Mushroom and Chick Pea Ragout

3 Reasons you must eat mushrooms!

1- OoooMommy! No, really, Umami.  It is the fifth basic taste after sweet, salty, bitter and sour; and mushrooms have it.  It is a rich, savory, meaty flavor that us non-meat eaters miss out on.  

2-  Mushrooms fall into this wonderful category of low-energy-density food.  Meaning few calories given the volume of food.  

3 - Nutrient Density! Mushrooms are packed with B vitamins which help with many things like ENERGY! and selenium which is a powerful antioxidant protecting your body's cell and immune system. 

This recipe pairs these little fun guys with protein rich chick peas.  And served over toast... Yes please! I served it with a fresh from my garden arugula salad and roasted cauliflower! YUM!!

1 Tbs Olive Oil

2 medium shallots, sliced

1 large sprig rosemary, chopped and stem removed

2 c chopped mushrooms, variety is great! Mixed dried mushrooms work great added to some fresh

1 Tbs sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar is ok too)

2 tsp tomato paste

2 tsp Worcester sauce

2 c Chick Peas (or one can if using canned)

1 1/2 c stock, chicken or vegetable (if using dried, add some of the water you used to reconstitute the mushrooms)

Heat oil in large sauce pan, saute shallots until softened.  Add rosemary and mushrooms and heat through. Add vinegar, tomato paste and Worcester and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add chick peas and stock, stir it all up and simmer until sauce has reduced by about 1/3.  If sauce still needs to be thickened: make a slurry of 1 tsp cornstarch and a little water then add it to the mushroom mixture.  

Serve over a piece of hearty, whole grain bread.