Mushroom Toast

Mushroom Tahini Toast by Michael Crupain MD

Recipe excerpt from:
The Power Five: Essential Foods for Optimum Health

by Michael Crupain, MD, MPH

When bread becomes toast, it undergoes a Maillard chemical reaction, which is a food-geek way to say it becomes even tastier. It also adds a crustiness, for an ever-better bed for toppings like the mushroom-tahini mixture in this recipe. This is a crowd-pleasing appetizer, but sometimes I have it for breakfast or lunch. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with a sprig of thyme at the end for a picture-perfect finish.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 1 pound assorted mushrooms (such as oyster, maitake, shiitake)
  • ½ teaspoon urfa chile flakes (dried Turkish chile peppers)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
  • Salt
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 4 slices whole wheat or sourdough bread, toasted and rubbed with a raw garlic clove

Directions

Coarsely chop the mushrooms, and add to a bowl with the chile flakes and oil. Toss to coat the mushrooms.

Cook the mushrooms in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned. Season with salt, add the garlic, shallot, and thyme, and sauté for 4 minutes or until the shallot is soft. Stir in the wine, and cook until just evaporated. Turn off the heat, and stir in the tahini. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water for desired consistency. Spoon the mushrooms over the toast, sprinkle with salt to taste, and serve.

Mandarin and Prosciutto Crostini

Mandarin and Prosciutto Crostini by Tara Teaspoonby Tata Bench
Tara Teaspoon

This is my essential appetizer. Toasted Crostini topped with a little slice of salty Prosciutto and some tangy Mandarin and Shallot Chutney. I’ve been known to make a full meal of these little bites. Double the caramelized shallot and mandarin portion of this recipe and keep the extra in the fridge. It works beautifully on top of chicken or a roast ham sandwich—or even for your next batch of crostini bites.

Chutney

  • 2 cups sliced shallots, sliced root to tip
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1⁄2 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
  • 1 cup fresh mandarin or clementine segments, roughly chopped
  • 1 recipe Crostini (below), prepared
  • 14 slices prosciutto
  • Toasted hazelnuts, crushed Fresh thyme
  1. In a medium, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, sauté the shallots and salt in olive oil, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaf, and coriander seeds and let simmer until vinegar is reduced and almost gone, 10 to 12 minutes more. Stir in the mandarin seg- ments. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  2. Top crostini with a half piece of prosciutto and a spoonful of the mandarin chutney. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and thyme leaves.

Crostini

  • 1 baguette, sliced 1⁄4-inch thick
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  1. Heat oven to 375oF. Brush slices of bread lightly with olive oil on both sides. Lay slices flat on rimmed baking sheets and sprinkle with some salt.
  2. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.
  3. Store crostinis in a zip-top bag for up to 3 days.

Looks Delicious. Whenever I caramelize onions or shallots, I slice them from their root to the tip. Slicing them crosswise into rings or half-moons causes them to cook into long, stringy worms. The root-to-tip method allows the shallot or onion to hold its shape, looks better, and is easier to eat.

Favorite Herbs and Spices

Chef Jet and Travis talk herbs and spices.