Here’s your chance to help breast cancer survivors in financial need, regain their confidence and self-esteem. For the entire month of October, pink punnets will ‘mushroom’ onto Pick n Pay’s fresh produce shelves nationally. R1 from each punnet of 250g whole white button mushrooms, 250g sliced white button mushrooms, the 250g budget line and the 400g whole white mushroom punnets sold, will be donated to Reach for Recovery’s Ditto project. A remarkable initiative that provides silicone prostheses to women who, after breast cancer followed by a mastectomy, cannot afford to purchase a breast prostheses.
We’ve found some delicious recipes where mushrooms are the star ingredient for you to try.
Mushroom Buddha Bowl
Makes 2 bowls
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa, red, white or mixed
1 cup kale
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup edamame beans, steamed
250g white button mushrooms, sliced
½ cup thinly shaved raw beetroot
1 zucchini, sliced into ribbons
¼ cup fresh radish slices
2 Tbsp pickled onions
Salt and pepper
Creamy guacamole to serve:
1 ripe avocado
Juice of ½ lemon
Handful coriander leaves, picked of the stems
Sea salt
Pinch chilli flakes
Method:
Shred the kale into a prep bowl or keep leaves whole if you like the look. Drizzle the kale with a little olive oil and lemon juice. Season lightly with salt. Massage the kale leaves well. This tenderizes them and removes any bitterness. Set aside.
In a large frying pan on high heat cook the mushrooms in a drizzle of olive oil. Season them to taste and keep warm.
Combine guacamole ingredients in a small jug. Using an immersion blender blend until very smooth.
Assemble the buddha bowl by beginning with a layer of quinoa. Top with kale, edamame beans, beetroot, zucchini ribbons, mushrooms, pickled onions and radish.
When ready to serve squeeze bowl with some fresh lemon juice and spoon over the creamy guacamole and use it as a rich and flavourful salad dressing.
Beetroot Hummus with Warm Sesame Mushrooms
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
For the hummus:
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 medium beetroot, cooked (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves
1 heaped Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
Sea salt flakes
For the Mushrooms:
250g portabellini mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
Olive oil
Sesame oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, mixed
Salt & pepper
Flatbread/pita to serve
Method:
To make the hummus: Put the chickpeas in a pot and cover with a few cm of water. Add the bicarbonate of soda and cook for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add ice cold water if you do not have a strong blender and need more liquid.
To make the mushrooms: Place a large frying pan on high heat. Drizzle a little olive oil and sesame oil into the pan. Fry the mushrooms until almost golden brown and then add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes until the garlic is golden brown. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the mushrooms with mixed sesame seeds.
Top the hummus with the mushrooms and serve with toasted pita or flatbread.
