Oyster mushrooms have become a huge part to play in me alkaline electric meals these day’s. I love their texture and their flavour is just divine, they are quiet tough and chewy and can adapt to pretty much any meal. They are used in so many ways. Dice them, slice them or use them whole, there are really so many uses for this super shroom. Mushrooms of many varieties are known as super foods and can be foraged anywhere in the world. Once you know what you are looking for that is. I do love to forage and over time I’ve learnt how to identify a few species of mushrooms.  I have only grown button mushrooms at home and they were quiet easy but apparently oyster mushrooms are one of the easiest mushrooms to grow at home. A new project for me to try out soon maybe. I’ve not found any in the wild yet either but apparently they are one of the easier ones to find. I’ve found chicken of the woods and turkey tail in abundance. Artists conk was another I found and oh my was I excited when I found that one, It was huge! I have it dehydrated and cut into chunks and stored in a jar here and I use it for tea.

There are somewhere between 14,000 – 22,000 types of mushroom species and that is just an estimate, i’m sure there are so many more we just don’t know about yet. Oyster mushrooms come from the pleurotus family : ” Pleurotus has been reported to confer some pharmacological potential such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, hepato-protectiveand anti-allergic activities. The high nutritional value and potential medicinal uses suggest that the oyster mushrooms are pharmacologically important as functional foods.”

Mushrooms are the only plant based food that can make vitamin D. They contain a precursor called ergosterol that is converted into vitamin D when exposed to the sun, similar to how skin synthesizes vitamin D. Pretty amazing hey. Mushrooms were on this earth long before trees, they are the root of everything, they simply bring magic in so many ways to anyone that uses them.

So here is a small list of some of the many medicinal benefits of oyster mushrooms.

1. Antiviral:

Oyster mushrooms contain substance called Ubiquitin, an anti-viral protein was isolated and identified from fruiting body of oyster mushroom. They are effective in fighting herpes.

Ribonucleases have been isolated and characterized from the P. ostreatus that has the potential to neutralize HIV through degradation of viral genetic material. Later in the fruiting bodies of the oyster mushroom they observed a novel ubiquitin like protein having HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The mushroom has the potential to inhibit cell replication in HIV.

2. Anti-Cancer:

A hot water extract showed a remarkable host mediated anti-tumor activity against sarcoma. There were studies done on three human solid carcinomas. Their report showed that extracts of the pleurotus species had higher anti-tumor activity against lung cancer cells.They have a high content of flavonoids and have been shown to have anti-tumour activity against different tumors.

3. Lowers Blood Pressure:

Oyster mushrooms have been found to have a relaxation effect on the smooth muscle of the arterial walls, thus effectively lowering blood pressure.

4. Antimicrobial:

Research has shown that the oyster mushroom is effective against drug resistant E.coli and Staph infections. Studies also show it to be effective in Candida overgrowth and Streptococcus or Enterococcus infections.

5. Anti-inflammatory:

Oyster mushrooms have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects within the body. They have potential use against vascular disorders, autoimmune, allergies or injury to the tissue.

6. Anti-ageing:

Extracts of the P. abalonus and the P. ostreatus increased activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, they are enzymes that are known to be potent in antioxidants. Extracts of Pleurotus can improve the antioxidant status during ageing leading reducing the occurrence of age-associated disorders like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer and cirrhosis.

I was once asked do i not get sick of eating oyster mushrooms and the answer is most defo no, why would I not want to include these amazing mushrooms into my lifestyle. I’m so grateful to have an amazing guy in his organic refrigerated van meet me every Saturday and i buy a kg of oyster mushrooms off him. I use them almost daily for one meal or another. They are the ultimate meat replacement for plant based vegans. I recommend everyone include them in their life. My 6 year old loves a raw chesnut or button mushoom in her lunchbox for school.

I thought I’d share a recipe with ye. It doesn’t take to long to make, maybe an hour all in, I’m never really in any rush in me tiny kitchen, like all plant based meals there’s a bit of prepping to do.

Oyster Mushroom Crepe with hemp cream (Alkaline Electric)

For the filling….

• Oyster Mushrooms (enough for 2)
• Grapeseed oil
• Red onion (1 small)
• Cherry tomatoes (used 6)
• Kale (1 large leaf)
• Tarragon (1 tsp)
• Basil (1 tsp)
• Onion powder (1 tsp)
• Ginger powder (1/2 tsp)
• Cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp)
• Sea salt (1 tsp)
• 1/2 key lime

For the crepe….

• 1/2 a cup of spelt flour
• 1/2 a cup of hemp milk (add a little more if consistency is too thick)
• 1 tsp of seamoss gel
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of onion powder

For the hemp cream….

• 1/4 of a cup of hemp milk
• 1/2 of a cup of hemp hearts
• 2 tbsp of seamoss gel
• 1 tsp of onion powder
• 1 tsp of ginger powder
• 1 tsp of basil
• pinch of cayenne
• juice from 1 key lime
• 1 tsp of agave or maple syrup

First off prep all of your vegetables. I cut my oyster shrooms into strips. Have a frying pan on a low to medium heat, drizzle on some grapeseed oil. Throw on your diced red onion add some sea salt to the pan, then add the oyster shrooms. Cook until the shrooms are golden brown and then add the diced kale and tomatoes. Cook for a couple of minutes then add all of your herbs. Cook for another couple of minutes. Then its ready to set aside and use in your crepe.

Making the crepe mix is quiet easy, this recipe will make about 3-4 crepes. Add all of the ingredients into a small blender and whizz, the seamoss gel makes the consistency quiet thick so I always have to add a  little drizzle more of hemp milk. Not to have it to runny either. Have the pan on a low to medium heat with some grapeseed oil, don’t be shy with it as we don’t want the crepes sticking to the pan.

Making the cream is quick too, just add all ingredients to a small blender and whizz away until all blended into a sauce. Can store in the fridge for a week and can be used for other dishes.

Place filling on top of crepe and add sauce. Roll into a wrap and enjoy the flavours!

So that is me first recipe for me blog. And if ye make this recipe I hope ye enjoy it as much as I did. It is exploding with flavours and is absolutely packed with minerals. Alkaline living is an amazing way to support your body’s need for minerals and mucus free foods. Come on a journey into healing with food. Be prepared to give up the very foods that made you sick in the first place, and replace them with alkaline soul food, when you do that you are making a conscious choice to love yourself. Loving yourself is so important when it comes to your body. Toxins out and natural living in. We thrive when given the proper environment to live in.

You are what you eat! Eat wisely……

Love and Light

Louise

http://www.idosi.org/wjfpb/wjfpb3(1)12/1.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321883054_Oyster_mushroom_pleurotus_species_A_natural_functional_food