You could blame Olympic fever or the pursuit of mushroom excellence but the Mushroom Council is having a lot of fun with contests these days and our latest from the Big 10 is no exception.

This contest pitted executive chefs and foodservice directors from the 11-school conference against each other in a friendly competition to create mushroom recipes for three categories of university-favored cuisine: Pizza, Sandwich, and Entrée. Most entries were vegetarian, with mushrooms at the heart of the dish, which reflects the increased interest in vegetarianism among college students – a 2006 Aramark survey found that 30% of college students want vegetarian options when dining out.

“Based on the caliber of recipes we’ve seen through this contest, universities are redefining the concept of what students will eat, taking them in a very positive and healthful direction” said Bart Minor, president of the Mushroom Council. “More and more students who have embraced a vegetarian or flexitarian diet have found mushrooms add a satiating “meaty” mouth-feel to their favorite dishes. Now, universities across the nation are catering to their preferences. ”

In the final round of judging, students at Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts in Chicago prepared tasting portions of five top-scoring recipes in each category for a judging panel that included Minor, along with Liz Grossman of Plate magazine and Frank Chlumsky from Kendall. Recipes were judged based on creativity, flavor and visual appeal.

Purdue earned Big Ten bragging rights by winning two of the three recipe categories, including best overall recipe, landing them the grand prize package that includes a trip for four to the NCAA men’s national basketball championship in Indianapolis this April. The University of Iowa’s recipe for Chorizo Breakfast Sandwich with Mushroom Gravy scored best in the sandwich category. As category winners, both schools will receive scholarships to attend the 2010 National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) annual conference in July.

The top entries from the Big Ten “Best Mushroom Recipe Goes to Indianapolis” contest are featured on MushroomInfo.com.

Check out Purdue’s Grand Prize Winning recipe for Vegetarian Mushroom Stir Fry below. Never did I think I would wistfully daydream on returning to my dorm days for the food but here we are, that day is upon us.

Vegetarian Mushroom Stir Fry

Serves 24

Sauce

• 1 ½ cups vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 4 ½ quarts water
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup vegetarian soup base

Stir fry

• 5 pounds firm tofu, drained, cut into triangles (½ x 1 ½ inches)
• 3 pounds dry rice stick noodles
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• ¼ cup minced garlic
• ½ cup minced peeled ginger
• 6 pounds cleaned, sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ½ pounds sliced carrots, blanched and drained
• 5 pounds Chinese broccoli, cleaned and cut into 4-inch pieces, blanched and drained

To make the sauce: Whisk together the oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer. Whisk together the water, cornstarch, and soup base. Combine with the oyster sauce mixture and heat until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Makes about 6 ½ quarts.

Heat a deep fryer until 375 to 400°F. Deep-fry the tofu triangles in batches until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

For each serving, to order: In a deep fryer, cook 1 ½ ounces rice stick noodles until puffed but not browned. Drain on paper towels. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Stir-fry ½ teaspoon garlic and 1 teaspoon ginger until fragrant. Add 4 ounces mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 ounce carrots, 2 ½ ounces broccoli, and about 2 ounces fried tofu. Stir-fry to heat through, 1 minute. Add about 1 cup sauce mixture and simmer until heated through. Put the rice sticks in a bowl and ladle the vegetables and sauce on top. Serve immediately.

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

I don’t know about you, but by mid-week? I’m usually pretty tired by the time I mosey into my tiny kitchen for mealtime.  That said, few things make me feel healthier or more productive than cooking.  Lucky that we live in times with such a plethora of simple but satisfying recipes at our fingertips!

This salad was introduced to me by a friend basing it loosely on a Giada De Laurentiis creation. It’s about as easy as it gets with 4 main ingredients plus seasoning and with no cooking required, it’s my perfect midweek mushroom fix!

• 1 pound white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 large celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Juice of half a lemon

Directions

Place the mushrooms in a medium bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Layer the mushrooms on the bottom of a straight-sided glass salad bowl. Place the celery in the same medium bowl used to toss the mushrooms. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Layer the celery on top of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the parsley over the celery. Squeeze lemon juice over the top. Serve.

The original recipe calls for sprinkled Romano as well but I find the vegan version seriously satisfying!

Hey y’all, it’s Rachel visiting from A Southern Fairytale! It’s the New Year and like so many others, I’m working towards a better, healthier me.  One of the ways that I’m doing this is by trying to incorporate some of my favorite healthy power packed foods into my meal plan, more frequently.  I’m doing this by trying to use veggies more and meat less, as a bonus, it’s also less expensive!

I love to play with foods and textures and flavors and while I’m actually fairly easy to please in the kitchen, my husband is another story.  He loves savory, full flavors and he wants to feel like he’s eaten a meal.  He is a Texas guy after all.

So I decided to make something easy, yet delicious and tempting and something that would leave me happy and feeling sated, but not full and heavy, while at the same time, would leave him feeling like he’d eaten a real meal, one that would get him from lunch to dinner while working.

I turned to a few of my favorite ingredients:  Mushrooms, Garlic, Spinach, Cucumber, Red Onion and Whole Grain Pitas to create a delicious and soon to be frequently repeated Sauteed Garlic Mushroom Stuffed Pita, I made my husband’s a little fuller than mine and with the first bite his eyebrows raised, his dark eyes lit up and he gave me that look, the one that said that he was willing to admit it; I’d done it again.  I’d taken him by surprise and he was not just liking, but loving something he wasn’t too sure about to begin with.

Sauteed Garlic Mushroom Stuffed Pitas

6 oz sliced mushrooms (I use the 100% Vitamin D enriched Mushrooms)
1/4 medium red onion, sliced or chopped
1/4 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 whole grain pita pockets
Handful of fresh spinach leaves
1 Tbsp olive oil

Drizzle your olive oil in a cold skillet and heat it to medium, saute the garlic for about a minute, then toss in the mushrooms.  Saute them until soft and brown, about 8 minutes

The smell will be unbelievable.*

Take your whole grain pita and open it up gently, stuff in some of your spinach leaves (*you can gently wilt the spinach with the mushrooms and garlic if you’d like… I chose not too because I love raw spinach)
layer in some of your cucumber slices and then spoon in  your mushrooms and garlic, top with chopped red onions

** some other delicious options, drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette or top with chipotle mayo (like i did with my husband’s)

Get healthy Tri-State: Keep the comfort, lose the calories The Herald-Dispatch knows that cold winter has many of us reaching for warm comfort foods like chili, pasta and beef dishes. While that sounds like the right food to trigger a warm feeling, consuming so much saturated fat isn’t your healthiest option. If you swap out mushrooms instead of meat in your comfort dishes you’ll find yourself with a source of ergothioneine—a compound that helps prevent plaque from forming in arteries. Now that’s comforting way to warm up this season!

Where to trim fat and calories at the Thanksgiving feast During and after your Thanksgiving feast, cutting the fat and extra calories from your holiday meals doesn’t mean cutting the taste. Many of us try to feel less guilty by eating vegetable or fruit side dishes, but forget that adding a stick of butter for flavor doesn’t help our waists much. The Dallas Morning News shares ways to enjoy your holiday and weekend indulgence, like delicious stuffing, while still being conscious of where its going.

Morels are very special mushrooms With such a wide variety of mushrooms to choose from—porcinis, trompettes, chanterelles, maitake and morels—it can be hard to pick a favorite. It can be even more daunting to find some of the more rare varieties that come with a higher price tag. If you do happen to use these special varieties while cooking or enjoy them while dining out, Olive Nation’s blog can help you choose the right pairing for each type. They offer suggestions for using the right sauce, vegetable or wine. The blog also includes tips for handling and preparation.

Tuna and Mushroom Potato Pot Pie Does your family have a favorite pie recipe that’s become a tradition around the dinner table? Bits of Taste was introduced to traditional pies by her mother-in-law and took a chance on making a modern version that not only added fiber to her family’s diet, but was also suitable for a picky eater. For fans of the traditional shepherd’s pie, this recipe is similar except that she has swapped minced mutton or beef for a healthier tuna.

Preventing The Swine Flu: A Comprehensive Approach There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to keeping everyone healthy and immune to influenza according to Mark Hyman, MD, at the The Huffington Post. Not everyone will find the same results from vaccines and treatments, thus the best approach is one that involves keeping healthy through a variety of means.  Hyman provides an overview of things to consider when getting a vaccine and offers alternative ways that support your immune system naturally, such as immune-enhancing mushrooms.

Second time around: What to do with those Thanksgiving leftovers If you find yourself in abundance of turkey leftovers don’t think that the most exciting use for a turkey is over. Silive.com has plenty of ideas for re-using leftovers that will still be as good as the original holiday meal. Whether you want to bake, throw together a quick pasta or warm up with soup, Silive.com has you covered through the weekend of leftovers.

Barbeque mushrooms: An incredible edible egg-cup We typically don’t think of including mushrooms in our everyday breakfast meals. When we see mushrooms at breakfast, its usually the “meat” of a breakfast burrito or a savory addition to an omelet. Well, its time to spruce up your mushroom breakfasts with this barbecue idea from The Home of Eggs. This barbecue mushroom egg recipe even includes a YouTube clip to show you how easy it is to grill a mushroom on your own.

Nature’s Hidden Source of Vitamin D Why is Vitamin D so important to our health? Is the sun the only source of Vitamin D? The Seattle PI answers these questions in their latest post and shares an alternative way to find Vitamin D when we’re limited on sun exposure. The post even includes a recipe for ginger shiitake rice adapted from Gourmet Magazine. Yum.

15 best (and worst) foods for immunity It’s officially cold and flu season—so how are you keeping yourself healthy? Have you thought about how  your diet may make you a germ magnet? MSNBC listed the 15 best and worst foods for your immune system based on their germ-killing abilities. Check them out and stay healthy everyone.

Seriously Meatless: Wild Mushroom Stuffing Thanksgiving is a week away! If you’re having food safety concerns or stressing over making a meal that’ll please a crowd of both vegetarians and omnivores, check out Serious Eats’ stuffing. It’s made outside of the turkey and serves up to 8 people.

Recipe ideas that use your Thanksgiving leftovers Some say that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. If you find yourself with plates of extra food after the holiday, check out My San Antonio’s ideas for what to do with those leftovers. It’s recipes for using up turkey, potatoes, cranberries and stuffing which sound just as delicious as the original meal itself!

Seasonal Influenza and H1N1 Today As H1N1 becomes more prevalent all around us, many people look for ways to boost their immunity to protect themselves. While basic measures can be taken to prevent the seasonal flu as well, Healthy News Digest reports on the extra steps that can be taken to strengthen the immune system. Dr. Cheri Quincy also shares a little background on how far we’ve come in fighting the flu since a pandemic in 1918 that killed 50 million people in twelve months.

‘Eat on $30 Challenge’ proves it’s possible to keep grocery costs low Kristina McLean took an interesting challenge to live on a $30 per week grocery budget while still eating well balanced meals. Using up food she already had, growing items in her garden and incorporating local ingredients was eye-opening, but more importantly, she learned to change recipes to fit her budget. Calculating everything down to cost-per-ingredient, McLean put together a low-cost Mushroom Barley Soup recipe you can totally afford to try.

Family Meals Matter: Meatless meals are healthy meals The Wichita Eagle reports on economical ways to eat and provide food for the whole family. Now it’s suggesting an economical and healthy way to stay full without the meaty ingredients we know and love.  It reports “even planning one or two meatless meals per week can help families save money without sacrificing taste or nutrition.” Best of all you can swap out meat for their recipe of cheese and spinach stuffed Portabella mushrooms.

Marvelous mushrooms Have you ever tried a “steak-like” mushroom the size of a saucer? The Portabella mushroom, a meaty variety perfect for adapting to many ways of cooking, is just that. Although its exotic looking, the Courier Journal explains that its simply a white button mushroom with “big size and flavor.” It’s large size is nothing to be afraid of however, it allows for more varied uses like stuffing. The Courier Journal includes their pick for Portabella use: KT’s Portabella Pasta. Enjoy!

Just Asking… Alicia Silverstone How many of our followers were once avid watchers of “Clueless”? Alicia Silverstone has come a long way since that time making a big change in her life in order to go vegan. The Wall Street Journal interviewed Silverstone about her new vegan cookbook which definitely includes mushrooms. She says, “one of my favorite dishes to serve at a party is the leek, pesto, mushroom crostini.” If any of you pick up her book, let us know if you test out her crostinis!

In Season: Stock up on fresh mushrooms Did you know that mushrooms have a season? Well, that season is now. Whether you’re into picking up produce at the local farmers market or the supermarket it’s always best to pick up what’s in season. The Dallas Morning News is telling us to stock up now on fresh mushrooms for upcoming occasions like Thanksgiving where they become a nice addition to side dishes and dressing.

Did you get your Vitamin D today? Exercise Physiologist Karen Nelson helps keep Tucson healthy with all kinds of news. This week she asks how much Vitamin D you’re getting. Because of the growing press around this special vitamin, its important to get the facts. Very few foods in nature contain Vitamin D and mushrooms are among them. Take a look to find out how much D is safe and what you can do to get more.

Cold and Flu? Not You! RedBook knows how to dish out some interesting ways to boost your immunity against the flu. Germ-fighting foods, laughing and dancing are among some suggestions that we can all incorporate into our lives. Specifically, we were interested in how Shiitake mushrooms, which contain Lentinan, a carbohydrate found in these tasty shrooms, may boost cells’ response to infection.

Culinary Confidence -  Mushroom Dip perfect for holiday tables Preconceptions about food kept Beth Flaherty of the StarNews from eating mushrooms for years. Then she got with it. We find her basking in her love of mushrooms suggesting a dip for the approaching holidays. Check out the various mushrooms used for this dip which calls an “economical, delicious and a real crowd-pleaser at parties.”

Celebrating Mushrooms It’s Fall! How are you celebrating the season’s produce and flavors? Mushrooms — plentiful this time of year — bring out the earthy and hearty flavors of any dish. Marilyn Campbell reassures us that most types of mushrooms are wine-friendly (yay), easy to use for meatless meals like the “steak” sandwich recipe she provides and she shares basic tips on how to clean and keep mushrooms fresh.

Eat these foods and feel better Perhaps you’re already up to your neck in tissues kind of sick. Though foods alone can’t make you feel better, they sure do help when they’re as tasty as the list created by Detroit Free Press. Strawberries, salmon and mushrooms’ “superhero”-like qualities may be just what you need to “save your life” according to author Dave Grotto. Check out the full list and a meal idea that may be the trick for feeling better.

Meat off the menu as Windsor Castle goes vegan Countless royal banquet have been held in Windsor Castle with plates of chicken, apple-stuffed pigs and more throughout its history. On November 3, that all changed when a banquet for 200 guests including leaders of nine different faiths with all types of dietary requirements met for a celebratory lunch. The feat of putting a menu together was quite tricky for Xanthe Clay who decided to use the scrumptious Portabella to “save the planet.”