Creamy Mushrooms with Zucchini Noodles
Food photography for me is so much more than taking a few shots of a carefully prepared meal. It’s a creative outlet that makes my soul happy and I have so much fun creating each scene and stringing along the story of each post. For this Creamy Mushrooms with Zucchini Noodles recipe, I decided to step it up a bit and add a few different elements to captivate how beautiful plant based food can be.
I decided to build the story up, from the cloves of garlic to the edible flowers. From the creamy vegan mushrooms to the pops of parsley, carefully selected from my garden. This dish came together so beautifully, and portrays creative fun from an avid plant based foodie.
When I’m in the kitchen, encapsulated by thoughts on recipe creation, ingredients and plating techniques – I’m in my happy place. I have fun plotting different scenes and playing with different angles and lighting. The blog posts I create for this blog are far from being thrown together in a few minimal minutes.
Each post and each recipe takes a lot of time and effort, and possibly even a bit of dismay if the recipe hasn’t unfolded just how I’d have preferred it to. I put a lot of time and effort into each part of each blog post. From deciding on a recipe, to trying to create it, to drafting up the words for the post, to editing each and every photograph to designing the cover photo. There’s a great deal that goes into each post, is basically what I’m trying to say.
In a world of fast paced, easily chew-able content like videos and insta-stories, blog posts still stand, strong and humble even if they have stepped out of the lie light and are partially in the background. And I’m sure bloggers will agree that we greatly appreciate it when our creative efforts and thoughts are read. So thank you, if you’ve read this far, thank you. I do, truly, appreciate it.
Swiftly moving forward to this insanely delicious recipe, that is not only quick and easy but relatively minimal. It has so much flavor, it’s actually quite surprising! Mushrooms are set to be the next big trend in the health and wellness scene. While this recipe calls for simple brown mushrooms, medicinal mushrooms such as reishi, chaga, lions mane, etc are rapidly gaining attention in the health realm.
With their adaptogenic powers and superfood qualities, the spotlight is shifting towards the mushroom kingdom. Isn’t it crazy and bizzare to think that like the animal and plant kingdoms, mushrooms are a whole kingdom of their own. Could we be only scratching the surface of the fungus among us?
Health Benefits of Mushrooms
1. Immune System Boost Mushrooms, even those white button mushrooms that are available in most supermarkets, are found to increase the production of antiviral proteins that protect and repair tissues, including those of your immune system. Mushrooms have high levels of choline – a nutrient that promotes sleep, learning, and memory. Choline also reduces inflammation.
2. Treat Allergies Mushrooms have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties, and in some cases, can be used as a treatment for allergies and other breathing problems. Maitake and reishi mushrooms are said to protect your liver and help your body eliminate the leftover histamine from allergic reactions, as well as aid your body’s inflammatory response.
3. Heart Health When ingested, mushrooms are a fat-free and healthy food source that is low in calories and sodium and offers filling fiber, which decreases your risk of obesity and heart disease. Mushrooms also contain beta-glucans that improve insulin resistance and lower blood cholesterol levels, as well as B vitamins that turn carbohydrates into glucose to power your body and provide you with energy.
4. Weight Management and Nutrition Mushrooms are full of dietary fiber (which is key to a properly functioning digestive system). They also reduce appetite and keep you feeling fuller longer.
5. Cancer Prevention Mushrooms contain the mineral selenium, which helps your liver function properly. Selenium also helps your body detox potentially cancer-causing compounds. Mushrooms are also an excellent source of Vitamin D, and it’s the only vegetable or grown source of this essential vitamin. Just like people, mushrooms produce Vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, so growers expose mushrooms to the sun to promote the production of this essential vitamin. Vitamin D, when found in mushrooms, can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and also supports healthy teeth and bones. Source
Now, I’ve tried to make creamy vegan sauces before with plant milk like soy and almond, but I find that their flavour almost always overpowers the dish. Step in coconut yoghurt, which is what was used in this recipe to achieve it’s delectable creaminess, and wow! What a game changer!
Unlike if I were to use coconut cream or milk, coconut yoghurt gives this dish a beautiful subtle creaminess, without over ruling the mushroom flavour. It just combines so beautifully! I was inspired to create this dish from Deliciously Ella’s Creamy Herbed Mushroom recipe.
You could totally pair the mushrooms with some gluten free pasta of your choice, if you’re not accustomed to zucchini noodles, or even on a slice of toast. I have already made 3 batches of these mushrooms and I can say that they are amazing to have in the fridge for that quick lunch option when you’re pressed for time. I’ve also thrown some chickpeas into the mix for some extra plant protein, proving how versatile this dish can be.
A delightfully delicious plant based meal that is full of flavour. Perfect paired with spiralled zucchini noodles, this dish is a great mid week meal option as it's so quick and easy. Alternatively you could serve with gluten free pasta or toast, the choice is yours.
- 300 g Brown Mushrooms - wiped clean with paper towel and sliced
- 3 Cloves Garlic - finely diced
- 1 TBS Cold Pressed Organic Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Red Onion - peeled and diced
- 1 Tsp Celtic Sea Salt
- 1/2 Cup Organic Coconut Yoghurt - plain
- 2 Spring Onions - sliced
- 2 TBS Chopped Cashew Nuts - Toasted
- 4 Medium Zucchini's - Spiralized
- 1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice - over the zucchini to avoid it turning brown
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Prep, clean, spiralize and chop all your vegetables. In a seperate bowl, add the spiralled zucchini noodles and fresh lemon juice and stir well. This will help avoid the noodles from turning brown/oxidising. Set them aside.
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Heat u the olive oil in a pan on a medium-high heat. When temperature is reached, add the garlic and sauté and reduce heat to medium, Cook until golden brown.
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Add the red onion and salt and cook until golden brown and caramelised. I find I get this right by cooking initially on a medium heat util soft and then Turing up the heat to sauté (without burning) to reach that beautiful caramelised tone.
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When everything is beautifully golden and caramelised, add all the chopped mushrooms and cook for a further 3-4 mins, stirring often until the mushrooms are soft.
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Lastly, stir through the coconut yoghurt on a medium-low heat.
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Pop the zucchini noodles on to steam for a few minutes, or alternatively cook your pasta or toast.
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Lightly toasted the chopped cashew nuts.
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Serve the noodles on a plate, followed by the creamy mushrooms - topped with lightly toasted cashews and spring onions. Enjoy!
- Use Organic wherever possible and try to support local brands and products. Remember your re-usable bags when shopping for your ingredients.
I do hope you enjoyed this post and if you happen to try the recipe, please let me know if you enjoyed it. Also, what did you think of the photographs in this post? I’ve been playing around and creating some personalised presets and would love your feedback. Should I continue with the moody photographs with the new preset, or ever back to the original edits? Pop me a comment below, would be much appreciated.
2 Comments
MJ
Lovely photos – that dish looks so good! Will need to try this creamy mushroom recipe.
Taryn
Thank you so much, hope you enjoy if you do try the recipe.
Taryn