Not so long ago, an oriental culinary novelty appeared on the domestic food market - shiitake mushrooms. This product very quickly won the hearts of culinary experts and firmly established itself in the refrigerators of the hostesses. The homeland of these mushrooms is China and Japan, where for more than a thousand years they have been cultivated and eaten.
Doctors of the Ming Dynasty left many treatises to the descendants, where they talked about the miraculous healing properties of shiitake mushrooms. Someone calls them today the elixir of youth, someone calls them a storehouse of vitamins and compares them with ginseng.
Eastern miracle
What are shiitake mushrooms and how did they so amaze even the most capricious culinary skeptics? Firstly, of course, this is a wonderful woody fragrance. Since they grow on trees, it is not surprising that woody notes are present. Secondly, mushrooms are distinguished by rather dry hats, which have a lot of various cracks and inclusions.
Very often this product is called a “black mushroom”, since the color of shiitake can vary from light chestnut to dark brown, almost black.
As for taste, it is quite unusual, if not specific. Many reviews of shiitake mushrooms say that they combine the taste of a certain careless sweetness, bright heady bitterness and piquant pungency.
In addition, the great advantage of this product is calorie content. Many losing weight ladies, adherents of good nutrition, vegetarians, celebrities and world-class models very often eat shiitake dishes. Despite the fact that one hundred grams of the product contains about three hundred calories, these mushrooms are most often advised by nutritionists. Where else can you find at the same time a wholesome, incredibly tasty and satisfying dish that would still not spoil the figure?
Shiitake mushrooms. Benefit and harm
Why are shiitake “elixirs of eternal beauty and youth”? What useful composition can this oriental culinary novelty boast?
In the composition of shiitake mushrooms, you can find about eighteen useful amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, only 1 g of fat per hundred grams of the product and about ten grams of protein.
Specialists very often advise eating shiitake to those who suffer from problems with the gastrointestinal tract, have cancer, suffer from reduced immunity and frequent fatigue. It is said that eating shiitake allows ulcers and erosion in the stomach and intestines to heal faster. In addition, cholesterol is excreted, general immunity increases, metabolism normalizes.
Especially often, fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms are recommended for use by people who are obese. Improving metabolism, removing toxins from the body, improving the digestive tract - all this only contributes to weight loss.
Moreover, experts say that the diet does not have to be completely “tied” to the use of these mushrooms. Simply add to your diet dishes containing shiitake mushrooms as part of the ingredients. Japanese scientists who monitored a group of losing weight and periodically eating shiitake dishes noted that many lost ten kilograms or more in a couple of months.
Mushrooms are contraindicated for people suffering from bronchial asthma, individual intolerance (allergic reactions), as well as pregnant women and children under the age of 12 years.
Shiitake and Seafood
In the cookbooks you can find many dishes that will be prepared with the participation of shiitake mushrooms. How to cook them? What products to combine with?
Shiitake mushrooms make surprisingly delicious and fragrant soups, incredible snacks, salads and side dishes. They are in perfect harmony with seafood, chicken, vegetables, fresh herbs, cereals, etc.
To prepare the first recipe, you will need
- 120 g of green beans.
- 200 grams of shrimp.
- 400 g shiitake mushrooms.
- Chinese noodles.
- A few cloves of garlic.
- Butter.
- 5 table. tablespoons of soy sauce.
How to cook
We wash the mushrooms a little, dry on a towel and send to fry in a skillet. Shrimps are cooked at the same time as mushrooms. They are boiled for five minutes in water with salt. In mushrooms, add green beans, peeled boiled shrimp. Pour in soy sauce mixed with chopped garlic. Cooking two to three minutes. As a side dish, you can use Chinese noodles or rice.
Fish soup with mushrooms and salmon
Not only for salads, you can use shiitake mushrooms. The recipe for the soup looks as simple as any of the snacks. The mistresses especially liked fish salmon soup.
For cooking you need
- 5-6 shiitake mushrooms.
- 250 g salmon filet.
- Fish broth - 800 ml.
- A tablespoon of ginger (grated).
- 3 tablespoons of soy sauce.
- Lemon juice.
- Rice noodles - 150 g.
- Algae - 2 leaves.
Cooking method
The fish fillet must be cut into small pieces and pour over lemon juice. Leave the fish to "rest" for five minutes. Salmon can be fried in a pan, if you are not afraid of excess calories, or baked in the oven, pre-wrapped in foil.
In the finished broth, put the fish, add soy sauce. We cut algae with scissors into small long plates. Mushrooms can be put in the soup as a whole. Reduce the heat and cook the soup for about ten minutes. The noodles are boiled separately. When serving, put it on the bottom of the plate, pour the soup on top and chop the greens. You can also add a few small pieces of chili pepper.
Healthy Mushroom Chips
Shiitake mushrooms can be used for snacks. Losing weight especially appreciate such a quick, simple, but very healthy and tasty dish.
Required:
- Fresh mushrooms.
- It grows. butter.
- A bit of salt.
- Two table. tablespoons of flour.
- Ground pepper.
- Three chicken eggs.
Cooking steps
Mushrooms must be washed and laid out to dry on a towel. When the mushrooms dry, cut them into thin plates. Flavor with spices. Batter is made from eggs and flour. We lower each plate into batter and send it into deep fat for half a minute. Remember to prepare paper napkins or towels. It is important that the excess oil is glass and not left on the chips.
If you want the dish to be even less high-calorie, just send the mushrooms to bake on a dry baking sheet. Just ten minutes in the oven and the chips are ready.
Omelette
If you want to diversify your breakfast with a useful, delicious dish with Chinese notes, then we recommend preparing an omelet.
Required Products:
- One onion.
- Shiitake mushrooms.
- Three chicken eggs.
- Salt.
- Some butter.
How to cook
To begin with, the mushrooms are washed and dried on a towel. Then the hats are cut off (they will go to the dish). We cut each hat into strips or cubes. Fry the mushrooms in oil with the addition of pepper and a pinch of salt. Five minutes later, add finely chopped onions to the hats.
Break eggs into a plate, add a spoonful of milk or water, beat well until a lush egg mass is obtained. We fill it with mushrooms and onions and leave it to languish under the lid for seven minutes. When serving, sprinkle the omelet with fresh parsley.
Salads
The most popular dish is salads. What foods can shiitake mushrooms be combined with to get a tasty but quick to make salad? It:
- Boiled beef tongue, fresh herbs, mushrooms.
- Pickled mushrooms, tomatoes, boiled chicken, broccoli.
- Rice noodles, mushrooms, shrimp.
- Mushrooms, cheese, asparagus, legumes.