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Christmas in a Box with Mushroom Canapés

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This post is proudly sponsored by The Mushroom Association of Australia. christmas party in a box 5

Christmas is a wonderful time to welcome friends and family into your home and a great opportunity to become adventurous with our culinary delights. Less is more in regards to portion size if you really want your guests to experience a broad array of flavours and textures in your cooking. Tapas baby, tapas is the answer this Christmas!!

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Now, you may be thinking that’s all well and good Amy, if you have the time to cook 6 dishes and I just don’t. Or perhaps you’ve been so used to eating one main dish which has meat and three veg that you’re concerned that you won’t be nourished at all during the Christmas season if you don’t take the opportunity to provide such a meal when it is your turn to entertain?

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Well they were my thoughts also. However, the Mushroom Association dropped to me a ‘Christmas in a Box’ pack which included six mushroom canapés with two bottles of wine to share with 6 friends. This generous box opened my mind to the following:

  • Mushrooms are SO versatile and there are many ways to use them.
  • Using mushrooms as the focus ingredient and building around that allows you to ensure that you are getting the many health benefits that mushrooms offer, whilst still being a little spoilt in the way some of the dishes are cooked (which is all ok because a healthy lifestyle includes balance, these are only small portions and it’s Christmas!).

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  1. Stuffed Button Mushroom with a Spiced Cream

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  1. Buttered brown bread crouton with mushroom duxelle and roast capsicum

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  1. Ragout of Mushroom banquette

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  1. Sushi a la fungi with wasabi jap mayonnaise

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  1. Swiss brown mushroom with pesto dipping sauce

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  1. Trio of mushroom Arancini with Aioli (above)

Mushrooms – a super food

The best thing about mushrooms is that a daily serve provides 20% of the daily requirements for seven crucial nutrients –  riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, copper, chromium and selenium.  If you leave the mushrooms in the sun for 30 minutes, you will also expose them to vitamin D, another essential nutrient!

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How do you use your mushrooms? If you would like the recipe for the sushi or the arancini balls, please comment below and I will post them! The chef was kind enough to provide them for those who would like to try their hand at these yummy dishes.

christmas party in a box 1What do you find difficult about entertaining at Christmas? Health conscious? Time? Relationship conflict? Comment below! Hope you enjoy your last couple of weeks leading up to Christmas. x

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Amy Darcy

Editor & Founder at Eat Pray Workout
Amy is the founder and editor of Eat Pray Workout. She is an Australian lawyer, army wife, health & fitness lover and Mum. Sharing her passion for a holistic and realistic approach to wellbeing and fitness, her mission is to inform, inspire & empower women to live a flourishing healthy lifestyle.

Comments

    • Amy Darcy says

      SUSHI Ingredients: Rice 550g kokuho rose rice, sushi rice 750mls water Dressing for rice 5 tblsp rice vinegar 1 tblsp mirin 3 tblsp sugar 2 tsp salt To make sushi 1 pkt (10 sheets) rosted nori (pandaroo yaki sushi nori) 1 small jar wasabi paste 1 jar pickled ginger 1 continental cucumber 1 bottle teriyaki marinade 1 small jar whole egg mayonnaise 1 bottle shoyu, Japanese soy sauce Assorted exotic mushrooms – enoki, shitaki, woodear, swiss brown etc. (sautéed with mirin, rice vinegar and beef stock) Method: Cooking sushi rice 1. Wash rice under cold running water until it runs clear. 2. Leave in strainer to drain for 1 hour. Place rice in a suitable saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until tunnels for on the surface of the rice. 3. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook the rice for 12-15 minutes, or until it is tender. 4. Remove from the heat, remove the lid from the pan, cover the rice with clean tea towel and leave for 15 minutes. Dressing 1. Mix rice vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt and stir until the sugar has dissolved. 2. Spread the rice over the base of a non-metallic bowl or tray; pour the dressing over the rice. 3. Use a rice paddle or spatula to mix the dressing through the rice separating the grains. 4. Fan the rice until it cools to room temperature. 5. Cover with a clean tea towel until ready to use. Sushi Assembly 1. Place a sheet of nori shiny side down on a bamboo mat, making sure the longest edge of the nori is at the top. 2. Spread a thin layer of rice over the bottom 2/3 of the nori, leaving a small border around the edge 3. Spread a thin line of wasabi along the middle of the rice and arrange the filling alongside the wasabi. 4. Gently lift the end of the mat closest to you, and roll it over the ingredients to enclose it. Continue rolling the mat forward to make a complete roll. With one hand on top, gently roll the mat back and forth a few times to make a nice round shape. 5. Use a sharp knife to slice the rolls at 2cm intervals. MUSHROOM ARANCHINI Ingredients: 1 tblsp olive oil 20g butter 1 medium brown onion, halved, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 250g mixed mushrooms, finely sliced 440g (2 cups) Arborio rice 125ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine 1L (4 cups) chicken stock 40g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan 55g (1/3 cup) toasted pine nuts 50ml truffle oil 2 eggs, lightly whisked 60g (2/3 cup) dried breadcrumbs Vegetable oil, to deep fry Method: 1. To make the risotto, heat oil and half the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. 2. Add onions and garlic and mushrooms to cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion softens. Add the rice and stir to coat. 3. Add the wine and half the stock, and bring to the boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. 4. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining butter, parmesan, truffle oil and pine nuts. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool. 5. Add egg to the rice mixture and stir until just combined. Use wet hands to roll tablespoons of rice mixture into balls. Place breadcrumbs on a plate. Roll rice balls in breadcrumbs to coat. 6. Deep fry until golden brown.
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