Happy Monday! Today, we are continuing our “Cooking The Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid” series, with a look at mushrooms. Mushrooms are not only tasty but also offer some incredible health benefits. Read on for more insight into mushrooms, our takes on them, a Mushroom Stock recipe, and be on the lookout this Friday for our new Guide to Mushrooms!
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Cooking The Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid: Cooked Asian Mushrooms
How much: Unlimited
Healthy choices: Shiitake, enokitake, maitake, oyster mushrooms, lion’s mane (and wild mushrooms if available)
Why: These mushrooms contain compounds that enhance immune function. Never eat mushrooms raw, and minimize consumption of common commercial button mushrooms (including cremini and Portobello).
Dr. Weil on Mushrooms
I love everything about mushrooms - foraging for them in beautiful settings, identifying them to make sure that a species is edible (never guess about this!), learning the best ways to cook them, savoring their rich flavors and textures, and discovering their medicinal properties and health benefits.
While I do recommend many wild mushroom species, I strongly advise against eating any mushrooms raw, whether they’re wild or cultivated. Cooking breaks down their cell walls, which are tough and resistant to digestion, and many species contain toxins that cooking destroys. Always cook mushrooms well by sautéing, broiling, or grilling.
Diana on Mushrooms:
I’m actually a relatively new mushroom lover. For most of my life, I didn’t like the taste or texture of mushrooms, which was somewhat challenging growing up with Dr. Weil as my dad! It’s only been in the past few years that I’ve really fallen in love with them, and I think that’s because I finally figured out which varieties I enjoy and how to prepare them in a way I like.
A lot of what I didn’t like about mushrooms came down to the texture and feeling like they were often slimy. To avoid this, I’ve learned that buying fresh mushrooms is really important and to try and avoid mushrooms packaged in plastic whenever I can, since the trapped moisture can accelerate that slimy texture. I’ve also found that slicing mushrooms thinly and cooking them thoroughly makes a huge difference. When I’m sautéing vegetables, I like to add mushrooms first, or alongside onions, so they have plenty of time to release their moisture and brown. I much prefer mushrooms that are crispy and caramelized rather than soft and spongy.
Want to hear more from the Weil’s on their thoughts on mushrooms? Upgrade to VIP and check out our new Guide to Mushrooms coming out this Friday! It includes:
The mushrooms they recommend, including their health benefits, taste, and how to use them.
Tips on selecting, preparing and cooking mushrooms.
Medicinal mushrooms they recommend
Dried versus fresh mushrooms
Five mushroom recipes to get you started on your mushroom journey!
Keep an eye out for Friday’s post to access this new Guide To Mushrooms!
And if you enjoy this post, check out these Cooking The Anti-Inflammatory Pyramids:
Mushroom Stock
This mushroom stock is a pleasant and interesting twist on the standard vegetable version and is a good base for many flavorful dishes. It only has a shelf life of 3-5 days, but once you’ve tasted this stock, using it quickly will not be a problem! A True Food Kitchen restaurant recipe.
Ingredients
2 gallons of water
1 ounce dry shiitake mushrooms
2 onions
4 stalks of fennel
4 carrots
4 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
Clean and chop all vegetables.
Cover with water/tamari mixture and simmer 1.5 hours.
Strain mushrooms and discard.
WEIL Nutrition Corner® Food as Medicine: Shiitake mushrooms contain an active compound called lentinan, a polysaccharide that has been studied for its ability to strengthen the immune system.
Want more mushroom recipes? Become a VIP and access our brand new upcoming Guide to Mushrooms, plus all our other VIP Guides!
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