The best crispy mushrooms. Vegan. GF.

The best crispy mushrooms, really? But let me share a little something with you all – I hate mushrooms.

I’ve been researching nutritional information on different foods, as I normally do and I consistently come to the conclusion that I need to find a way to tolerate this weird textured fungus. It’s all about nutrition with me. If its void in a benefit…then why consume it? Food is of course your body’s roadmap to how your cells respond, inflammation, energy source or just plain ole crap that harms your temple. Remember, your body is your temple and you need to treat it right. End of story. Yes, a treat here or there is acceptable but on a daily basis the food you choose must be food that your body understands and knows unlike genetically modified crap out there. Sorry to be harsh but it’s food now or medicine later.

Mushrooms are the answer. Seriously. But let’s get a bit of background. Mushrooms are classified as vegetables in the food world, but they are not technically plants but belong to the fungi kingdom. Selenium, rarely found in fruits or veggies is found in mushrooms. It helps detox the liver and aids in detoxify some cancer-causing compounds in the body. Additionally, selenium prevents inflammation and decrease tumor growth rates.

High fiber diets, hello mushrooms, can aid in reducing type 1 diabetes. Has beta-glutan which aids in cholesterol reduction. Because of the fiber, your satiety level is higher leaving you filled for longer periods of time. One cup has only 15 calories, 2.2 grams of protein and less than 2 grams of carbs.

Okay all the benefits but these babies have the weirdest texture, right? Well by slicing them super thin… tossing them with really good spices and some other goodies… these little fungi crisped up perfectly and were the best salad, soup or mac n cheese topper out there! Let’s get started…
Ingredients:

1 small container of mixed mushrooms (make sure they’re organic), sliced thin
Olive oil
2 tbl of liquid aminos
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1/4 tsp of liquid smoke
Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line your baking sheet with parchment. Place the sliced mushrooms in a bowl and add all of the ingredients. Toss to coat well. Pour them out on to the baking sheet in an even layer and bake. I let them go very well-done but start watching around the 30-35 minute mark. I baked till around 45 minutes, again ensuring they were very dried out and crispy.

Remove and let cool. I added to my salad and devoured then continued to eat the remaining throughout the afternoon… who am I?

Look at those crispy edges? I’m dying for more now.

Okay seriously… walking into my kitchen to go make more & did I mention I hated mushrooms? LOL.

Heartfelt chat about to go down. After a super relaxing, fun weekend I’ve come to some conclusions. After today’s run I’ve decided to stop running for a bit (maybe just a few days or a week —–or more) to allow my knee swelling to go down. I keep pushing it and of course it isn’t getting any better. In fact it was so bad this Sunday after my run that we went to do a little trail riding on our bikes and I struggled to pedal. So I have an appointment at the end of the month for PRP shot discussion/inquiry with a new orthopedist. These shots are basically derived from my own blood and injected into my knee joint to help promote healing/reduce inflammation and help the growth of new tissue to cushion the bone on bone situation that I have happening now. Fingers crossed that I’m a candidate and that this works. So in the meantime, I’ll be lifting more, walking the dogs, doing the elliptical and all the other things in my life minus the intense beating down of my joints, for now. With that… here’s what I’ve done this week thus far:

Sunday: 6 trail miles/10 trailing cycling miles
Monday: 60 minutes of weight lifting at the gym, countless dog walks
Tuesday: 6 outdoor miles

Happy 2nd Monday of the week friends. BTW, if you’re in the Lancaster area this Saturday – pop down to Musser Park for PA VegFest. I’ll be speaking about being a vegan ultra marathoner at noon! But tons of awesome vendors, cooking classes and things to do! See you there.