Mmmmm… mushrooms

We’re big fans of mushrooms around the eat. live. travel. write. household (yes, even Cleo!). When I was little, I always used to think their French name (champignons) sounded SO exotic and I always felt really sophisticated eating and cooking with them!  Nowadays they are a kitchen staple and I’m always on the lookout for interesting varieties to try. Heck, we’ve even grown our own (which I need to do again, it’s so much fun!).

Over the years of writing this blog, I’ve developed a number of mushroom recipes for a company who has been a big part of my “blogging career” – Mushrooms Canada. Back when I first began blogging, they were the very first company I reached out to on my own in my second year of writing in this space – I pitching them some recipes/stories and I was really happy to start working with them back in 2011. Today I’m sharing some of my favourite “mushroom moments” from the past four years – hopefully some of these will inspire you to think differently when it comes to mushrooms. These recipes are a far cry from the canned champignons I used to keep on hand when I was a university student (so I could use them on a pizza!) and I hope they demonstrate the versatility of the mighty mushroom.

My first post for them featured mushrooms in a buckwheat breakfast galette:

In 2011 my recipe for Polpette di funghi was the official Mushrooms GO PINK recipe (proceeds from sales of mushrooms went to supporting breast cancer research):

I’ve made a light mushroom curry with cashew nuts – a nice change from a heavier curry and perfect for “in between” seasons:

One of my favourite uses for mushrooms is in a quiche where they manage to make it so substantial that even the most die-hard carnivore will not wonder “Where’s the Beef?”! Take this rustic mushroom quiche, for example:

In 2012 I developed this mini mushroom galette with walnuts and blue cheese as the official Mushrooms GO PINK campaign recipe:

Mushrooms also make a miso bowl shine:

In 2013 I grew my own mushrooms which was one of the most fun projects I can remember in recent years!

Here’s a gluten-free, vegetarian pizza – starring mushrooms, with a polenta crust.

My 2013 recipe for Mediterranean mushroom-stuffed tomatoes was the Mushrooms GO PINK official recipe for 2013:

In 2014, I started working with the “Blend and Extend” concept.  Finely chopped mushrooms look similar to ground beef so they blend in seamlessly – it’s easy to make classic ground beef dishes healthier (and tastier!) by adding mushrooms. Here, they feature in a tortilla pie:

And here’s a lightened-up version of kofta:

Remember vol-au-vents, those party classics from the 70s? Well here they are, all dressed up with a mushroom bourguignon for an elegant hors d’oeuvre!

My latest post for Mushrooms Canada features mushrooms in a savoury breakfast muffin:

See how versatile the humble mushroom is? So many uses from hearty main courses to elegant appetizers! I’m happy to spread the mushroom love here on the blog and am grateful to Mushrooms Canada for extending the invitation to me to come “cook in their kitchen” on such a regular basis!

Mushrooms Canada, as well as being an early supporter of eat. live. travel. write. has also been a champion for food bloggers across Canada over the past few years.  They were one of the first site sponsors to sign on with Food Bloggers of Canada when Ethan Adeland, Melissa Hartfiel and I founded the organisation in 2011 and were sponsors of Canada’s first ever dedicated food blogging conference which we organised in 2013.  Though I left the organisation in 2013 to pursue other business opportunities, the community we built and that continues to grow today is something I am so proud of, so I am thrilled Mushrooms Canada is making it possible for me to attend the third FBC conference this weekend in Montreal where I will be able to connect with many members of that community in real life! Follow all the action on Twitter (@eatlivtravwrite) and Instagram (@eatlivtravwrite) and the hashtag #FBC2015

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Disclosure: I receive compensation from Mushrooms Canada for developing all but the GO PINK recipes. They are sponsoring me to attend the Food Bloggers of Canada 2015 conference in exchange for some recipe development (which I am always happy to do!). Here at eat. live. travel. write. I work with sponsors and brands I am enthusiastic abut myself, however, opinions expressed here will always be my own.