Men’s Health Australia - 01.07.2018

Harness the Sun!

Mushrooms are often grown in darkness, so here’s an easy way to turbocharge their nutritional profile:

chop them up and set them outdoors in direct sunlight — not behind a window — for 30 minutes.

According to Virginia Tech researchers, as little as 15 minutes of sunny-day exposure can increase the

vitamin D in the mushrooms by upwards of 600 IU per cup (100 per cent of your daily needs).

THEY’RE

GROWN

IN CRAP,

RIGHT?

?

TRUE FALSE

NUTRITION

1

Don t wash the
mushrooms: this
makes them slimy
when you cook
them. Just brush
away any dirt with
your fingers. Now
grab a paring knife
and trim of any
woody stems or
stem ends. Cut the
edible parts into
bite-sized pieces.

2

Inalarge

nonstick pan

over medium high,

heat about a

tablespoon of

vegetable oil. Add

a handful of

mushrooms at a

time. Don’t crowd

the pan – if you

cook too many at

once, they’ll steam

in their own juices

rather than sauté.

3

Patience is the

keytosuccess

here: make sure

you allow the

mushrooms a few

minutes to cook

before stirring

them. Then keep

an eye on them,

stirring

occasionally,

until they’re no

longer producing

any moisture.

4

Now lower the

heat to medium;

that way you’ll

reduce the danger

of scorching as the

mushrooms

continue to cook.

When they’re fully

browned, they’re

done. You’ll know

because they’ll

start to smell nutty

and delicious.

5

The finishing

touches: add a

pinchorsoofsalt,

a tablespoon of

butter, a sprig or

two of fresh thyme,

and a few drops

of sherry vinegar

to balance the

mush rooms’ earthy

flavour. Irresistible,

right? Stop tasting

and serve ’em now.

Not exactly.

Mycelium, the

weblike structure

from which

mushrooms will

eventually develop,

is grown on

sterilised grain and

then mixed with

pasteurised compost

(which, okay

ne, does contain

manure). The

com post is topped

with a layer of peat

moss in which the

mushrooms grow,

says Dr Robert

Beelman, of the

Center for Plant and

Mushroom Foods for

Health at Penn State

University. And wild

mushrooms grow in

enchanted forests,

obviously, not in

piles of shit. Hope

that makes you

feel better.

Isn’t it time youI

became a fungi?

ChefChef Lee Chizmar of Bolete Restaurant shnt shows you howo

1

Don’twashthe

2

Inalarge

3

Patience is the

4

Now lower the

5

The finishing