I like to eat meat but I also love to eat meatless meals. I don’t much care for tofu or other meat substitutes, mushrooms are my favorite meat alternative. The varieties I like tend to have a chewier texture similar to meat, but obviously without the meat, which makes a great fill-in for vegetarian meals.
Oyster mushrooms are fantastic as meat alternatives. This mild, in scent and taste, mushroom has significant antioxidant properties, antibacterial effects, are high in zinc, iron, potassium, calcium phosphorus, folic acid, vitamin C, niacin and vitamins B-1 and B-2. If all of that isn’t enough their protein is nearly as equal to that of animal protein. You can see why they make such a great alternative to meat.
Just like nearly all other mushrooms they too can be used in a vast amount of recipes. Because they are thin they tend to absorb spices quite well, and their mild taste won’t overpower the other ingredients in a dish. Oyster mushrooms can be cooked whole, sliced or cut into rough pieces. But they cook quickly so keep that in mind when cooking alongside ingredients that have longer cooking times.
Did you know that oyster mushrooms are used to make vegetarian oyster sauce? Good to know!
- 1 cluster oyster mushrooms
- 1 small pack of snow peas (also called mangetout)
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- Madras curry powder, I used about 1 tbsp but start off with a small amount and increase to taste
- ground cayenne pepper, optional
- salt to taste
- 1.5 tbps olive oil or veg oil of choice
- Separate the oyster mushroom cluster. You may want to cut away most of the stems as they tend to be rubbery and tough. Throughly rinse the mushrooms making sure to remove any trapped debris in the gills.
- Heat the oil and saute the garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for a minute, then add mushrooms and snow peas. Season with salt and cayenne (if using) to taste and cook until vegetables have soften to desired texture.
This day we were both craving a light vegetarian dinner to balance out the last couple of meaty meals. We also wanted a dish with a bit of spice, plenty of health benefits and not too many calories. This curried oyster mushroom and snow pea saute was the perfect meal. It has spice, a protein, a vegetable and won’t leave you feeling overstuffed. What else can one ask for? Nothing more, in my opinion.
Have a fantastic week!
I love those mushrooms and this is a wonderful combination!
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you Rosa, glad to hear you love them too!:)
What a simple recipe of healthy ingredients. Somehow I never really think to cook mushrooms with curry, but this looks tasty. Great photos as always.
You’d be surprise how well mushrooms go with curry. Thanks Victoria!
Oyster mushrooms are one of my favourites! They have such a wonderfully unique flavour and texture and work beautifully into this dish. I can’t wait to try it…thanks for sharing!!
-Shannon
Hi Shannon,
Yes, Oyster mushrooms are fantastic and I’m glad to hear you also like them. Thank you Shannon!
I adore mushrooms and this looks worth adoring!
I think you would adore this dish Abbe:)
Yummy Nancy. It’s time for me to incorporate a few meatless meals into my diet. Picture perfect as always!
Meatless meals can be just as filling, delicious and nutritious as meaty ones — or at least that’s my opinion.:) Thank you Sandra!
That looks wonderful! Everything is alittle better with curry! :-)
I couldn’t agree more Arthur:) Thanks!
Love oyster mushrooms Nancy, true!
Always enjoy reading your Meatless Monday recipes and stunning photos too!
Cheers! Joanne
I’m glad to hear you’re also a fan Joanne, thanks so much!
Amazing images Nancy!!
It is always a joy to see how wonderful you can make a simple item look. The recipe looks delicious too!
Thank you so much Julie:)
I love everything about this dish! From the veggies to the curry, I wish this was tonight’s dinner :).
Thank you Laura, I hope you give it a try soon.:)
I just loved the pictures in this post!!! The mushrooms look so real!! Fantastic post as always nancy
Thanks so much Nandita!:)
Your meals always look so beautiful and tasty. Nice idea for a meatless meal.
Thanks so much Marta:)
Breathtaking photos of those mushrooms Nancy! They look fresh, tender and delicious. I love how you’ve used them in this simple little dish. Lots of flavor with the curry. Great dish!
I’m the same with mushrooms, I love them as a meat alternative. Lovely recipe.
I like tofu OK if it’s in a really spicy dish, but I prefer mushrooms, too. Terrific dish! And wonderful photos. Thanks.
I’m a big mushroom fan and the oyster variety is one of my favorites. This is such a simple but delicious combination! I love the curry flavor with this vegetarian meal! As always your photos are like fine art! I’d hang your photos on my wall! :-)
What a great way to prepare mushrooms, the curry must really add a nice depth of flavor.
This dish sounds so good…I looove mushrooms and snow peas and in a curried form this dish is an absolute winner.
We have these oyster mushrooms in the fridge right now! I have never seasoned curry for the mushrooms. I would love to try this!
Gorgeous food photography on the oyster mushrooms… I have pink oyster mushroom photos somewhere on my desktop, taken this summer – but haven’t really thought about posting them just yet. What perfect side dish – love Madras curry powder, ooo la la!
I am sure this was absolutely lovely!! I must play around more with mushrooms. :)