Day of the Mushroom recipe: Crazy about criminis

Did you know that April 16 is the Day of the Mushroom? I love these kabobs because they are easy to make and you can change up the mushrooms and veggies as you choose. Roast them or put them on the grill—it’s your choice.

Did you know that criminis go by a variety of names including browns, baby bellas or Italian mushrooms? Creminis are the white button mushroom variety. I love them for their hearty taste and rich umami flavor. There are so many different culinary mushrooms to choose from but criminis always please.

Marinated Roasted Crimini Kabobs

Yield: 4 servings (2 kabobs per serving)

Ingredients

• 1 pint whole crimini mushrooms, cleaned thoroughly with a slightly dampened paper towel
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 2 yellow bell peppers, deseeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium sized zucchinis cut into ½-inch rounds
• 2 medium sized red onions cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 skewers

Marinade

• ¼ cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. To make the marinade: In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, basil, sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
3. To make the kebabs: Thread mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, zucchini and tomatoes on the skewer and repeat. Thread all eight skewers.
4. Place kabobs on a rimmed baking sheet and liberally brush each kabob with marinade. Let sit for 15 minutes.
5. Place baking sheet into oven and roast kabobs for six minutes, brush with marinade and turn for another six minutes, baking until tender.
6. Serve on a bed of your favorite rice along with a mixed green salad for a truly flavorful and satiating meal.

Chef Nina Curtis

About the author: Chef Nina Curtis is the director and executive chef at Adventist Health’s Vitaliz Café in Roseville, California. Follow her @botanicalchef on social media.