Marinated Mushrooms

Day 2 of our “One Month Raw Food Cleanse”

As mentioned in my February 5th posting, mushrooms are a true longevity food and have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. Since this month we are focusing on detoxing and building up our immune system, mushrooms are an appropriate food to have on our raw menu.

I attended an all day mushroom seminar last month here in Sebastopol and learned a lot about how to grow mushrooms and about the benefits and many uses of our beloved fungi. When I asked about consuming them in their raw state, the instructor made a comment that the white button mushrooms can be eaten raw but the others (many of which have even better medicinal qualities like shitake and maitake), should be cooked. Also, since white button mushrooms are so successful in absorbing toxins, we should buy the organic ones if possible.

By marinating vegetables in a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, the vegetables taste like they are “cooked” yet many of the nutrients that are destroyed by heat remain intact. Ceviche, a popular raw seafood dish, “cooks” fish, shrimp and scallops by marinating them in fresh lemon or lime juice. We will use a similar technique today to prepare a marinated mushroom dish.

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Marinated Mushrooms [makes 6 servings]
6 cups organic button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/8 medium sweet onion cut in thin slices
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put sliced mushrooms and onions in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Add this dressing to the mushrooms and quickly and gently toss the mushrooms until they are well coated. With a large serving spoon, put the mushroom mixture into a gallon plastic storage bag. Remove some air, seal it well and lay it down in the refrigerator on its side (you might want to put it in a plate in case it leaks) for at least 4 hours, turning it occasionally so the mushrooms absorb the dressing evenly. Place the mushrooms in a serving dish and serve.

Per serving: 91 calories, 9.3 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, zero g cholesterol, 2 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, and 1 g of fiber.

Menu for Day 2
Fruit smoothie for breakfast, left over sesame noodles with marinated mushrooms on the side for lunch. We are going to dinner tonight so I‘m not sure what raw delight I will find. I made some raw crackers for snacks which I’ll eat with raw almond butter. .