Oyster Mushrooms: Health Benefits & Delicious Recipes

You know Oyster mushrooms – these are the very same mushrooms that we eat in our salads, pizzas and many other sumptuous delicacies. It is one of the most widely consumed and used form of mushroom in kitchens across the globe. While we all love mushrooms, very few of us know that these are a form of fungi and are loaded with numerous benefits. Oyster mushrooms are now grown in controlled environments commercially across many locations in the world.

So, how does oyster mushroom benefits the human body? Here’s a list to help you understand just how good these delicious fungi are for your health:

Benefits of Oyster Mushrooms:

While many only eat mushrooms for their taste, many of us are unaware that this fungi plant is loaded with all kinds of benefits for the human body.

1. The mushroom contains lovastatin, a form of statins, that is known to help reduce the blood cholesterol levels.
2. Highly rich in Vitamin C and B complex as well as proteins.
3. These are rich in antioxidants and are being studied for possible application to cure various immune deficiency syndromes.
4. Oyster mushrooms are a rich source of minerals like zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, and phosphorous.
5. Oyster mushrooms, if consumed on a regular basis, also work to produce anti-oxidants in the body, which help remove toxins from the body.
6. It is known to contain Ergothioneine, which is a vitamin that helps build immunity and protect cells.
7. Oyster mushrooms contain vitamin D that helps strengthen bones and muscles.
8. These tasty mushrooms also provide relief from acidity and constipation as these are high in fiber content and are also alkaline.
   

Get Them in Your Diet!!

While many of us love mushrooms, we treat them as a delicacy and eat them only once in a while. If we want to get all the benefits of these fungi, it is important to consume mushrooms more than once a week. Also, they taste great no matter how you consume them, raw, in your salad, sandwiches, soups, sauteed or even make use of them in a recipe.

Best Recipes to Cook Those Oyster Mushrooms:

Delicate as the mushrooms are, they are loaded with nutrients like vitamins and minerals. They are delicate but are a great ingredient to work with. The aim is to get the balance right with mushrooms and other cooking ingredients to get a dish that is not only healthy, but also keeps the person longing for more. Given here are a few of the best recipes that lets you know how to prepare oyster mushrooms.

1. Short And Simple, The Mushroom Soup:

The basics never go out of fashion. One of the best ways to have mushrooms is to use them in a sop! Boil the mushrooms and then mix them in a mixer. Add little oil to a pan and add your favorite ingredients. While few of us may prefer to add just butter and salt to the soup, a few others may prefer to actually have a list of vegetables to add color to the otherwise off white colored soup. Go ahead and add those vegetables to add more health to the soup.

2. Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller:

This is a small and beautiful dish made with oyster mushrooms that one can serve anytime. Add oil or butter to a non-stick frying pan or pot and then sauté the mushroom till they turn light brown. Once you get the perfect texture, remove them with a strainer spoon and add pepper and salt and mix them well in another bowl.

BOWL 1:

In the pan, add garlic and shallots and cook to make sure the shallots are softened enough. Add to this vermouth and pernod once the shallots are softened. Let the alcohol evaporate and then put this in another bowl and keep it aside. Now you have two separate bowls.

BOWL 2:

Add a little more butter and add flour, keep whisking until it gives of some fragrance of the flour. Add milk and avoid any lumps in the mixture and keep whisking it well. As it thickens, add to this the contents of BOWL 2, add seasoning to taste and, if you want, you can add pepper and salt to taste.

BOWL 3

Last but not the least mix parmesean and breadcrumbs in a bowl and get your oven ready. On a ceramic spoon, place the mixture from bowl 3, and one mushroom cap, and parmeasan mixture on top of it. Keep it in the oven and let it turn brown or cook for four minutes. Serve this with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

3. Frittata with Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese:

The ingredients required for the successful preparation of this dish are:

• Oil, salt and pepper
• 3 ounces soft goat cheese
• Chopped green onions
• Eggs- 8 in count
• Whole milk- half a cup
• Vegetable oil- 3 tablespoons
• Oyster mushrooms- sliced
• Shallot- 1 large and big one and sliced
• Clove of garlic 1 and mince it
• Chopped zucchini
  

Method of Preparation:

• First and foremost set the oven to preheat to about 350 degrees. Heat a skillet and add to this 1 tablespoon oil. Add to this hot oil, shallots and sauté them well, add garlic to it and toss a little. Add the mushrooms that are already sliced and truffle oil if anyone likes it.
• Once the vegetables seem to have evenly sautéed and give a good smell, add to this mixture the mushrooms and sauté them to a deep brown color and ensure the water evaporates away.
• Add zucchini and sauté a little. Make sure you sauté on medium to low heat to avoid excessive cooking or burning of the vegetables.
• Now, keep these veggies in another bowl. Use another skillet to do the next step of this dish preparation. Heat it to high and add to it 2 tablespoons of oil.
• Take the eggs, break them open in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and whisk it to an even and frothy mixture. Add to this whisked egg, milk and whisk and make it frothy.
• Now comes the tricky part. Swirl the skillet with oil and slowly add this mixture to the skillet to create a kind of crust along the edge. Now, add the mixture of vegetables, zucchini and mushrooms. Now, put that goat cheese on top, crumble it on top like a topping.
• Now, slide the skillet into the oven that has already been preheated and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. Once it is cooked, slide it out and slice and dig into the goodness of the oyster mushroom dish.
  

4. Quick and Easy Tacos:

This is the easiest way to use oysters in your house. Get a pack of tacos. Get a few vegetables that you like and that go well with oyster mushrooms like carrots, bell peppers, cheese and broccoli. Slice all vegetables into small fine pieces. Add a little butter in a pan and sauté the vegetables a little. Add pepper and salt to these sautéed vegetables for taste. Let them cool and ensure that there are no dripping watery elements in the vegetables or the tacos will become soggy even before you can serve them. Take the tacos and add this mixture on the taco and serve to your family and friends. You have a great dish that is easy and fast to cook. Not to mention healthy!

Oyster mushrooms are a must have in one’s daily food intake for their many inherent qualities and benefits. These delicacies given above retains the quality of the mushroom as well as its taste and flavor. This ensures that you get all the oyster mushroom nutrition.

Mushrooms are a gift of nature. Add them to your diet and remember to get good quality mushrooms. Avoid over cooking them to prevent loss of nutrients. So, rush to your nearest store to get your pack of mushrooms and share the news with your family and friends who would definitely benefit from these little fungi that grows abundantly in nature.

Do you have a favorite mushroom recipe? Share with us in the comments section below.