While no mother can say she has a favorite, we have a feeling mushrooms might top Mother Nature’s list, especially when it comes to sustainable, earth-friendly ingredients (mushrooms are considered “one of the most sustainably produced foods in the United States”). 

As we celebrate Earth Month all throughout April, check out these recipes from the Mushroom Council.

Pulled Port BBQ Sandwiches

Recipe courtesy the Mushroom Council

Ingredients for Pulled Port

4 ea. portabella mushroom caps (about 1 lb)
1 T olive oil
½ onion, thinly sliced
½ tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon liquid smoke, optional
1/3 cup your favorite bbq sauce
2 ea. hamburger buns

Ingredients for Cabbage Slaw (optional)

1 cup shredded green cabbage
2 T mayonnaise
1 T fresh lime  juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to tastod

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Remove the stems* and clean the tops of mushroom caps with a damp paper towel. Using a spoon, gently scrape off the black gills from under the mushroom caps.
3. Place the mushroom caps on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes to dry them out. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. You can also use the air fryer to dry out the mushrooms for 15 minutes at 400°F.
4. Gently pull apart the roasted mushrooms using two forks until they have that shredded “pulled” look. Set aside.
5. In a skillet, heat olive oil at medium heat. Sauté onions until tender for about 5 minutes. 
6. To the sautéed onions, add the shredded mushrooms, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste, liquid smoke (if using), and bbq sauce.
7. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all is warmed through and well combined.
8. Serve pulled portabellas on hamburger buns with slaw. Enjoy!

Walnut & Mushroom Meatloaf

Recipe courtesy Nikki Dinki & the Mushroom Council

Yield: 6-8

Ingredients

1 cup raw walnuts (3 oz)
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced or whole
¾ cup quick oats 
½ cup whole milk
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 ea. medium yellow onion (8 oz), finely chopped (1½ cups)
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup + ¾ cup ketchup, divided 
1 lb ground beef 
1 large egg
2 tsp kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan by spraying it heavily with cooking oil spray. Alternatively, to help lift the meatloaf out of the pan later, line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
2. Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they are finely chopped, then transfer them to a small bowl and set aside. Pulse the mushrooms in the food processor until they are also finely chopped and set aside in another small bowl (the food processor makes this really easy, but you can also do the chopping in this step by hand with your knife; just keep going until everything’s as finely chopped as possible).
3. In a large bowl, combine the oats and milk, then set aside. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and onions, and cook until the veggies are tender and lightly browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and continue cooking until fragrant—1 to 2 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of soaked oats. Add the walnuts and ¼ cup of the ketchup and stir to combine.
5. Add the beef, egg, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until they are well combined, trying not to overmix, then transfer the beef mixture to the prepared loaf pan, lightly pressing the mixture down into an even layer. Spread the remaining ¾ cup ketchup evenly on top.
6. Bake until the ketchup goes from shiny and glossy to matte and brown in spots and the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160°F—1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Mushroom Carpaccio

Recipe courtesy Jeremy Fox & the Mushroom Council

Ingredients

1 lb pristine white button mushrooms, cleaned and caps peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Nice chunk of Reggiano Parmigiano
4 T finely sliced chives
1 ea. lemon, cut into seedless wedges

Method

1. With a sharp mandolin, slice the mushrooms as thin as possible while still retaining their shape start “sideways” with the cap and eventually let the slices reach the stem as well. You can also slice from the top of the cap since you know everything.
2. Arrange the slices on 4 individual plates in an organized fashion—just make sure there’s not too much overlapping, which means that parts of the mushroom will hide from the seasoning
3. Here’s where the “recipe” ends and you must let instincts kick in. you will most likely not get it right at first, but with repetition, I believe in you.
4. Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil, making sure to coat evenly, but don’t drown them
5. You should be able to see that the mushrooms’ color has changed to show that they are just saturated enough.
6. Sprinkle the plated mushrooms evenly and lightly with the kosher salt. again, this will take practice, but I swear this dish is worth it when you nail it, and transforms one of the most humble vegetables into something memorable.
7. Finish with an even coating of chives and fresh grated Reggiano-Parmigiano.
8. Serve with the lemon wedges and enjoy.

Classic Stuffed Mushrooms 

Recipe courtesy the Mushroom Council

Ingredients

16 oz white button mushrooms (about 14 larger mushrooms)
½ lb pork or turkey sausage
4 oz cream cheese, softened
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Small or chopped basil leaves for garnish

Method

1. Remove the mushroom stems and pulse in food processor until finely chopped (you can also chop by hand). Spray a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms, about 8-by-10-inches, with non-stick cooking spray. Place the mushroom caps upside down in a baking dish.
2. Cook the chopped mushrooms and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Break it up into small pieces as it cooks. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cream cheese until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the panko bread crumbs and remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Add 1 tablespoon of Parmesan and the salt. Stir well. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
5. Fill each mushroom cap with an equal amount of the sausage stuffing, mounding it high over the mushroom. Bake for 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the mushrooms are tender.
6. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of Parmesan over the mushrooms just as you pull them out of the oven. Garnish with basil before serving.

Lion's Mane Phish Sticks

Recipe courtesy Thuy Pham & the Mushroom Council

Ingredients for Phish Stick Mixture

1 lb of shredded lion's mane 
8 oz of mashed hearts of palm
¼ cup corn starch
¼ vegan fish sauce (sub with soy sauce if you dont have vegan fish sauce)
1 T mushroom seasoning
¼ cup minced lemongrass
2 T chopped dill (dried is ok)
5 sheets of crushed nori

Ingredients for Wet Batter

2 cups all purpose flour
2 T corn starch
5 sheets crushed nori
1 T mushroom seasoning
1 tsp salt
¼ cup chopped dill
1 tsp chili oil
1 ½ cup plant based milk
½ cup vinegar

Method

1. Combine all ingredients for fish stick mixture into large bowl and mix with hands until well blended. Portion out mixture and form into sticks. Place in the freezer for 15-30 mins to chill. While phish sticks are chilling in freezer, combine wet batter ingredients and mix until well blended. Bring fry oil to 350 degrees.
2. Take phish sticks out of freezer and dredge in wet batter and fry until golden brown. Serve with spicy garlic mayo sauce. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Ingredients for Spicy Garlic Mayo

1 cup vegan mayo
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp of chili oil
2 tsp lime juice

Method

Combine ingredients and mix well. Serve as a dipping sauce for phish sticks. 

Mushroom Ricotta Toast

Recipe courtesy Ali Rosen & the Mushroom Council

Ingredients

1 pint variety of mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
2 T olive oil
2 Tsherry vinegar
Dash of salt
½ cup ricotta
2 ea. large slices rustic bread

Method

Chop the mushrooms into bite sized pieces. Slice the garlic. Place a pan on medium heat with the olive oil and toss in the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened. Remove from heat and toss in the sherry vinegar and salt. Spread the ricotta onto the slices of bread. Top the bread with the mushroom and garlic mixture. Serve hot.

Calabrian Glazed King Trumpet Mushrooms

Recipe courtesy Joe Sasto & the Mushroom Council

Ingredients for Sweet & Spicy Glaze

1-2 T Calabrian chile paste
1 ea. shallot, minced
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1T sweet miso paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp ginger, minced
3 T butter

Ingredients for King Trumpet Mushrooms

1 lb king trumpet mushrooms
2 T butter
1 garlic clove
1 sprig thyme and/or rosemary

Method

1. Gently melt and heat butter in a large sauce pot.
2. Add aromatics and begin to cook until butter bubbles and begins to brown.
3. Add honey and sugar and begin to cook until melted and caramelized.
4. Deglaze with the vinegar and whisk in the miso paste.
5. Continue to cook until thickened.
6. Meanwhile, score and roast king trumpet mushrooms in a pan. Optionally finished with foamy butter, thyme, and aromatics.
7. Remove mushrooms once golden and tender, and glaze in the Calabrian chile sauce.
8. Garnish with gorgonzola dolce, pine nuts and fresh herbs.