If you would have told me four years ago that in the future I would actually like eating mushrooms and choose it as an meal option I probably wouldn’t believe you. Prior to eating a plant-based diet I couldn’t stand the sight of mushrooms. They did not look appetizing to me and I wouldn’t even try them. If they were incorporated into any food I ordered at a restaurant I would pick them out and push them to the edge of my plate in disgust.
It was only until I started eating more veggie-based meals and learning how to cook and add flavor to them that I decided to give eating mushrooms a chance. I figured if I can season them well they would take on the flavor of the seasoning and not taste like a plain mushroom. Mushrooms are one of the main foods that Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a nutritional researcher and plant-based diet maven whose advice I’ve followed since day one of my plant-based journey, recommends eating everyday.
After making several recipes from Dr. Fuhrman’s cookbook that featured mushrooms cooked in different ways I began to like the taste of them and started eating them more often. Mushrooms are now a frequent item I add to my grocery list. I now buy different types of mushrooms and look for new recipes to use them in.
One day I came across some oyster mushrooms in the supermarket that were so fresh I just had to buy them and make them, but I hadn’t figured out how. Then I thought about stewing them the same way my grandmother made her pollo guisada (stewed chicken).
The traditional Puerto Rican style of stewing consists of slow cooking meat or in this case mushrooms in liquid that is flavored with Latin spices and seasoning. My grandmother uses simple ingredients and of course recao for her stews but the flavor is savory and unique compared to other stews I’ve tasted.
I put the mushrooms to the test to see how they would come out and they passed with flying colors. All of the mushrooms soaked up the flavor from the sauce and cooked quickly. These stewed mushrooms go great served over some brown rice for a healthy and plant-based Puerto Rican meal.
Stewed Oyster Mushrooms With Brown Rice (Setas Guisadas)
Get the printable recipe here.
Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
Stewed Oyster Mushrooms:
¼ cup vegetable broth for sautéing plus ½ cup to add to the mushrooms
4 tablespoons recao
6oz oyster mushrooms
½ teaspoon adobo plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup manzanilla olives
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Brown Rice:
1 cup brown rice rinsed
2 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
Directions:
Brown Rice
1. Heat a medium sized pot over medium heat.
2. Add the vegetable broth and rice and bring to a boil.
3. Once the water is boiling, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender and all of the broth is absorbed.
4. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Stewed Oyster Mushrooms
1. Sprinkle adobo over mushrooms and set aside.
2. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat.
3. Add ¼ cup of vegetable broth and the recao.
4. Cook the recao for one minute then add the ½ cup of vegetable broth, the ½ teaspoon of adobo, oyster mushrooms, tomato sauce, manzanilla olives, salt and black pepper.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Serve with brown rice.
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