Oyster mushroom and shallot tart with sunblush tomato puree

Ingredients:

175g/6oz puff pastry

3 shallots

1 clove garlic

25g/1oz butter/margarine

110g/4oz oyster mushrooms

50g/2oz button mushrooms

2 tbsp brandy

110g/4oz sunblush tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

To garnish:

sprigs of basil 

To serve:

rocket and baby spinach or a mixed herb salad

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2. Roll out the pastry and use to line two 10cm/4in loose-bottomed flan rings. Place on a baking sheet and bake blind for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden.

3. Sauté the shallots and 1 clove of garlic in butter or vegan margarine until golden (about 

10 minutes on a low heat). Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the brandy and cook for a further 2 minutes. Slice four pieces of sunblush tomato and stir 

into the mushrooms. Season to taste.

4. To make the purée, sauté half the remaining tomatoes and the clove of garlic in olive oil 

until very soft, then add 2 tbsp of water and continue cooking gently for a further 5-10 minutes. Season to taste and then purée. Chop the rest of the tomatoes finely and stir into the purée.

5. Divide the shallots and mushroom filling between the two tart bases, place on a baking sheet and warm through in the oven for 5 minutes. Place each one on a warm plate. Gently heat the purée through in a saucepan and drizzle some around the tarts. Garnish with sprigs of basil. Serve with a spicy or herby salad. Extra purée can be served in a jug on the side.

Oyster Mushrooms Fried in Breadcrumbs

Ingredients:

16 large oyster mushrooms, cleaned

plain flour, for coating

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 garlic clove, very finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

olive oil, for frying

dried breadcrumbs, for coating

1 lemon, quartered

salt and pepper

Preparation:

Take the mushrooms and, one-by-one, dip them into the flour, shaking off any excess. Season the beaten egg and mix in the garlic and parsley.

Pour 1cm/½in of olive oil into a large shallow pan over heat. Dip the mushrooms into the egg mixture first, then the breadcrumbs, then fry in the hot oil until golden on both sides. Serve immediately with a lemon quarter.

Pasta with creamy tomatoes and oyster mushrooms

Ingredients:

3/4 cup boiling water 

16 sundried tomato pieces 

1/2 cup boiling water 

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) 

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) 

1 1/2 cups sliced oyster mushrooms 

1/2 cup soymilk 

1/2 cup extra-firm silken tofu 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

freshly-ground black pepper to taste 

12 ounces dried pasta

1/4 cup soy parmesan or Parma (walnut parmesan substitute) (OR chopped toasted walnuts)

Preparation:

Pour the 3/4 cup boiling water over the dried tomatoes in one small bowl, and the 1/2 cup boiling water over the dried mushrooms in another. Let them stand for 1/2 an hour, covered. Remove the tomatoes from the water, squeeze them, and chop them. Set the soaking water aside (don't discard it). Do the same with the mushrooms, saving the soaking water, but discarding the sediment that settles on the bottom of the bowl. 

Set a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. 

Mix the chopped sundried tomatoes, garlic, and tomato water in a large nonstick skillet. Turn the heat up to high again and stir for a few minutes to reduce the liquid. Add the soaked dried mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, and fresh oyster mushrooms. Steam-fry until the mushrooms start to wilt, adding drops of water as necessary to keep from sticking. Add the mushroom soaking water and salt. Reduce the liquid a little. Remove from heat. 

By this time, the water for the pasta should have boiled. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain. 

Mix the soymilk and tofu together in a blender until smooth. Add this to the pan with the mushroom mixture and cook over high heat just until it boils a little. Taste for salt. Add the hot pasta and mix well. Grind pepper over the top. 

Spoon onto 4 warm plates or pasta bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of soy parmesan. 

Oyster Mushrooms with Fresh Sage

Ingredients:

500 g. oyster mushroom 

8 leaves of sage 

herb salt, pepper 

1 lg. garlic clove, minced 

1 med. onion or 

2 shallots, chopped 

3 T. olive oil 

1/2 cube chicken 

bouillon 

dissolved in 

1/8 litre water

Preparation:

Break up and separate larger clusters of mushrooms. Cut into large pieces and set aside (large enough to cut once more on the dinner plate). In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion a few minutes, add the garlic and pepper. Continue sautéing a minute before adding the mushrooms and the torn and crushed leaves of sage. Toss gently a few minutes before adding the bouillon. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until tender.

Oyster Mushrooms Minsk

Ingredients:

1-½ oz Dry or 10 oz Fresh Oyster mushrooms

½ cups Water, Plus 1 cup cold water for dry

     mushrooms

¼ tsb baking soda

¼ cup Vinegar

¼ tsp Salt

1 cup Chopped onions

1 small Eggplant, sliced

1 Tbs Butter

2 Tbs Flour

¼ Yellow bell (sweet) pepper ¼ Red bell

     (sweet) pepper

¼ Green bell (sweet) pepper 1 cup Sour cream

Preparation:

Soak dry mushrooms in water, allow 1 hour before cooking. After the dry mushrooms have soaked 10 minutes or immediately after washing the fresh mushrooms, cut off all stems, and chop them very fine. Place the stems in a small pan, add ¼ cup water and baking soda, cover and simmer. Cut the peppers into strips. Sauté the onions and eggplant, add salt, mushrooms and stems, including all liquid (much should have been absorbed). Continue heating, sift flour in slowly, while stirring. As soon as the liquid is smooth and thickened, add sour cream. Garnish with peppers. Serves 6.

 

Variation: cooked carrots may be substituted for some of the peppers. RHK 

Oyster mushroom & noodle stir-fry

Ingredients (serves 4)

200g packet dried flat egg noodles

1 tbs peanut oil or rice bran oil*

1 onion, sliced

300g oyster mushroom*, torn in half if large

100g enoki mushrooms*, trimmed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), trimmed, roughly chopped

1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce

1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice

2 spring onions, thinly sliced, to serve

Preparation

Cook the egg noodles according to packet instructions. Drain, then rinse under cold water and drain again. Toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Heat the remaining oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and garlic, stir-fry for 1 minute, then add gai lan, soy and juice and stir-fry for a further minute. Add noodles and toss using tongs for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Serve scattered with spring onions.

Beef, oyster mushroom & broccolini stir-fry

Ingredients (serves 4)

450g pkt hokkien noodles

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

350g beef fillet steak, sliced thinly

2 tbs olive oil

1 bunch broccolini, cut into 3 lengths

1 red capsicum, deseeded, sliced

150g oyster mushrooms, halved

1/4 cup (60ml) oyster sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy)

Preparation:

Place the hokkien noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes to separate the noodles. Drain.

In a bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, beef and 1 1/2 tbs of the olive oil. Heat a wok over a medium high heat. In batches, add the beef and cook, for 1 minute on each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the broccolini and capsicum and cook, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the noodles, beef, oyster sauce and soy sauce and kecap manis, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Serve.