshing on cheese and crackers when they finally make their appearance pre-dinner and generally being exhausted before the turkey is even carved because I’m as out of adrenaline as I am counters.

Not so this year. Two bloggers have given me some healthy, filling breakfast ideas to charge me up first thing on the big day and prime my tastebuds for many good things to come.

Simply Breakfast is a lovely blog providing daily inspiration for the beginning bites of your day. Lovely snaps and presentation, always.

This plate looks quite happy to me and it covers all its bases.  The most exciting base for us being Linda’s simple chard and mushroom saute. Linda actually made a pita with the saute for herself but I couldn’t resist this straightforward presentation and the ability to cook it all up using one pan if you so choose. As the fastest dish-dirtier in the (Mid)West on Thanksgiving or any day, I so choose.

Do you have any other straightforward ideas for mushrooms in the morning? Thanksgiving breakfast traditions?