Marinated Mushrooms

Marinated Mushrooms

Lately, I have been enjoying fresh salads for lunch.  I love to experiment with different dressings and new flavor combinations.  However, when I pack salads to take to work I usually omit one of my favorite ingredients:  mushrooms.  When I make salads at home, I frequently omit a dressing and simply top my greens with sauteed shallots and mushrooms.  However, sauteed mushrooms don't pack well, and I find that unseasoned raw mushrooms lack the complexity and rich flavor of sauteed mushrooms. 

Recently I realized that I could create a mushroom topping that holds its flavor and texture by simply marinating the mushrooms.  I approached the recipe in the same way I create a dressing:  start with an oil, add a sour liquid (vinegar, lemon juice, etc), throw in some herbs, a pinch of salt and a hint of sweet.  I then amplified the flavor with onion, garlic and mustard.  The result is a sweet and tangy marinade that results in both a flavorful salad topping as well as the salad dressing.  Delicious!

Marinated Mushrooms

Ingredients:

·      8 oz sliced Button Mushrooms

·      2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·      2 T White Balsamic Vinegar

·      2 T Fresh Basil

·      2 T Fresh Parsley

·      2 Medium Cloves Garlic

·      ¼ Medium Red Onion

·      ¼ t Mustard Powder

·      2 pinches stevia

·      2 pinches salt

Method:

1. Place all ingredients except mushrooms in blender
2. Blend until coarsely chopped
3.  Mix in with mushrooms
4. Let marinate several hours or overnight 

~Grace Geiger