You already know about my addiction to shitake mushrooms, and how very good they are for you.   My brilliant nutritionist claims that eating shitakes throughout the flu season really boosts your immunity.   Hence, you will find shitakes cooking in my kitchen all year long, either sautéing, roasting or in soups and stews.  I add them to everything!  Do check the archives for my sautéed mushrooms recipe.

One of my favorite ways to make these nutritional bombshells is to roast them in a hot oven with red grapes, shallots, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Then once they are cooked through and slightly crunchy, you drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  They are great as a side dish,  in an omelet, but also super as a snack, b y the handful.  The grapes add a slightly sweet touch to balance the earthy flavor.

Because I can’t remember where I read this recipe (this is a major problem lately), I’ve had to play around with the measuring of ingredients, but honestly, you can’t mess this up.  You can make them as crunchy as you like by increasing the heat.   The sweetness can be controlled by the amount of grapes you use, and of course, the balsamic vinegar adds a very complex flavoring to the entire dish.  One night I found myself adding a little extra salt, and eating them like popcorn while I watched a movie on TV!

They do shrink as they cook, so don’t be overwhelmed by the amount I’m suggesting.   No matter how many pounds of mushrooms I make, they disappear within 24 hours…..every single time.

Here’s to your health!  I hope you enjoy!

Recipe:  

1 1/2  to 2 lbs shiitake mushrooms (sometimes I add 5 oz. or so of a baby bella or criminology mushroom for texture)

15-20 seedless red grapes (left whole)

1 large shallot sliced

2 – 3cloves of garlic, thickly sliced

4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ( you may need more)

sea salt or fine Kosher salt and pepper to taste

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and grapes on a sheet pan.
3. Generously season with salt and pepper, but remember you can add more at the end.
4. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir well to coat them.  You may need more olive oil.
5. Roast in the oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan every 5 minutes or so.
6. When they are cooked to your liking, take them out of the oven, and while still on the pan, drizzle the balsamic vinegar all over, and stir.  Leave them on the pan for a few minutes before serving.